Optimum Harvest Stage of Italian Ryegrass Kowinearly According to One and Two Harvests During Spring Season )

This study was carried out to determine the optimum harvest stage of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam., IRG) for maximum forage production during the spring season in Suwon, 2010. The variety of IRG was the early maturity type, 'Kowinearly', and six harvest stages (treatments) were first heading (T1), heading (T2), late heading to early bloom (T3), bloom to late bloom (T4), ripeness (T5), and late ripeness stage (T6). The dates of the first heading and heading of 'Kowinearly' were seen on 4 to 5 May, and 14 May, respectively. Plant length and dry matter (DM) percentage at first harvest were from 69 cm and 14.8% at T1 stage to 103 cm and 35.0% at T6 stage, respectively. The content of crude protein (CP) and in vitro DM digestibility (IVDMD) of T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6 at first harvest were 15.6%, 10.6%, 10.1%, 8.1%, 7.3% and 5.4%, and 81.8%, 72.1%, 64.8%, 63.8%, 61.4% and 59.0%, respectively. The content of neural detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) were increased continuously with delayed harvest. A significantly higher yield of DM, CP and in vitro digestible DM (IVDDM) were observed for T3, and T4 (p0.05). DM yield of 3,526 kg, 6,278 kg, 7,842 kg, 8,984 kg, 8,346 kg and 8,008 kg/ha, CP yield of 549 kg, 665 kg, 795 kg, 725 kg, 608 kg and 430 kg/ha, and IVDDM of 2,883 kg. 4,526 kg, 5,083 kg, 5,728 kg, 5,124 kg and 4,722 kg/ha at first harvest were recorded in T1, T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6, respectively. Regrowth yield of DM, CP and IVDDM were shown to be higher at T1 and T2 (p0.05). However, no significant differences were observed between the two stages. Daily DM and DDM production of regrowth IRG were higher at T2, followed by T1. The total yield (at first and at regrowth) of DM, CP and IVDDM were significant higher for T2, followed by T3, T4 and T1 in order. At T2 stage, the yield was 11,089 kg, 1,254 kg, and 7,669 kg/ha in DM, CP, and IVDDM. In conclusion, the late heading to bloom stage was determined to be the optimum harvest stage for a single harvest, while the heading stage was a suitable stage of first harvest of 'Kowinearly' where two harvests were sought in a single year.