Forage production of Tagasaste (Chamaecytisus palmensis) and three Teline species cultivated in the Canary Islands (Spain), during a period of ten years

Chinea, E.; Mora, J. L.; García Ciudad, Antonia; García Criado, Balbino

Forage production of Tagasaste (Chamaecytisus palmensis) and three Teline species cultivated in the Canary Islands (Spain), during a period of ten years | Producción forrajera de tagasaste (Chamaecytisus palmensis) y tres especies de Teline cultivadas en Canarias, en un periodo de 10 años

2013

Chinea, E. | Mora, J. L. | García Ciudad, Antonia | García Criado, Balbino

Four species of leguminous shrubs endemic to the Canary Islands (Spain): tagasaste (Chamaecytisus palmensis), Teline canariensis, Teline osyrioides sericea and Teline osyrioides osyrioides, were evaluated from 1999 to 2008 as a source of animal forage. These species were cultivated with a density of 5142 shrubs.ha-1 on an experimental plot (La Laguna, Tenerife) using a "split-split-plot" experimental design and four replications. Plants survival, biometry (shrub height, treetop and trunck diameter), edible green matter/inedible green matter ratio (EGM/IGM), edible dry matter production (t EDM.ha-1) and percentage of edible dry matter (% EDM) of shrubs at three cutting heights (30, 50 and 70 cm above ground level) were studied. The plot was not fertilized and seventeen reaping were made from 2004 to 2008 (four in 1999, three in 2000, two in 2002 and one in 2001 and from 2004-2008). Production of tagasate (8.1 t EDM.ha-1) was significantly higher (P<0.05) at all three cutting heights than that of the three Teline species. The three Teline species were less productive but showed a higher % EDM and edible green matter fraction. The most productive cutting heights (50 and 70cm) showed no significant differences. The lowest mean production values for the four species were obtained during the first 14 cuts ranging between 1.00 and 2.82 t EDM.ha-1. The highest values correspond to the last three cuts: winter 2006 (3.30 t EDM.ha-1), spring 2007 (3.96 t EDM.ha-1) and spring 2008 (3.85 t EDM.ha-1).

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