Increased intake of Juniperus phoenicea L. by supplementation with barley and Optigen® in sheep

Abstract

Dry littoral grasslands and rocky ground pastures throughout the Mediterranean basin are a significant source of forage for small ruminants and as such associated with traditional grazing practices. During the last decade, dissemination of terpene-rich Mediterranean shrubs, Juniperus phoenicea L., onto pastures in Adriatic region of Croatia have caused reduction in forage production and plant diversity. In order to facilitate the intake of this new plant by small ruminants, we investigated the effects of barley and Optigen® (a source of controlled-release non-protein nitrogen) mixture to increase consumption of J. phoenicea by sheep. The preliminary results suggest that barley alone, or in combination with Optigen® enhance the intake of J. phoenicea by sheep. Furthermore, this model can be used as an environmentally safe and economically affordable approach to reduce the abundance of less palatable J. phoenicea in the environment and to increase growth of alternate, better quality forage (grasses and forbs) on Mediterranean pastures.

Keywords

• Intake, Phoenicean juniper, Barley, Optigen®, Sheep