Six field experiments were carried out at the Experimental Research Center, Faculty of Agriculture, Moshtohor, Benha University, Kalubia Governorate during two growing seasons (2007 and 2008) in three different studies.
I. The first study
Bonavista bean performance
Experiments were designed and implemented to evaluate fresh and dry forage yield, vegetative growth behaviour, and quality determinations of three Egyptian indigenous-native forage legumes (Bonavista bean (Dolichos lablab, L.) White seed, Bonavista bean Black seed and Bonavista bean Brown seed) planted with three seeding rates in respect of population densities (10, 20 and 30 kg/fed).
Experiments were laid out and statistically analyzed as a split plot design where Bonavista bean types were randomly distributed in the main plots and seeding rates in the split plots. Two individual cuts were obtained in each of the two growing seasons and their combined sum. The studied parameters were as follows:
Fresh forage yield (ton/fed), dry forage yield (ton/fed), plant height (cm), stem diameter (cm), leaf area/plant (cm2), leaf/stem ratio (% on fresh weight basis), light intensity (lux), # of tillers /m2, crude protein (C.P%), crude fiber (C.F%), ash content, ether extract (E.E%), nitrogen free extract (NFE%), total digestible nutrients (TDN%) and digestible protein (DP %).
II-The second study
Fodder cowpea performance
Experiments were designed and implemented to evaluate fresh and dry forage yield, vegetative growth behaviour, and quality determinations of three Egyptian indigenous-native forage legumes (Fodder cowpea (Vigna sinensis, L.) Creamy seed, Fodder cowpea Brown seed and Fodder cowpea Dotted seed) planted with three seeding rates in respect of population densities (15, 30 and 45 kg/fed).
Experiments were laid out and statistically analyzed as a split plot design where Fodder cowpea types were randomly distributed in the main plots and seeding rates in the split plots. Two individual cuts were obtained in each of the two growing seasons and their combined sum. The studied parameters were as follows:
Fresh forage yield (ton/fed), dry forage yield (ton/fed), plant height (cm), stem diameter (cm), leaf area/plant (cm2), leaf/stem ratio (% on fresh weight basis), light intensity (lux), # of tillers /m2, crude protein (C.P%), crude fiber (C.F%), ash content, ether extract (E.E%), nitrogen free extract (NFE%), total digestible nutrients (TDN%) and digestible protein (DP%).
III-The third complementary study
Mixing the studied forage legumes with pearl millet
The aim of this investigation is to study the potentiality response of all of the studied forage legumes (3 Bonavista bean and 3 Fodder cowpea types) and pearl millet as a favorite fodder grass in their pure stands and relevant mixtures. Experiment included 13 treatments in 4 replications.
The ultimate target of these investigations is to introduce, evaluate and select among the native indigenous plant materials of the best fot forage behaviour and characteristics in respect of production and quality.
This is to get the advantages of the biological biodiversity and their tolerance to the prevailing adverse environmental conditions under appropriate agronomic practices.
For this complementary study, investigations were devoted to compare the production and feeding value of each of the six forage legumes (3 Bonavista bean types and 3 Fodder cowpea types) in their monoculture as well as their potentialities if mixed with pearl millet as super selected fodder grass in 50:50 % ratio.
Such study was designed to find out the added values of mixing legumes and grasses on forage yield and quality of the tested native indigenous legumes in the first and second study.
The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized block design with four replicates in each of the two summer seasons. The pure and mixture forages (previously mentioned) were distributed randomly in plots. Two individual cuts were obtained in each of the two growing seasons. The studied parameters were as follows:
Fresh forage yield (ton/fed), dry forage yield (ton/fed), # of shoots /m2, crude protein (C.P %), crude fiber (C.F %), ash content, ether extract (E.E %), nitrogen free extract (NFE %), total digestible nutrients (TDN %) and digestible protein (DP %).
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