Chemical composition and nutritive value of three barley cultivars grown under the semi-arid conditions of northwestern Tunisia [Hordeum vulgare]
1994
Majdoub, A. (Institut National Agronomique de Tunisie, Tunis Mahrajane (Tunisia)) | Mehouachi, M. | Yahyaoui, A. | Rahmani, L. (Ecole Superieure d'Agriculture du Kef (Tunisia))
Three barley (Hordeum vulgare L. ssp. vulgare) cultivars (Two-row Ceres and Esperance, and six-row Martin) were grown under rain-fed conditions at Le Kef, northwestern Tunisia, to determine the effect of cutting stage on chemical composition and nutritive value. The three cultivars showed similar patterns of chemical composition through their life cycles. Dry matter content increased from tillering to hard dough stage; thereafter it decreased slightly for the two-row cultivars, but increased slightly in Martin. Ash content decreased from early stage to late dough stage, thereafter remaining unchanged. Crude fiber content increased to milky stage, then decreased to hard dough stage. Crude protein content was very high at early leaf stage, decreased sharply to flowering, decreased more slowly to milky stage, then stabilized or increased slightly. Overall digestibility generally decreased to pre-bloom stage, then increased steadily to hard dough stage. Organic matter digestibility decreased rapidly to milky stage, then stabilized to hard dough stage, then increased slightly. Digestible protein content followed crude protein content. Esperance showed a rapid decrease in digestibility for early mob grazing. Martin maintained relatively constant digestibility, making it suitable for continuous grazing
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