Selection of perennial grasses for an extended pasture in the autumn period

Abstract

The relevance of the study lies in the fact that until recently the reaction of various types of perennial grasses to the terms of alienation of herbage in the last cycle of use has not been clarified, which hinders the development and implementation of technology for creating perennial agrophytocoenoses in the continuous pasture system with an extended grazing period for meat livestock in the late autumn period. The purpose of the study was to select the best perennial grasses for late autumn alienation of herbage in the system of an extended continuous pasture for meat breeds of cattle in the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe. The results of long-term research on the features of the development of the yield of aboveground biomass, the chemical composition of feed, the stability of certain types of grasses depending on the time of alienation of aboveground biomass in total for all cycles of use and in the last cycle in the autumn period are presented. The highest productivity (at the level of 0.60-0.95 t/ha of dry weight) of all types of grasses in the last (autumn) cycle of use is provided when the green mass is alienated on October 1. When alienated at a later date, the collection of dry mass from 1 ha decreases, while the quality of feed worsens due to a decrease in the content of crude protein and an increase in the concentration of crude fibre to the limits that do not meet the zootechnical norm of feeding cattle and the requirements of DSTU for green feed. Studies have identified the best single-species agrophytocoenoses of grasses, which include smooth brome, cocksfoot grass, and intermediate wheatgrass. On average, for 2008-2015, in the sum of all three cycles of use, they provide a productivity of 6.52-7.19 t/ha of dry weight when applying N120. The results of these studies can be used in the development of recommendations for the creation of continuous pasture with an extended period of grazing grass with meat livestock in the autumn period, which reduces the cost and increases the competitiveness of livestock products