Description
Legume herbage quality and quantity depend on genetic background to be able to sustain metabolic activity under increasingly harsh environmental conditions. Field experiments were carried out in Foggia, a southern Italian town (a typical Mediterranean location) on varieties and ecotypes of two perennial legume (sainfoin and sulla) mostly widespread in Mediterranean environments. The experiment compared irrigated and non-irrigated conditions and two different seed rates. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of agronomic factors on herbage production and the nutritive value of the forage. Irrigation and higher seed rate treatment increased dry matter yield in both species. The genotypes of both species differed for agronomic adaptation and in nutritive characteristics which were influenced by irrigation treatment. Crude protein (CP) contents under irrigated treatment was lower than non irrigated only in sulla. Percentages of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) were influenced by lower seed rate. The genotypes exploit their genetic potentiality mainly under irrigated condition in sainfoin and sulla. Lower seed rate was more suitable under non irrigated conditions. The nutritive value, in both species, was related to the dry matter production and leaf stem proportion of genotypes.
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Quantitative and Qualitative Evaluation of Legume Forage Species in Southern Italy
Legume herbage quality and quantity depend on genetic background to be able to sustain metabolic activity under increasingly harsh environmental conditions. Field experiments were carried out in Foggia, a southern Italian town (a typical Mediterranean location) on varieties and ecotypes of two perennial legume (sainfoin and sulla) mostly widespread in Mediterranean environments. The experiment compared irrigated and non-irrigated conditions and two different seed rates. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of agronomic factors on herbage production and the nutritive value of the forage. Irrigation and higher seed rate treatment increased dry matter yield in both species. The genotypes of both species differed for agronomic adaptation and in nutritive characteristics which were influenced by irrigation treatment. Crude protein (CP) contents under irrigated treatment was lower than non irrigated only in sulla. Percentages of neutral detergent fibre (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF) were influenced by lower seed rate. The genotypes exploit their genetic potentiality mainly under irrigated condition in sainfoin and sulla. Lower seed rate was more suitable under non irrigated conditions. The nutritive value, in both species, was related to the dry matter production and leaf stem proportion of genotypes.
