To investigate the effect of seed origin on the nutritive value of narrowleaf birdsfoot trefoil (NBT, Lotus tenuis
Waldst.&Kit.), seeds of 86 NBT populations were collected from plants spontaneously occurring in natural pastures and
rangelands located at different geographical gradients of the Black Sea Region, Turkey. Some nutrient contents of these
populations regrown under the same conditions were determined. Minimum and maximum values with regard to the crude
protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), Ca, P, Mg, K and condensed tannin contents,
relative feed value, Ca P-1 and K (Ca+Mg)-1 ratios were found as 176.83 and 238.87, 201.00 and 351.61, 307.19 and
435.48, 15.01 and 21.60, 2.18 and 3.77, 3.03 and 4.02, 8.43 and 16.69, 20.00 and 31.50 g kg-1 dry matter, 189.70 and
263.41, 4.73 and 9.57, 0.35 and 0.88, respectively. The effects of seed genotype from different altitudes (Ca P-1), latitudes
(digestible dry matter and ADF) and longitudes (CP and Mg) on some nutrient contents and feed values were found
significant (P<0.05). The correlations between altitude and NDF, P and Mg or between latitude and P and Mg contents of
populations were significant. There were no specific trends in chemical composition and the nutritive value of tested NBT
populations due to geographical variation. Thus, the results suggested that all studied geographical populations can be
selected to obtain the nutritionally superior forage.
Journal Section | Research Article |
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Authors | |
Publication Date | March 31, 2016 |
Published in Issue | Year 2016 Volume: 3 Issue: 1 |