Basic chemical composition and energy nutritional value of fodder biomass from artificial ecosystems

Abstract

In 2014-2016 at the Research Institute of Mountain Stockbreeding and Agriculture-Troyan, we followed the change in the qualitative composition of dry biomass from two-component grass mixtures. The grasslands with the mixture of Trifolium repens L.-Poa pratensis L. have the highest crude protein content (151.6 g kg-1 DM), mineral substances (75.6 g kg-1 DM) and crude fat (33.9 g kg-1 DM). The legume grass associated with perennial ryegrass forms forage matter with the highest carbohydrate amount (434.9 g kg-1 DM) and the lowest amount of crude fiber (269.8 g kg-1 DM). The biomass of Lotus corniculatus L. and Festuca rubra L. is the richest in Ca (19.1 g kg-1 DM), and the mixture of blue hybrid alfalfa-cock's foot has the highest dry matter content (909.7 g kg-1 DM). The biomass of blue hybrid alfalfa-cock's foot (16.99 MJ/kg DM) and red clover-meadow fescue (16.96 MJ/kg DM) is with the highest caloric values. Both mixtures have almost identical values regardless of the different botanical composition and the predominant component in the grassland. The mixture of Trifolium pratense L. with Phleum pratense L. has the highest energy nutritional value (FUM-0.71 kg DM and FUG-0.66 kg DM), and the biomass of the blue hybrid alfalfa-cock's foot registered the lowest amount of exchange energy (7.30 MJ/kg DM), as well as the smallest number of feed units (FUM-0.67 kg DM and FUG-0.61 kg DM) in the dry matter. For the experimental period with the lowest values of gross energy (16.70 MJ/kg DM) are the mixed grasslands of Trifolium repens L.

The potential breeding value of snow clover (Trifolium pratense ssp. nivale (W.D.J. Koch) Arcang.) and red clover (Trifolium pratense ssp. sativum) hybrids

“…Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) is the most commonly used legume species for the establishment of a temporary meadow and grazing grasslands in foothill and mountain areas of Balkan Peninsula (Mihovski et al 2011;Bozhanska 2017;Bozhanska et al 2018). Red clover breeding for these conditions is aimed at longevity, summer and aftermath productivity, grazing tolerance, forage quality, and seed yield.…”