Productivity and feed value of herbage mixtures on the basis of Festulolium in the Upper Volga region

Abstract

The results of long-term experiments on the productivity and feed value of Festulolium herbage mixtures with meadow clover and variegated alfalfa have been presented. It has been found that in mixed crops with the participation of Festulolium the productivity and quality of herbage mass were higher than in traditional crops. In mixed clover crops with Festulolium the yield of herbage mass was higher by 8,7–14,1 % and amounted to 41,3 and 43,5 t/ha, dry matter 6,89 and 7,60 t/ha, collection of feed units 6,13 and 6,94 thousand/ha, digestible protein 663 and 690 kg/ha, respectively, in the control and against the background of mineral nutrition. The supply of a feed unit with digestible protein reached 106–108 g, the sugar-protein ratio was 0,79–0,82, which corresponds to zootechnical standards or close to them. Herbage mixtures of alfalfa with Festulolium formed yields of herbage mass 42,9 t/ha, dry matter 9,29 t/ha, feed units 8,73 thousand/ha, digestible protein 1103 kg/ha in control and 47,9 t/ha, 9,89 t/ha, 8,73 thousand/ha, 1160 kg/ha, respectively, when applying mineral fertilizers, which was higher than traditional herbage mixtures by 9,2–14,0 %. When the ratio of sugar and protein was close to the optimal ratio (0,77–0,81), the supply of digestible protein to the feed unit significantly exceeded the norm (132–140 g). Joint crops of cereals and legumes are also important agrotechnical value. Due to the nitrogen-fixing symbiotic activity of legumes when they are grown together with cereals, nitrogen is transferred from legumes to cereals, which completely eliminates or significantly reduces the need for such crops in mineral fertilizers.