Abstract
The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of Tytanit foliar application, also comparing it with that of nitrogen, on the content of Festulolium braunii fibre fractions, its nutritional value and feed intake. The experiment showed that forage of better quality could be obtained by reducing the amounts of traditional nitrogen fertilisers, or excluding them and using a product containing titanium instead. The experiment commenced in the spring of 2014 in the field of the University of Natural Sciences and Humanities in Siedlce. The plant used in the experiment was the Felopa variety of Festulolium braunii. The effects of Tytanit foliar application at a concentration of 0.2% and 1% and of mineral nitrogen at a dose of 80 and 160 kg ha−1 were studied. Festulolium braunii was harvested three times a year in the period 2015–2017. The amounts of NFD, ADF, and ADL in the plant material were determined by near-infrared reflection spectroscopy (NIRS) using the NIRFex N-500. Relative feed value (RFV) and dry matter intake (DMI) were calculated. The higher dose of Tytanit supplied to Festulolium braunii contributed to an increase in NDF and ADF fraction content and a reduction in RFV and ADL fraction and DMI.
Highlights
Mainly neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) contents have been taken into account to assess roughage quality [1,2,3]
The most favourable hydrothermal conditions for the growth and development of Festulolium braunii were in the first year
The higher dose of Tytanit supplied to Festulolium braunii contributed to an increase in NDF and ADF fraction content and to a reduction in Relative feed value (RFV) and ADL fraction and dry matter intake (DMI)
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Mainly neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fibre (ADF) contents have been taken into account to assess roughage quality [1,2,3]. NDF content affects forage intake by animals [4,5], but ADF, consisting of the least digestible forage ingredients such as cellulose, lignin, silica and ash, is negatively correlated with the digestibility of other nutrients [5]. ADF and NDF values are commonly used to calculate the amount of feedstuff an animal is able to digest, total digestible nutrient content and other energy components. Relative feed value (an indicator for allocating suitable feedstuffs to a given group of animals) is used in contexts such as hay price fixing, feed management verification, cutting and storage control
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