Evaluation of biomass yield and nutritional quality of oats\u2013vetch mixtures at different harvesting stage under residual moisture in Fogera District, Ethiopia

Eshetie Alemu Molla,Yeshambel Mekuriaw Chekol,Berhanu Alemu Wondimagegn

doi:10.1186/s40066-018-0240-y

Eshetie Alemu Molla, Yeshambel Mekuriaw Chekol + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.1186/s40066-018-0240-y

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Abstract

BackgroundThis study was conducted in Fogera District, north western Ethiopia, to evaluate the effect of harvesting stages on biomass yield and nutritive value of oat–vetch mixtures under residual moisture. The experimental plots were prepared thoroughly by plowing the land before sowing. The experiment was conducted using randomized complete block design in a factorial arrangement having two factors with three replications. The first factor, factor A, comprises a four combinations of two forage species (oats and vetches) having two varieties each. The two oats varieties used were CI-8237 and CI-8251, represented as (O1) and (O2) and the two vetch varieties, Vicia villosa and Vicia dasycarpa, represented as V1 and V2, respectively. The second factor, harvesting stage, had three levels which follows the three physiological stages of oat varieties as flag leaf stage (HS1), milk stage (HS2) and dough stage (HS3) in the mixtures. Agronomic performance and forage biomass yield were recorded. Chemical compositions of the forage such as crude protein (CP), ash, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, acid detergent lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose were determined. Data were analyzed with general linear model procedure of SAS (version 9.1; 2008).ResultsResults indicated that harvesting stages significantly (P < 0.001) affected most of the agronomic parameters in oats varieties, whereas plant height and number of branches were significant (P < 0.05) in vetch varieties. Significantly higher (P < 0.001) plant height, number of leaves per plant and leaf to stem ratio) were obtained in variety oats CI-8237. Dry matter yield (DMY) and chemical compositions of the forage were significantly affected (P < 0.001) by harvesting stages. More vigor and higher number of branches were recorded in V. villosa, but higher plant height was obtained in V. dasycarpa. The highest mean DMY (4.99 t/ha) and CP yield (0.81 t/ha) were recorded at harvesting stage two (HS2). However, the lowest DMY (3.42 t/ha) was obtained at harvesting stage one. Relatively, the optimum DMY (6.16 t/ha) with maximum CP yield (0.92 t/ha) was recorded from mixture of CI-8237 + V. villosa at harvesting stage two. The fiber components were increased with advanced stage of growth, but CP and ash contents were decreased as the age of the plant matures.ConclusionsProduction of CI-8237 + V. villosa mixture harvested at harvesting stage two would be more beneficial to produce optimum yield and nutritive value and could be recommended in the study area.

Highlights

Ethiopia has a huge livestock population with an estimated 57.83 million cattle, 28.89 million sheep, 29.70 million goats, 7.88 million donkeys, 2.08 million horses, 0.41 million mules and 1.23 million camels [1]
Agronomic performance of oat and vetch varieties Plant height of oat varieties and vetch species Plant height in oats was affected by both harvesting stages and varieties (Table 1)
Based on the current result, all agronomic parameters, biomass yield and nutritional value were affected by harvesting stages

Summary

Introduction

Ethiopia has a huge livestock population with an estimated 57.83 million cattle, 28.89 million sheep, 29.70 million goats, 7.88 million donkeys, 2.08 million horses, 0.41 million mules and 1.23 million camels [1]. Growing of forages after harvesting of food crops using residual moisture is assumed to be the best strategy to alleviate land scarcity problems. This system is becoming increasingly considered to improve the soil health. Limited information is available on the performance of oats/vetch mixture grown using residual moisture as affected by harvesting stage in the Fogera plain. The objectives of the study were to evaluate agronomic performance and chemical composition of oats/vetch mixtures at different harvesting stages. This study was conducted in Fogera District, north western Ethiopia, to evaluate the effect of harvesting stages on biomass yield and nutritive value of oat–vetch mixtures under residual moisture. Data were analyzed with general linear model procedure of SAS (version 9.1; 2008)

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