Changes in Agronomic and Forage Nutritive Values of Red Clover in Response to Different Development Stage

Abstract

Red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) is the second most important cultivated perennial forage legume used as a fodder for livestock. Agronomic and forage quality traits of red clover are dependent on various factors, including optimal phenological stage for cutting in order to obtain forage with high nutritive value and yield. Three different development stages (full budding, beginning of flowering, full flowering) of two red clover genotypes were examined in order to determine changes in agronomic and forage nutritive values. The stage of plant development at the time of cutting significantly affected yields and forage nutritive values of red clover compared to the choice of cultivar. Forage cut at full flowering resulted in the highest values of green mass, dry matter yield and crude protein yield and plant height, however the forage quality with the plant maturation rapidly decreased. The correlations between the investigated traits confirmed a negative relationship between yields and forage nutritive quality.