The introduction of compatible, persistent, high quality grass-legume mixtures could increase forage quality during the summer season in Egypt. This would greatly support the sustainability of a livestock production system. A two-year field trial was carried out during the summer seasons of 2012 and 2013 at the experimental station of the Faculty of Agriculture, Alexandria University, Egypt. The main aim of the study was to assess the potential of forage cowpea-sudan grass (Vigna unguiculata L. -Sorghum sudanese), and forage cowpea-pearl millet (Vigna unguiculata L. -Pennisetum glaucum L.) mixtures to improve hay quality, utilizing three cuts, when compared with cowpea, sudan grass, and pearl millet as individual crops. Investigated forage quality parameters included dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), nitrogen-free extract (NFE), and fiber fractions (NDF, ADF, ADL) as %DM. In addition, the hay quality indices namely, relative feed value (RFV), and relative forage quality (RFQ), derived from the dry matter intake (DMI %BW), digestible dry mater (DDM %DM), and total digestible nutrients (TDN %DM), also were evaluated. Results showed that, in general, the 1 st cut was of a higher quality than the 2 nd and 3 rd cuts, being characterized by highest significant NFE, and also lowest significant NDF and ADL values. However, the DM content increased significantly with the successive cuts. The forage cowpea (FCP) was characterized by its increased CP content, and thus contributed to increasing the CP content of the grass-legume mixtures compared to the pure grass plots. Moreover, screening of the tested grass-legume mixtures and monocultures with regard to the hay quality indices revealed that mixing grass and legume forage crops was an effective technique in producing hay of a similar quality to that of the forage legume alone, but better than that of the forage grass alone. The highest RFV value was a characteristic of the FCP stands (Prime), followed by the three grass-legume mixtures (Grade 2), and then the three pure grass stands (Grade 3). Similarly, according to the RFQ grading system, the pure FCP and the three mixtures were graded as "Premium" hay quality, and the three pure grass stands were graded as "Good" hay quality.
Barley cutting in the late winter season is a strategy to provide good amount of high quality forage in the Mediterranean region. A 2-year field study was conducted in Alexandria, Egypt, to explore the variations in forage and grain yields and their characteristics of barley seeded with 100, 125, and 150 kg ha −1 and cut at 45, 55, and 65 days after sowing (DAS). The highest significant forage and grain yields were obtained with highest seeding rate (150 kg ha −1), amounting to 18.91, and 4.38 t ha −1 , respectively. Cutting barley at early growth stages (45 and 55 DAS) resulted in the production of higher forage yield with higher quality, in terms of high crude protein and low fiber content, compared to late forage cut at 65 DAS. Meanwhile, early forage cutting resulted in the least amount of reduction in the final grain yield and, thus, grain income. The percentage reduction in grain income associated with forage cutting at 45, 55, and 65 DAS, amounted to 5.7, 19.6, and 31.0%, respectively. However, the net returns obtained from the dual purpose system, when forage was cut at 45 and 55 DAS were $104.27 (11.4%), and $67.91 (7.4%), respectively, greater than that obtained in the grain-only system. Economic analysis showed that the extra income from early forage cutting was sufficient to compensate the grain yield reduction in the dual purpose system. Dual purpose barley production, thus, proved to be highly feasible in the region due to the good price of the barley forage.
The current study was carried out in Alexandria, Egypt and investigated the effect of sowing date; 1st May, 1st July, and 1st September 2017 and 2018, and age at harvest; 45, 55 and 65 days after sowing (DAS) on yield and quality of maize green forage grown with three plant densities (120, 160, and 200 kg ha–1). Sowing at 1st of May produced the highest significant amount of fresh yield (41.51 t ha–1 in average). Sowing at 1st of July resulted in the production of significantly lower yield (24.54 t ha–1 in average), however, higher dry matter content (175.99 g kg–1 in average), compared to sowing at 1st of May (143.62 g kg–1 in average). A pronounced increase in fresh yield was observed when maize was harvested at 55 DAS (30.89 t ha–1 in average) compared to harvesting at 45 DAS (22.92 t ha–1 in average). Meanwhile, the increase in fresh yield from 55 DAS to 65 DAS was non-significant. The effect of sowing date on quality parameters was greatly dependent on the age of plant at harvest. Harvesting maize green forage at 65 DAS, reflecting an advanced stage of maturity, caused a significant reduction in the crude protein (CP), and a significant increase in the neutral and acid detergent fibre fractions (NDF and ADF), resulting in a decline in the digestible organic matter (DOM). Plant density exerted non-significant influence on the fresh yield and DM content, minimal effect on the CP content, while the effect on the NDF and ADF contents was dependent on the age at harvest. The lignin content (ADL) of the herbage significantly decreased with increasing the plant density. Variations in the DOM were most dependent on the variations in CP content, followed by the variations in ADF and ADL contents. In conclusion, it is recommended to grow green forage maize twice a season on the 1st of May and 1st of July, with intermediate plant density (160 kg ha–1), and harvest it not later than 55 DAS to achieve the optimum balance between herbage productivity and nutritive value.
BACKGROUNDBerseem clover is the main forage crop grown in Mediterranean regions. There are plenty of cultivars that possess variability in their productivity and quality among the different cuts. Therefore, accurate agronomic and qualitative characterization is crucial for selecting the most promising cultivars for breeding and feeding purposes. In the present study, the agronomic characteristics, ruminal degradability and fermentation measures of five cuts of the five most prominent Egyptian beseem clover cultivars (Helaly, Serw, Giza6, Gemmeza1 and Sakha4) were evaluated.RESULTSThe Giza6 cultivar produced a significantly higher fresh yield and high whole plant dry matter content on the 3rd cut. Giza6 was among the superior cultivars in crude protein content and had the highest values of gas production at the 3rd cut, and ruminal degraded acid detergent fiber and propionate concentrations at the 2nd cut, at the same time as presenting the lowest ammonia concentrations at the 3rd and 5th cuts. Overall, the 3rd cut produced significantly higher fresh yield across all cultivars, except for Sakha4. The 3rd cut also produced a higher leaf to stem ratio compared to the 4th and 5th cuts. The 1st three cuts had higher degraded neutral detergent fiber than the 4th and 5th cuts. The 1st cut was characterized by low propionate concentration in the Helaly and Gemmeza1 cultivars compared to the other cuts.CONCLUSIONExpanded production of the high‐yielding, high‐quality cultivar Giza6 is recommended. When harvesting, three cuts is optimal for berseem clover cultivation for breeding and feeding programs. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
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