DRY MATTER PRODUCTION AND NUTRITIVE VALUE OF CEREAL SPECIES HARVESTED AT BOOT OR DOUGH STAGE OF MATURITY

The comparative advantages of winter cereals have not been thoroughly evaluated for their forage production potentials in the semi-arid conditions of the Central Anatolian Region of Turkey. The effect of maturity on dry matter (DM) production (t/ha) and nutritive value of the whole-crop cereal forage of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), rye (Secale cereale L.), triticale (X Triticosecale wittmack) and oat (Avena sativa L.) were investigated at booting and dough stages of the forage cereals. Barley had higher (P<0.001) DM production at booting stage, whereas DM production of triticale, rye and oat was the highest (P<0.001) at the dough stage. Overall, the increase in DM production and digestible DM production with advancing maturity was 34, 42, 60, 49, 51 % and 23, 29, 51, 43, 38 % for barley, wheat, triticale, oat and rye, respectively at dough stage. The metabolizable energy values (ME MJ/kg DM) of cereal forages were higher (P<0.05) at booting stage. Neutral detergent fibre did not differ (P>0.05) with maturity or forage species, while non-fiber carbohydrates increased (P<0.001) with advancing maturity. In conclusion, all cereal crops should be harvested for forage production at their boot stage of maturity to obtain higher nutritive value forage. Barley provided more promising cereal forage at booting stage with its higher DM and digestible DM production. Triticale, rye and oat produced more DM at dough stage with triticale having higher digestible nutrients indicating its superior value compared to other cereal forages at this stage. However, the choice of cereal for forage production should include consideration of class and breed of livestock to be fed, agronomic characteristics and soil type requirements under the semi-arid conditions of Central Anatolia.