TITLE:
Interactive Effect of Forage Mixing Rates and Organic Fertilizers on the Yield and Nutritive Value of Berseem Clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) and Annual Ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.)
AUTHORS:
Heba Sabry Attia Salama
KEYWORDS:
Forage Mixture, Berseem Clover, Annual Ryegrass, Organic Fertilization
JOURNAL NAME:
Agricultural Sciences,
Vol.6 No.4,
April
9,
2015
ABSTRACT: Berseem clover (Trifolium
alexandrinum L.) is the main winter forage legume in Egypt. Despite that
the yield and protein content of berseem clover are high, it is characterized
by low dry matter content especially in the 1st cut. Intercropping
berseem clover with forage grasses, especially annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) is a recommended technique to produce higher forage yield with better
balanced nutritional quality. However, little is known about the performance of
these proposed mixtures under the arising organic farming system in Egypt.
Organic farming and the application of organic fertilizers (compost and poultry
manure) are receiving increased attention in the last few years. Thus, the
current study was carried out on the winter season of two successive years
(2012 and 2013) in the experimental station of SEKEM organic farm, Egypt. Main
aim was to investigate the variation in 1st cut forage yield and
nutritive value of berseem clover and annual ryegrass, grown in pure stands and
with three mixing rates, under three organic fertilization regimes (compost,
poultry litter, and no fertilization). Nutritive value was judged through investigating
the crude protein (CP), total carbohydrates (TC), and fiber fractions (NDF,
ADF, and ADL). Results revealed significant two-way interaction between the
forage treatments and the fertilization regimes for all the studied parameters.
In general, mixing berseem clover with annual ryegrass, fertilized by compost
or poultry litter resulted in significantly higher forage yield, dry matter
content, and balanced CP, TC, and fiber fractions, compared to the pure stands.