Effect of Grazing Season on the Productivity Parameters of Five Range Shrubs PDF

Keywords

foliage, livestock, shrubs

Abstract

Five foliage shrubs were defoliated in different seasons in order to estimate the foliage productivity and current year growth. Shrubs under study were Atriplex halimus, A. nummularia, A. canscens, A. polycarba, and Salsola vermiculata. Investigated parameters were green foliage weight (GFW), dry foliage weight (DFWl. green current year growth (GCYG), and dry current year growth (DCYG). Productivity estimates observed in spring (702 kg/ha dry matter) and summer (725 kg/ha) were significantly higher than those in autumn (518 kg/hal) and winter (527 kg/hal). There were significant differences between productivity of different shrub species for all investigated parameters through all seasons except for GFW and DCYG in summer and winter, and for DCYG in summer, in the first year. Productivity trends showed that A. nummularia (770 kg/ha dry matter) had nearly the highest yield followed by A. halims (716 kg/hal), A. canscens (671 kg/ha), S. vermiculata (500 kg/ha), and A. polycarba (437 kg/ha), respectively, in a decreasing order. Browsing of these forage shrubs almost depends upon the range condition in which these shrubs were planted. Livestock could start browsing foliage shrubs in spring when the range condition is poor, in summer when range condition is fair and in autumn and winter when range condition is good .