Response of Forage Quality Characters of Oats (Avena sativa L.) to Nitrogen Spraying, Cutting Stages and Cultivars

Abstract

A field experiment was conducted during winter season of 2020-2021 in the Al-Hamdhyia research station, College of Agriculture, Anbar Univercity to study the response of forage quality characters of oats (Avena sativa L.) to nitrogen spraying, cutting stages and cultivars. A split-split plots arrangement according to the RCBD at three replications was used. The main plots included spraying of four concentrations of nitrogen (0, 2, 4 and 6 g N L-1), while the sub-split plots included three cutting stages (40, 50 and 60 days after planting, whereas the sub plots included three oats cultivars ((Shifaa, Carlop and Hamel). The results showed that the spraying of nitrogen at a 6 g N L-1 was significantly superiority and gave the highest percentages of protein, ash and fat (12.99, 26.56, 22.45 and 3.12%) respectively. The cutting stages also significantly affected the studied characters, the cutting after 40 days of planting achieved the highest percentages of protein, ash and fat (13.02, 23.59 and 3.24 %) respectively, while the cutting after 60 days of planting achieved the highest percentages of carbohydrates and fiber (27.71 and 30.39%) respectively. Also, the oats cultivars was significantly differed in the most of the studied characters, as the Carlop cultivar excelled in the percentages of fiber (29.23%), whereas the Shifaa cultivar excelled in the carbohydrates percentage of (26.30%), while the Hamel cultivar excelled in the ash percentage (21.23%). The di and triple interactions between studied factors had significant effects on the studied traits.