EFFECT OF DIFFERENT CUTTING INTERVALS ON THE FORAGE YIELD AND SOME SILAGE QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF GIANT KING GRASS (Pennisetum hybridum) UNDER MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATIC CONDITIONS

Abstract

This study was conducted in Bornova experimental fields of Department of Field Crops, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ege, Turkey during 2015 and 2016, in order to determine the effect of six different cutting intervals (30-, 60-, 90-, 120-, 150- and 180- days) on the forage yield and some quality properties of giant king grass (Pennisetum hybridum). The experimental design was in complete randomized blocks, with three replications. 6 years old, Paraíso cultivar of giant king grass (GKG) was used as crop material. Some characteristics were measured such as dry matter (DM) yield, concentrations of crude protein (CP), NDF and ADF. Results indicated that there were significant effects of cutting intervals on the yields and some silage quality characteristics of GKG, and, metabolisable energy and relative forage values decreased as inter-cutting interval increased. It was recommended that the production of GKG using 60- day intervals were the most successful cutting frequency regarding the forage yield and silage quality to the regions with Mediterranean-type climates under irrigation.