GRAIN YIELD, FORAGE YIELD AND FORAGE QUALITY OF DUAL PURPOSE WHEAT AS AFFECTED BY CUTTING HEIGHTS AND SOWING DATE

Abstract

Dual purpose wheat production can help to produce the forage needed for livestock feeding, without reducing the sowing area of reserved for grain production. To determine the proper management techniques that reduce the loss of grain yield crops in dual purpose systems is very important. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effects of sowing date and cutting heights on grain yield, forage yield and nutritive value of dual-purpose wheat. The experimental design was split-plot under randomized complete block design, sowing dates (early, normal and late) as the main plot treatments and cutting heights (5, 7.5 and 10 cm) as the subplot treatments with three replications. Forage yield and forage protein yield were significantly affected by sowing date. Maximum forage yield and forage protein yield were obtained at normal sowing date (20 November) in both years, while maximum grain yield was obtained at early sowing date (20 October). The effect of sowing date on forage quality characters varied between years. Deeper cutting increased forage yield, while decreased grain yield. The effects of cutting heights on forage quality were different between years. The cutting treatments caused the decrease yield of the grain, but dual-purpose system for winter wheat was an advantageous crop system when evaluated in terms of the total amount of production. The height of 7.5 cm can be recommended as a suitable cutting height in term of the total crop quantity.