Producción y valor nutritivo del trébol encarnado ("Trifolium incarnatum" L.) en Galicia

Abstract

The effect of cropping date and maturity stage on yield and nutritive valué (DOM, ADF and CP) of a culture of crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.) was studied cutting at regular intervals (15 days) during 1986. A dry matter yield of 3'9 t/ha at the first cut (31/03) and a máximum of 7'9 t/ha at flowering was obtained (27/05). Yield was decreased to 5'7 t/ha at the last cut (10/06) due to a oidium infection. The digestible organic matter (DOM) decreased from 83% (preflowering) to 45% (mature legumes) in a inverse correlation with the acid detergent fibre (ADF) from 23'8% to 56'9%. The crude protein (CP) drop from 187% to 9% (mature legumes). The nutritive valué was under an acceptable level DOM (less than 60%) from the flowering initiation onwards. This stage is considered as a limit cutting date, despite the higher dry matter increments ocurred since then.