Effect of Sowing Method and Cutting System on Forage and Seed Production of Some Egyptian Clover Cultivars (Trifolum Alexandrinum, L.).

Abstract

seasons. The present investigation aimed to study the effect of two sowing methods (in rows and broadcasting) and three cutting systems (system (A): the three growth periods were 60, 35 and 30 days before the 1 st , 2 nd and 3 rd cuts respectively. While, these periods were prolonged by 5 and 10 days in the second (B) and the third (C) systems, respectively. on forage and seed production of three Egyptian clover multicuts Meskawi cultivars namely Helaly, Sakha 4 and Giza 15 under sandy soil conditions. A split-split plot design with three replicates was used in both seasons. The results revealed that broadcasting method gave higher values in plant height, fresh, dry yields and seed yield and its attributes than sowing in rows one. Whereas, forage quality (CP, DCP, TDN and SV percentages) were not significantly affected by sowing methods. At the three cuts, prolonging the cutting intervals by 5 and 10 days in B and C systems caused a continuous and significant increase in each of plant height, fresh, dry forage and seed yields/fad.. The number of heads/plant was not significantly affected in both seasons. While, TDN and SV percentages were gradually increased by prolonging the cutting intervals but the CP and DCP percentages took an opposite trend in the first two cuts. Helaly cv. recorded the highest values of plant height, fresh, dry forage yields and seed yield and its components in the two seasons and their combined while, Giza 15 and Sakha 4 cvs, recorded the highest values of CP% and DCP% in the 2 nd and 3 rd cuts of the combined data followed by Helaly cv. in respective order. The results did not show significant interaction effects between sowing methods and cutting systems in all studied traits except, pant height. There was a positive and significant correlation between each of plant height, total forage yield, TDN% and SV% on one hand and total dry forage yield per fad. on the other. However, the correlation between total dry forage yield and both CP% and DCP% negative and significant. 280 A.B. GABALLAH Results indicated that Helaly Egyptian clover cv. when broadcasted and cut as in C system can produced the highest forage and seed yields under sandy soil conditions of Ismailia Governorate..

Effect of Sowing Method and Cutting System on Forage and Seed Production of Some Egyptian Clover Cultivars (Trifolum Alexandrinum, L.).

“…The increase in TDN and SV may be mainly attributed to the increase of dry forage yield. These results are similar to those obtained by Abdel-Gawad (1993-b), Gaballah (1996) and Kandil et al (2005).…”

“…The increase of plant height due to delaying cutting could be attributed to the increase in the amount of synthates accumulated in plants which improved the vegetative and root growth and hence the elongation of plants. These results are in harmony with those obtained by Abdel-Gawad (1993-b) and Gaballah (1996).…”

“…The differences in growth, forage yield and yield components and quality of the three Egyptian clover cultivars could be attributed to their genetic structure. These results are in partial agreement with those obtained by Abde-Gawad (1993-a), El-Debaby et al (1994), Gaballah (1996) and Sarhan and Abd El-Maksoud (2002).…”

“…Concerning seed yield/fad., the superiority of system C over systems A and B reached 32.46% and 2.63% in the 1 st season and 36.99% and 6.39% in the 2 nd season, respectively. These results are in harmony with those of Gaballah, (1996) and Virender and Narwal, (1999).…”

“…Also, Abdel-Gawad (1993-b), reported that crude protein contents of berseem were decreased with delaying the first cut from 65 to 75 days and the subsequent cuts from 30 to 40 days. Gaballah (1996), found that fresh and dry forage yields of Egyptian clover per cut were increased significantly when the cutting intervals were increased. Increasing cutting intervals did not exert any significant influence on protein percentage while TDN and SV values were increased.…”