Nutritional quality of plant species in Pyrenean hay meadows of high diversity

Reiné, Ramón (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Ascaso, Joaquín (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Barrantes, Olivia (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Resumen: The feed quality of 34 species (27 dicotyledonous and 7 grasses) present in the vegetation of the Pyrenean mountain hay meadows rich in species subject to extensive management is analyzed in this paper. For this, just before mowing, samples were taken in the field and their organic and mineral components were determined in the laboratory. The results indicate that some species, such as Taraxacum officinale, Sanguisorba minor, Chaerophyllum aureum, and Lotus corniculatus, are outstanding in their forage feed value and, in the cases of T. officinale and C. aureum, also for their mineral content. The non-leguminous forbs studied presented quality comparable to legumes and higher than grasses, which provide worse nutritional values in this type of late-cut meadow. The forbs are shown to have higher content than grasses and legumes in Mg, K, and Na, as well as intermediate Ca content. All species present suitable mineral content for animal nutrition, except in the case of P, which is low. The Ca:P ratio is higher than adequate in half of the species analyzed, while the K:(Ca + Mg) ratio is appropriate for all species. The ratios between the elements N, P, and K indicate that most of the species studied grow under N-limited conditions, which are adequate for their conservation in the meadows.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.3390/agronomy10060883

Año: 2020

Publicado en: AGRONOMY-BASEL 10, 6 (2020), [23 pp.]
ISSN: 2073-4395

Factor impacto JCR: 3.417 (2020)

Categ. JCR: AGRONOMY rank: 16 / 91 = 0.176 (2020) - Q1 - T1
Categ. JCR: PLANT SCIENCES rank: 57 / 235 = 0.243 (2020) - Q1 - T1

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.706 - Agronomy and Crop Science (Q1)

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/EUR/SUDOE/INTERREG-2014-2020

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Área Producción Vegetal (Dpto. CC.Agrar.y Medio Natural)
Área (Departamento): Área Botánica (Dpto. CC.Agrar.y Medio Natural)