THE SUITABLE CLIPPING TIME FOR SALTBUSH (ATRIPLEX NUMMULARIA L.) GROWN UNDER RAINFED CONDITIONS OF THE NORTH WEST COAST OF EGYPT

Moselhy, Naem M. M.

doi:10.21608/zjar.2010.317690

THE SUITABLE CLIPPING TIME FOR SALTBUSH (ATRIPLEX NUMMULARIA L.) GROWN UNDER RAINFED CONDITIONS OF THE NORTH WEST COAST OF EGYPT

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Naem M. M. Moselhy

Desert Research Center, El Matareya, Cairo, Egypt

10.21608/zjar.2010.317690

Abstract

Three on-farm trials were carried out under rainfed conditions at Ras El-Hekma (10 km inland), 56 Km east of Marsa Matrouh at the North west coast of Egypt, during three rainfall years (2005, 2006 and 2007). This study aimed to define the suitable clipping time for saltbush, to obtain the highest forage production with a good quality. Therefore, eight clipping time treatments were tried. Where, saltbush shrubs were clipped once every year, but at different times, i.e., on mid of each of May, June, July, Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. The obtained results cleared that the clipping times of May and June produced higher fresh and dry forage yields. However, dry matter content was increased significantly with the proceeding from May up to Nov., then it was decreased on Dec. Nevertheless, the early three clipping times could be maximized Scandinavian feed units (SFUs)/ ha. Meanwhile, clipping on May and June produced higher edible forage compared to the other treatments, where values of SFU were decreased with each delay in clipping time up to the end of year. Also, there were sharp decrease in crude protein (CP) content and increase in crude fiber (CF) content with the delay in clipping times, particularly when shrubs were exposed to drought through dry months. Meantime, the clipping times which attained the highest soluble carbohydrate (SC) content i.e. the clipping on Oct. also had the lowest CP % while, the lowest SC % clipping treatment i.e. clipping on Dec. attained the highest CF % with relatively higher CP %. However, clipping on May produced higher crude protein yield than the other clipping times overall years, where the decreases of this yield became more severe with the decreases in dry forage yield and CP %. Meantime, the higher intake of CP was recorded when clipping was applied on May or June only in the two first years. In general, clipping on mid May or mid June are could be produced higher fresh forage yield with good quality. This was more pronounced in years of a low rainfall, but, it may be extended to mid July in the years of a high rainfall.

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