Effects of Applying Cattle Slurry and Mixed Sowing with Legumes on Productivity, Feed Values and Organic Stock Carrying Capacity of Whole Crop Barley and Rye

This study was conducted to determine effects of applying cattle slurry and mixed sowing with legumes such as hairy vetch or forage pea on productivity, feed values and organic stock carrying capacity of whole crop barley and rye as winter forage crops, and to obtain organic forages together with higher soil fertility. Experimental plots consisted of 7 treatments, which were non-fertilizer, chemical fertilizer (containing phosphate and potassium: P+K), chemical fertilizer (containing nitrogen, phosphate and potassium: N+P+K), organic fertilizer, cattle slurry, cattle slurry application (mixture with hairy vetch), and cattle slurry application (mixture with forage pea) plots. Each treatment was triplicates, and seven treatments were allocated in a completely randomized block design. For whole crop barley or its mixture crops, annual dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), and total digestible nutrients (TDN) yields of N+P+K plots were significantly (P less than 0.05) higher than other plots except for cattle slurry plots. The CP content of barley or its mixture crops was significantly higher for N+P+K plot (9.8%) and mixture plots with legumes (8.6~9.7%) than those of other treatments. As 450 kg Hanwoo heifers were fed diets included 70% whole crop barley or 70% mixture crops with legumes, mixture plots are capable of raising average 1.7 to 1.8 heads/ha a year. For rye or its mixture crops, annual DM, CP, and TDN yields represented 6.9∼ 7.1, 0.5~0.6 and 4.3~4.4 ton/ha, respectively. The N+P+K plot contained 10.8% CP, which was higher (P less than 0.05) than all other treatments. In case of 450 kg Hanwoo heifers fed diets included 70% rye or 70% mixture crops with legumes, mixture plots can rear average 1.9 heads/ha a year. When it was considered based on crop yields and organic stock carrying capacity, applying cattle slurry to whole crop barley or rye had the comparable yields and feed values to chemical fertilizer application. Moreover, whole crop barley and rye within cattle slurry plots had a greater combination with hairy vetch and forage pea, respectively, and their mixture crops with legumes had higher crude protein and TDN yields within cattle slurry plots. In conclusion, it would be expected that mixed sowing with legumes in the application of cattle slurry to grass crops could be substituted for imported organic grains as dietary protein sources in feeding organic livestock.