Festulolium plant yield, nutritive and energy value depending on its variety

Abstract

The presented research is the first to study the fodder productivity, nutritive and energy value of new varieties of Festulolium of different morphotypes in the conditions of the forest-steppe of the Central Chernozem Region of Russia. In the green mass of the studied varieties crude protein content was quite low ranging from 6.2 to 9.7%, which was 1.4-2.3 times lower than required by zootechnical norms for cattle feeding. The studied varieties of Festulolium were distinguished by a rather high content of soluble sugars, which was 14.7-19.4%. The Viknel variety contained more digestible protein (68.74-76.01 g), but this value did not differ much from other varieties, in which it ranged from 64.78 to 72.47 g/kg of green mass. Among the studied varieties of Festulolium the highest yield of green mass was obtained in the second and third years of grass stand life. Productivity of the Izumrudnyi fescue-type mowing variety reached 40.31-44.09 t/ha, which was 1.3-1.9 times higher than that of ryegrass-type mowing-and-grazing varieties, the yield of which was 23.07-31.24 t/ha.