Protein fractions of intercropped pea and oat for ruminant nutrition

Abstract

The quantification of the main crude protein (CP) fractions during the growing period of pea and oat mixtures may be used to optimize the forage management. The determination of protein fraction could improve balancing rations for ruminants. The first factor (A) is ratio of germinated seed in mixtures. The pea and oat were tested at two different mixture rates: A1 - 50% pea + 50% oat and A2 - 75% pea + 25% oat. The second factor (B) is a cutting time in three stages of growth: B1 - a cutting of biomass at the start of flowering pea (10% of flowering), B2 - a cutting of biomass at forming the first pods on 2/3 plants of pea, and B3 - cutting of biomass at forming green seeds in 2/3 pods. Stage of growth and pea-oat ratio in mixtures are significantly related to the change in the quality and chemical composition of biomass. The highest level of crude protein was obtained in pea at flowering stage (184.85 g kg-1 dry matter (DM)). The high level of easily soluble protein and non-protein nitrogen compounds (over 50%) represent specific characteristics of the mixture. Unavailable fraction PC increased with plant maturation from 75.65 to 95.05 g kg-1 of CP.

Keywords

• protein fractions
• pea-oat mixtures