TY - JOUR
T1 - Agronomic and qualitative characterization of multi-cut berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.) cultivars
AU - Salama, Heba S.A.
AU - El-Zaiat, Hani M.
AU - Sallam, Sobhy M.A.
AU - Soltan, Yosra A.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Society of Chemical Industry
PY - 2020/8/1
Y1 - 2020/8/1
N2 - BACKGROUND: Berseem clover is the main forage crop grown in Mediterranean regions. There are plenty of cultivars that possess variability in their productivity and quality among the different cuts. Therefore, accurate agronomic and qualitative characterization is crucial for selecting the most promising cultivars for breeding and feeding purposes. In the present study, the agronomic characteristics, ruminal degradability and fermentation measures of five cuts of the five most prominent Egyptian beseem clover cultivars (Helaly, Serw, Giza6, Gemmeza1 and Sakha4) were evaluated. RESULTS: The Giza6 cultivar produced a significantly higher fresh yield and high whole plant dry matter content on the 3rd cut. Giza6 was among the superior cultivars in crude protein content and had the highest values of gas production at the 3rd cut, and ruminal degraded acid detergent fiber and propionate concentrations at the 2nd cut, at the same time as presenting the lowest ammonia concentrations at the 3rd and 5th cuts. Overall, the 3rd cut produced significantly higher fresh yield across all cultivars, except for Sakha4. The 3rd cut also produced a higher leaf to stem ratio compared to the 4th and 5th cuts. The 1st three cuts had higher degraded neutral detergent fiber than the 4th and 5th cuts. The 1st cut was characterized by low propionate concentration in the Helaly and Gemmeza1 cultivars compared to the other cuts. CONCLUSION: Expanded production of the high-yielding, high-quality cultivar Giza6 is recommended. When harvesting, three cuts is optimal for berseem clover cultivation for breeding and feeding programs.
AB - BACKGROUND: Berseem clover is the main forage crop grown in Mediterranean regions. There are plenty of cultivars that possess variability in their productivity and quality among the different cuts. Therefore, accurate agronomic and qualitative characterization is crucial for selecting the most promising cultivars for breeding and feeding purposes. In the present study, the agronomic characteristics, ruminal degradability and fermentation measures of five cuts of the five most prominent Egyptian beseem clover cultivars (Helaly, Serw, Giza6, Gemmeza1 and Sakha4) were evaluated. RESULTS: The Giza6 cultivar produced a significantly higher fresh yield and high whole plant dry matter content on the 3rd cut. Giza6 was among the superior cultivars in crude protein content and had the highest values of gas production at the 3rd cut, and ruminal degraded acid detergent fiber and propionate concentrations at the 2nd cut, at the same time as presenting the lowest ammonia concentrations at the 3rd and 5th cuts. Overall, the 3rd cut produced significantly higher fresh yield across all cultivars, except for Sakha4. The 3rd cut also produced a higher leaf to stem ratio compared to the 4th and 5th cuts. The 1st three cuts had higher degraded neutral detergent fiber than the 4th and 5th cuts. The 1st cut was characterized by low propionate concentration in the Helaly and Gemmeza1 cultivars compared to the other cuts. CONCLUSION: Expanded production of the high-yielding, high-quality cultivar Giza6 is recommended. When harvesting, three cuts is optimal for berseem clover cultivation for breeding and feeding programs.
KW - forage yield
KW - in vitro gas production
KW - ruminal degradability
KW - short-chain fatty acids
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U2 - 10.1002/jsfa.10424
DO - 10.1002/jsfa.10424
M3 - Article
C2 - 32297331
AN - SCOPUS:85084158740
SN - 0022-5142
VL - 100
SP - 3857
EP - 3865
JO - Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
JF - Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture
IS - 10
ER -