Estimation of red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) forage quality parameters dependingon the variety, cut and growing year

Abstract

A field trial was conducted to determine the nutritive value of eight Slovak and Czech red clover varieties and to quantify the effects of variety, cut and year on red clover forage quality. The differences between forage quality of the evaluated red clover varieties were significant for protein supplied when energy is limited in the rumen (PDIE), intestinal digestibility of rumen non-degraded protein (dsi), net energy values and ash content (P < 0.01). The achieved results show that the surpassing forage quality was given by diploid Viglana variety with high protein and energy values. The forage of tetraploid varieties Javorina and Dolina was outstanding in protein content, but had the lowest energy values. The nutritive value was significantly affected by cut. The first cut provided forage with a significantly lower (P < 0.01) crude protein (CP) content, CP digestibility, degradability of CP (degNL), protein supplied when nitrogen is limited in rumen (PDIN), PDIE and with a significantly higher crude fibre content and energy values (P < 0.01). The differences between varieties were more pronounced in the second and in the third cut. Significantly higher (P < 0.01) PDIE, PDIN, degNL, net energy values and ash contents were found in the first production year.

Red clover for silage: management impacts on herbage yield, nutritive value, ensilability and persistence, and relativity to perennial ryegrass

“…They are comparable to other published values of 616–762 g kg −1 (organic matter digestibility) and 152–277 g CP kg −1 DM (http://www.feedipedia.org; accessed 10 September 2015). The seasonal pattern of a marked increase in CP from Cut 1 through to Cut 4 with a corresponding but less marked decline in DMD agrees with the observations of Drobná and Jančovič ().…”

“…An alternative management strategy to improve herbage production both early and late in the growing season, and potentially improve annual yield, is by sowing red clover in combination with an appropriate grass (Frame and Harkess, ). Furthermore, differences in seasonal or annual yield, persistence, nutritive value or ensilability, even among the early‐flowering cultivars of red clover which may be the best suited to temperate grassland climates, may offer potential benefits (Drobná and Jančovič, ; Gilliland and Meehan, ). Finally, if interactions occur among the above factors, this would influence the optimum management strategy selected for red clover.…”

Variation in rate of phenological development and morphology between red clover varieties: Implications for clover proportion and feed quality in mixed swards

“…These results support our third hypothesis that forage quality of early and late red clover varieties differs at the same time of harvest, with early varieties having lower feed quality than the late varieties. In our study, red clover NDFD was higher in the first harvest as compared to second and third harvest, similar to the previous studies (Belyea, Restrepo, Martz, & Ellersieck, 1999;Drobna & Jancovic, 2006) and related to a lower stem-to-leaf ratio.…”

Molecular characterization of red clover genotypes utilizing microsatellite markers

“…Traditionally, benefits of growing red clover include also N fixation and soil improvement through legume-Rhizobium symbioses (Yates et al, 2014). High protein content and excellent yielding potential, with some varieties that can have higher fodder yields than alfalfa (Drobna and Jancovic, 2006), make red clover considerably used in silage production for livestock farming. Yield and protein content are the most valuable traits that were developed and upgraded in breeding programs, as well as persistence and resistance to various biotic and abiotic stress factors (Repkova et al, 2006).…”