Description
Cup-plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.) is a perennial member of the Asteraceae family, native to mesic sites of the North American prairie. Two experiments were conducted to gain knowledge of the performance of cup-plant grown in monoculture as a managed, harvested crop. In the first experiment, three cup-plant ecotypes grown near East Troy, WI and harvested twice per season for 3 years yielded from 9 to 11 Mg ha-1 each season. Mean neutral detergent fiber concentration was 385 g kg-1, acid detergent fiber 290 g kg-1, and crude protein 175 g kg-1 at late bud. The second experiment was an evaluation of performance of 28 ecotypes at three locations in Wisconsin. The mean performance was similar to the first experiment, however there was substantial variation for yield, forage quality, and pest resistance among the lines evaluated. We conclude that cup-plant has potential as a forage crop in temperate regions of the world, and that some ecotypes exhibit superior performance.
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Silphium Perfoliatum: A North American Prairie Plant with Potential as a Forage Crop
Cup-plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.) is a perennial member of the Asteraceae family, native to mesic sites of the North American prairie. Two experiments were conducted to gain knowledge of the performance of cup-plant grown in monoculture as a managed, harvested crop. In the first experiment, three cup-plant ecotypes grown near East Troy, WI and harvested twice per season for 3 years yielded from 9 to 11 Mg ha-1 each season. Mean neutral detergent fiber concentration was 385 g kg-1, acid detergent fiber 290 g kg-1, and crude protein 175 g kg-1 at late bud. The second experiment was an evaluation of performance of 28 ecotypes at three locations in Wisconsin. The mean performance was similar to the first experiment, however there was substantial variation for yield, forage quality, and pest resistance among the lines evaluated. We conclude that cup-plant has potential as a forage crop in temperate regions of the world, and that some ecotypes exhibit superior performance.
