Effect of legume proportion and physiological age on forage quality and the suitability of Agrostis capillaris L. and Festuca rubra L. for silage making
Laser, H.(Institute of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Giessen (Germany))E-mail:[email protected] | Opitz v. Boberfeld, W.(Institute of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, Giessen (Germany))
The chemical and physical properties of herbage from low-input grassland usually differ from plant material of intensively managed swards. The experiment in split-plot design with four replicates was carried out to examine whether legume proportions and the physiological age of herbage are relevant to fermentability of herbage. Lotus corniculatus did not increase nitrate concentrations sufficiently in Festuca rubra and most Agrostis capillaris swards to be able to avoid clostridial fermentation. However, Lotus corniculatus reduced the WSC/BC ratio of the grasses grown in mixture and that of the complete herbage of the mixtures. A late first cut in summer had an unexpected positive effect on the WSC/BC ratio of the grasses in pure stands. The late cut of non-fertilized plots did not affect the chemical composition of the grasses used for silage making. Nevertheless, such silages may be difficult to compact because of their high fibre content and it may be necessary to use nitrate additives.
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