Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
8973778 | Animal Feed Science and Technology | 2005 | 8 Pages |
Abstract
An experiment was conducted to determine the yield and chemical composition of narrow-leafed or blue lupins (Lupinus angustifolius) when harvested as whole-crop silage, crimped grain and dry grain. A branching variety (cv. Bordako) and a single-stemmed variety (cv. Borweta) were sown in spring. The crops were harvested for whole-crop silage at growth stage 4.5 (green pod, septa split). Following a 24 h wilt and inoculant (Lactobacillus plantarum) application the forage was ensiled in 10 kg mini-silos for 90 days. The moist grain was harvested when the crop reached a target grain DM of 700 g kgâ1. After crimping an acid additive was applied, and the grain ensiled in 10 kg mini-silos. The dry grain was harvested when the DM content of the grain had reached 850 g kgâ1. The chemical composition of the whole-crop silages was similar, with CP concentrations of over 190 g kgâ1 DM. However, the forage yield of Bordako (8446 kg DM haâ1) was significantly higher than that of Borweta (6622 kg DM haâ1). In contrast, the yields of moist and dry grain were higher for Borweta due to lodging of the Bordako stand (3666 kg DM haâ1 versus 1707 kg DM haâ1 and 2863 kg DM haâ1 versus 1442 kg DM haâ1 for moist and dry grain, respectively). The CP concentrations of the moist and dry grain produced by Bordako (both 360 g kgâ1 DM) were significantly higher than that produced by Borweta (300 g kgâ1 DM). The results suggest that while the branching variety Bordako is better suited to whole-crop production because of its substantially higher DM yield, the earlier ripening and more robust stand of the single-stemmed Borweta make this variety more appropriate for grain production.
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Authors
M.D. Fraser, R. Fychan, R. Jones,