Published in Scientific Papers. Series A. Agronomy, Vol. LXIV, Issue 1
Written by Minko ILIEV, Tatyana BOZHANSKA, Мagdalena PETKOVA, Biser BOZHANSKI
The experiment was conducted in the region of Central Balkan Mountain, on natural grassland of Chrysopogon gryllus type and covered a five-year study period. The grasslands in the studied variants were a pasture harvesting (PH1 - 31.05.- 09.06.; PH2 - 10.06.-19.06. and PH3 - 20.06.-29.06.) and as hay-making harvesting (HH1 - 30.06.-09.07; HH2 - 10.07.- 19.07. and HH3 - 20.07.-31.07.) in three periods. The grasslands harvested at pasture maturity stage in the third decade of June had the highest yield of fresh (833.3 kg/da) and dry (280.6 kg/da) mass. The values of the traits in the studied variants significantly exceeded (P <0.001) the control by 55.5% and 64.8%, respectively. At hay-making mode of use with the highest productivity of fresh (988.2 kg/da) and dry (130.5 kg/da) mass, the grasslands were harvested in the second decade of July. The amount of formed biomass exceeded (P <0.001) the control by 39.6% and 30.5%, respectively. The long-term pasture and hay-making harvest led to the elimination of Chrysopogon gryllus from the botanical composition in the observed grasslands, and Agrostis capillaris established itself as an edificator with a dominant impact in the formed aboveground mass. The studied modes of use favored an increase in the share of leguminous meadow grasses (Lotus corniculatus, Trifolium pratense, Trifolium repens, Medicago falcata, Vicia cracca, Vicia sativa) which presumed better quality and higher nutritional value of pasture and hay.
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