Taraxacum officinale in meadow fodder production

Abstract

The relevance of this study lies in the fact that the value of Taraxacum officinale for fodder production is extremely limited, although it is one of the most common species on natural and sown fodder lands. The purpose of this study was to experimentally establish the biological value and possibilities of introducing Taraxacum officinale into the culture, its technological suitability for cultivation in pure sowings and mixtures with cereal-legumes. The study employed the following methods: field, laboratory, analytical, and statistical. The study found possibilities of sowing Taraxacum officinale in the grass stand and ways of using it with green and roughage, best sowing methods and productivity, content of biologically active substances, etc. It was proved that sowing of Taraxacum officinale in the grass stand ensures its content in green and roughage at 2-4%, which is an insufficient amount of active ingredient for use as fodder additives. It is more promising to sow Taraxacum officinale in pure crops. The yield of dry mass and roots of Taraxacum officinale without irrigation was 1.5-2.4 t/ha. Under irrigation, the yield of dry weight of its leaves increased. The best method of sowing is wide-row sowing with row spacing of 25-35 cm. The main biologically active substances are flavonoids, polysaccharides, bitters, vitamins, pectin substances, and hemicellulose. Taraxacum officinale contains nutrients that are typical for fodder and are fully analysed for zootechnical purposes. Specifically, it has a high crude protein content (22.3% in leaves and 18.4% in leaves and roots). According to other indicators of the full zootechnical analysis, the feed from Taraxacum officinale meets the zootechnical requirements. The inclusion of Taraxacum officinale in the feeding ration can ensure the production of organic livestock products that meet the current requirements of the European Green Deal strategy