Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-cfpbc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-19T03:04:01.864Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

PLANT SPECIES MIXTURES FOR FORAGE PRODUCTION FOR RUMINANT FEEDING UNDER MEDITERRANEAN CONDITIONS

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 November 2013

E. TSIPLAKOU ,
G. ECONOMOU ,
I. HADJIGEORGIOU ,
A. KOMINAKIS  and
G. ZERVAS
E. TSIPLAKOU*
Affiliation:
Department of Nutritional Physiology and Feeding, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, GR-11855, Athens, Greece
G. ECONOMOU
Affiliation:
Department of Agronomy, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, GR-11855, Athens, Greece
I. HADJIGEORGIOU
Affiliation:
Department of Nutritional Physiology and Feeding, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, GR-11855, Athens, Greece
A. KOMINAKIS
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Breeding, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, GR-11855, Athens, Greece
G. ZERVAS
Affiliation:
Department of Nutritional Physiology and Feeding, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, GR-11855, Athens, Greece
*
‡Corresponding author. Email: eltsiplakou@aua.gr
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

The establishment of leys for biomass production during the winter months could be an alternative feed resource of low cost for small ruminants in Mediterranean basin. For this purpose, an experiment was carried out with six plant species mixtures (PSM) that were cut up to seven times from seeding. The results showed that all the PSM had their highest growth at the 2nd cut with Festuca arundinacea, Lolium perenne, Dactylis glomerata, Trifolium repens (FLDT) being superior as the dry matter production concerns compared with the PSM that gave seven cuts. The crude protein and the ether extracts contents in all the PSM decreased from the 1st to the last cut, while that of NDF and ADF increased. The concentrations of myristic, palmitic, stearic, oleic and linoleic acid increased in all the PSMs from the 2nd to the 5th cut, while the opposite was observed for the α-linolenic acid content. The concentration of α-linolenic acid was higher in the FLDT PSM when compared to others during all cuts. Taking into account all the examined parameters together, the FLDT seems to be superior to the other PSMs as animal feed for small ruminants, particularly during the period where there is no available grass from natural grasslands.

Type
Research Article
Information
Experimental Agriculture , Volume 50 , Issue 3 , July 2014 , pp. 426 - 437
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Abbas, K. and Porqueddu, C. (2012). Evolution of the floristic diversity of an artificial mixture meadow under semi-arid climate in Algeria. Options Méditerranéennes A 102:313–317.Google Scholar
Barthram, G. T. and Grant, S. A. (1994). Seasonal variation in growth characteristics of Lolium perenne and Trifolium repens in swards under different managements. Grass and Forage Science 49:487–495.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Boufaïed, H., Chouinard, P. Y., Tremblay, G. F., Petit, H. V., Michaud, R. and Belanger, G. (2003). Fatty acids in forages: I. Factors affecting concentration. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 83:501–511.Google Scholar
Chennafi, H., Aidaoui, A., Bouzerzour, H. and Saci, A. (2006). Yield response of durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) cultivar Waha to deficit irrigation under semi arid growth conditions. Asian Journal of Plant Science 5:854–860.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Clapham, W. H., Foster, J. G., Neel, J. P. S. and Fedders, J. M. (2005). Fatty acid composition of traditional and novel forages. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 53:10068–10073.Google Scholar
Deinum, B. and Dirven, J. G. P. (1972). Climate, nitrogen and grass. 5. Influence of age, light, intensity and temperature on the production and chemical composition of Corgo grass (Brachiaria ruziziensis Germain et Everard). Netherlands Journal of Agricultural Science 20:125–132.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Deinum, B. and Dirven, J. G. P. (1975). Climate, nitrogen and grass. 6. Comparison of yield and chemical composition of some temperate and tropical grass species grown at different temperatures. Netherlands Journal of Agricultural Science 23:69–82.Google Scholar
Dewhurst, R. J. and King, P. J. (1998). Effects of extended wilting shading and chemical additives on the fatty acids in laboratory grass silages. Grass and Forage Science 53:219–224.Google Scholar
Dewhurst, R. J., Scollan, N. D., Youell, S. J., Tweed, K. S. and Humphreys, M. O. (2001). Influence of species, cutting date and cutting interval on the fatty acid composition of grasses. Grass and Forage Science 56:68–74.Google Scholar
Dierking, R. M., Kallenbach, R. L. and Roberts, C. A. (2010). Fatty acid profiles of Orchard grass, Tall Fescue, Perennial Ryegrass, and Alfalfa. Crop Science 50:391–402.Google Scholar
Economou, G., Theodorou, E., Tsiplakou, E., Kotoulas, V. and Hadjigeorgiou, I. (2010). Growth, botanical composition, yield and quality of annual and perennial grass-legume swards under rainfed conditions in Greece. Abstracts of the 61st Annual Meeting of the European Association for Animal Production, 23–27 August 2010, Heraklion-Crete Island, Greece.Google Scholar
Fales, S. L. and Fritz, J. O. (2009). Factors affecting forage quality. In Forages: The Science of Grassland Agriculture, 6th edn, Vol. II, 569–579 (Eds Barnes, R. F., Nelson, C. J., Moore, K. J. and Collins, M.). Ames, IA: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Goering, H. K. and Van Soest, P. J. (1970). Forage Fibre Analysis (Apparatus, Reagents, Procedures and Some Applications). Agricultural Handbook 379. Washington, DC: USDA-ARS.Google Scholar
Hatfield, J., Boote, K., Fay, P., Hahn, L., Izaurralde, C., Kimball, B. A., Mader, T., Morgan, J., Ort, D., Polley, W., Thomson, A. and Wolfe, D. (2008). Agriculture. In The Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture, Land Resources, Water Resources and Biodiversity, 21–74. A report by the U.S. Climate Change Science Program and the Subcommittee on Global Change Research, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
Hawke, J. C. (1973). Lipids. In Chemistry and Biochemistry of Herbage, 231–263 (Eds Butler, G. W. and Bailey, R. W.). London: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Henderson, M. S. and Robinson, D. L. (1982). Environmental influences on yield and in vitro true digestibility of warm season perennial grasses and the relationships to fiber components. Agronomy Journal 74:943–946.Google Scholar
Lough, A. K. and Anderson, L. J. (1973). Effect of ensilage on the lipids of pasture grasses. Proceedings of Nutrition Society 32:61A.Google ScholarPubMed
Mariotti, M., Masoni, A., Ercoli, L. and Arduini, I. (2009). Above- and below-ground competition between barley, wheat, lupin and vetch in a cereal and legume intercropping system. Grass and Forage Science 64:401–412.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mefti, M., Bouzerzour, B., Chebouti, A., Kebour, D. and Abdelguerfi, A. (2012). Performance of some tall fescue varieties grown under Algerian semi-arid conditions. Options Méditerranéennes A 102:135–138.Google Scholar
Nefzaoui, A., Ketata, H. and El Mourid, M. (2012). Agricultural technological and institutional innovations for enhanced adaptation to environmental change in North Africa. In International Perspectives on Global Environmental Change, 57–84 (Eds Young, S. S. and Silvern, S. E.). Rijeka: InTech.Google Scholar
Newman, Y. C., Sollenberger, L. E., Boote, K. J., Allen, L. H. Jr., Vu, J. C. V. and Hall, M. B. (2005). Temperature and carbon dioxide effects on nutritive value of rhizome Peanut herbage. Crop Science 45:316–321.Google Scholar
O’ Fallon, J. V., Busboom, J. R., Nelson, M. L. and Gaskins, C. T. (2007). A direct method for fatty acids methyl ester synthesis: Application to wet meat tissues, oils and feedstuffs. Journal of Animal Science 85:1511–1521.Google Scholar
Porqueddu, C. and Maltoni, S. (2005). Evaluation of a range of rainfed grass-legume mixtures in a Mediterranean environment. In Proceedings of COST 852WG1 and WG2 Meeting, p. 113 (Eds Dalmannsdóttir and Helgadóttir). Ystad, Sweden: Agricultural University of Iceland.Google Scholar
Sleugh, B., Moore, K. J., George, J. R. and Brummer, E. C. (2000). Binary legume-grass mixtures improve forage yield, quality, and seasonal distribution. Agronomy Journal 92:24–29.Google Scholar
Tsiplakou, E., Mountzouris, K. C. and Zervas, G. (2006). Concentration of conjugated linoleic acid in grazing sheep and goat milk fat. Livestock Science 103:74–84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tuna, C. and Orak, A. (2007). The role of intercropping on yield potential of common vetch (Vicia sativa L.)/oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivated in pure stand and mixtures. Journal of Agriculture and Biological Science 2:14–19.Google Scholar
Vight, J. L., Maresca, B. and Harwood, J. L. (1998). Does the membrane's physical state control the expression of heat shock and other genes? Trends in Biochemical Science 23:369–374.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilson, J. R., Deinum, B. and Engels, F. M. (1991). Temperature effects on anatomy and digestibility of leaf and stem of tropical and temperate forage species. Netherlands Journal of Agricultural Science 39:3–48.Google Scholar
Wilson, J. R. and Minson, D. J. (1984). Influence of temperature on the digestibility of the tropical legume Macroptilium atropurpureum. Grass and Forage Science 38:39–44.Google Scholar
Witkowska, I. M., Wever, C., Gort, G. and Elgersma, A. (2008). Effects of nitrogen rate and regrowth interval on perennial ryegrass fatty acid content during the growing season. Agronomy Journal 100:1371–1379.Google Scholar
Zemenchik, R. A., Albrecht, K. A. and Shaver, R. D. (2002). Improved nutritive value of kura clover- and birdsfoot trefoil-grass mixtures compared with grass monocultures. Agronomy Journal 94:1131–1138.Google Scholar
Zervas, G. (1998). Quantifying and optimizing grazing regimes in Greek mountain systems. Journal of Applied Ecology 35:983–986.Google Scholar
Zervas, G., Fegeros, K. and Papadopoulos, G. (1996). Feeding system of sheep in a mountainous area of Greece. Small Ruminant Research 21:11–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar