The influence of surface improvement of mountain riparian meadows of the Carpathians Mountains on their productivity and the quality of food

Kyrhak V., Voloshchuk M.,

Karbivska Yu., Martyshchuk V.

Chabany, Ivano-Frankivsk

Annotation

Goal. To determine the features of the formation of efficiency, chemical composition, nutritive value, and energy content of grass forages depending on surface improvement of meadows of the mountain-forest belt of the Carpathians Mountains. Methods. Field, laboratory, mathematical-statistical. Results. It is shown that productivity of dry matter for 1 ha over 3 years of research made on average: for haymaking - 2.15 - 4.77 t, for perennial mowing -- 1.95 - 4.11 t. For haymaking usage, the highest productivity was at sowing the mixtures of cereal grasses on the background of N60P30K60. For perennial mowing usage, the highest productivity was at sowing white clover on the background of P30K60. It respectively made 12% and 85% more than in the variants without interplanting, and 122% and 111% more than in the variants without surface improvement. The best uniformity of distribution of crop biomass was obtained for perennial mowing with interplanting white clover on the background of P30K60. In this case, the share of the 1st mowing was 39%, 2nd -- 33, and 3rd -- 28% with the unevenness expressed by the coefficient of variation of 18%. From measures of surface improvement of forage quality as to chemical composition (a primarily, increase of the content of crude protein) they noted the introduction of N60P30K60 or 15 t/ha of manure. For perennial mowing, a similar effect was noted for interplanting white clover on the background P30K60. Regardless of the measures of surface improvement the highest content of crude protein, the best energy content, and the nutritional value of grass fodder had perennial mowing (simulation of pasture meadow). Conclusions. For surface improvement of meadows of the mountain-forest belt of the Carpathians Mountains with natural herbage, the working factors influencing the productivity and improving the quality of grass fodder are the annual introduction of N60P30K60 or 15 t/ha of manure, or N60P30K60 + interplanting of mixtures of grasses of fescue and timothy for haymaking use, or P30K60 + interplanting of white clover for perennial mowing use. The application of mineral fertilizers in combination with the interplanting of perennial grasses ensures the best positive effect.

Key words: protein, energy, feed units, plantation of grasses, nutrition, natural grass stand, fertilizer.

The main text

Today, livestock in Ukraine is insufficiently provided with high-quality high-protein feeds, which is primarily due to low yields of forage crops and their imbalance in protein. Due to the imbalance of feed and a significant deficit of protein in the diet of animals, overconsumption of feed reaches 35%, and the cost of production increases by 1.3-1.5 times. The supply of feed unit with digestible protein is often only 80-85 g instead of the scientifically substantiated 105-115 g [1].

Analysis of recent research and publications. Hayfields and pastures are a source of high quality and cheap fodder for livestock. Hay remains one of the main feeds in the diets of animals, as it promotes the normal functioning of the stomach and intestines. It is the only roughage that contains vitamin D, which regulates mineral metabolism in animals [2].

To increase the productivity of natural fodder lands and provide livestock with high-quality fodder, measures of their surface improvement are widely carried out. Scientific research and production experience show that with a relatively small investment of material and financial resources, the production of fodder on pastures and meadows can be doubled. Improving natural grasslands by applying fertilizers makes it possible to form highly productive, with improved feed quality and long-term use of agrocenosis [3-6].

World experience convincingly proves that the second most important factor for agricultural production is fertilizers. The introduction of scientifically sound standards of mineral and organic fertilizers can ensure a deficit-free balance of nutrients and humus [7].

In addition to increasing yields, onion growers face no less important task - obtaining high quality feed. One of the main criteria for assessing the nutritional value of feed is the content of digestible protein, the lack of which in the diet reduces the productive effect of other nutrients [8].

The content of organic and mineral substances that reflect the nutritional value of feed depends on the phenological phase of growth and development of plants. Perennial herbs are most nutritious in the early stages of the growing season, because during this period they contain not only complete protein, vitamins, but in small quantities and more acceptable to animals fiber, where there is little lignin, so it is well digested [9].

Types of meadow phytocenosis grasses have an important influence on the quality of fodder, therefore the selection of grasses for creation of new agrophytocenoses plays a crucial role in ensuring high quality. Herbaceous plants, which include more leafy lower grasses or upper grasses with surface foliage, contain 19-38% more leaves, are better supplied with nutrients and have higher energy saturation. Unequal content of nutrients was found in some plant organs [10, 11].

In recent years, work on surface improvement of pastures has virtually stopped. But there are significant reserves that can increase the productivity of grasslands by 1.5-2.0 times, as well as improve feed quality. No matter how extreme the soil and climatic conditions of the Carpathian region, there are reserves for increasing farm productivity. Thus, the content of 50% of creeping clover in the grass mixture completely solves the protein problem, and 20% of carbohydrates in fenugreek fenugreek (instead of 8% in the prey) replace expensive carbohydrate feeds (corn, beets, molasses and partially concentrates) [12]. Studies by foreign and domestic scientists have shown that the use of various methods of surface improvement of old meadows (systematic fertilization with mineral fertilizers, rejuvenation of grass by disking turf) productivity of pasture grasslands increases by an average of 2.2-2.5 times or 6 to 5.6-6.5 t/ha of dry mass. Sowing of perennial legumes in turf provides an increase in the share of legume components in the crop to 43 and 47% and an increase in productivity by 1.5-1.8 times [13, 11].

Mineral fertilizer has a significant effect on feed quality. Researchers at the University of Nevada (USA) report a positive effect of moderate doses of nitrogen fertilizers applied to meadow grass for long-term use (1946-1987) on feed quality, providing an increase in crude protein content in the dry weight of feed by 2.6% compared to control unfertilized variant [14]. Studies conducted in Canada show that the application of nitrogen fertilizers does not affect the content of crude protein in legumes, and increases its content in cereals in the first mowing [15].

The purpose of research. Establish the peculiarities of the formation of productivity, as well as the chemical composition, nutritional value and energy consumption of grass fodder depending on the measures of surface improvement of meadows of the mountain-forest belt of the Carpathians.

Materials and methods of research

Experimental studies to study the measures of surface improvement of floodplain meadows of the Carpathian mountain-forest belt with natural grass cover under different modes of use were performed during 2017-2019 on sod-brown soil (shallow) soils in the farm of Martyschuk VF (Krasnyk village, Verkhovyna district, Ivano-Frankivsk region). The size of sown areas -- 10 m², accounting 8 m². The experiment was repeated four times. Number of options -- 14, plots -- 56. Mineral fertilizers in all doses were applied in the spring at the same time. The scheme of the experiment included the following options and factors: Factor A - (improvement): no improvement, P30K60, N60P30K60, 15 t/ha of manure, P30K60 + sowing of creeping clover 6 kg/ha for multi-use and N60P30K60 + sowing of a mixture of cereals (timothy, meadow 6 kg/ha + meadow fire, 10 kg / ha). Factor B -- mode of use: haymaking with 2 slopes and multimowing (imitation of pasture use).

The research was performed according to the methodology of the Institute of Feed NAAS [16]. Dry matter content (dry mass) -- thermostatic-weight method at a temperature of 105°C. The chemical composition of the feed was determined in plant samples taken during harvest, air-dried and ground. The dry matter of vegetable mass was determined by the content of crude protein, protein, crude fat, crude fiber and digestibility of dry matter in vitro - by infrared spectroscopy, the content of nitrogen-free extractives (NER) -- by calculation. The content of feed units, gross and metabolic energy in feed was determined by a calculation method using the coefficients of digestibility of dry matter of feed and the content of crude protein, crude fat, crude fiber, BER [17]. Mathematical processing of research results was performed by methods of analysis of variance and variation statistics according to Dospekhov B.A. [18].

Research results

The results of our research to study the impact of measures to improve surface floodplain meadows with natural grassland of the Black Cheremosh River mountain-forest belt of the Carpathians showed that the original grassland before the experiment was grass-grass with a content of wild cereals 53-54%, grass -- 39- 42% and unsown legumes 4-8%.

Analysis of the productivity of floodplain meadows with natural grassland depending on surface improvement measures showed that it averaged over the years of research on the yield of 1 ha of dry mass of hay use ranged from 2.15 to 4.77 tons, and multi-crop -- 1.95 to 4, 11 t (Table 1).

Thus, productivity was 10-16% higher for haymaking than for multi-mowing use. While the yield of 1 ha of feed units and crude protein had a certain advantage (by 5-6%) in all variants had a multi-slope mode of use.

In the haymaking mode, the highest productivity was for sowing a mixture of cereals on the background of N60P30K60, and in the case of multi-sowing - sowing of creeping clover on the background of P30K60, which is 12 and 85% more compared to non-sowing and 122 and 111% -- compared to option without fertilizer. Additional application of N60 on the background of P30K60 in both modes of use increased productivity by yield from 1 ha of dry mass by 70%, and in comparison with the option without application of fertilizers - by 94-95%. Application of manure at a dose of 15 t/ha increased it from 2.15 to 3.92 t/ha for haymaking and from 1.95 to 3.52 t/ha for multi-mowing, which is 7% less than the application of N60P30K60 and by 24% compared to variant N60P30K60 + sowing of cereals for haymaking and 17% compared to variant P30K60 + sowing of creeping clover.

1. Productivity of floodplain meadows depending on the options of surface improvement, t/ha (2017-2019)