Productivity and stability of foothill meadow species in the Balkan mountains conditions

Abstract

The creation of grasslands with the participation of species of local origin, suitable for the climatic conditions of the region and with increased productivity and stability of yield is an important condition for ensuring sustainable or organic feed production. For ecological assessment of meadow species in the semi-mountainous regions of Balkan Mountains according to indicators and parameters related to productivity and stability, an experiment is carried out in the period 2011–2019 in the following variation: Festuca rubra L., Lolium perenne L., Dactylis glomerata L., Arrhenatherum elatius P.B., Festuca arundinacea Schreb., Briza maxima L., Trisetum flavescens L., Agrostis alba L. The experiment is performed by the block method, and the methods of regression, variance and nonparametric analysis are used to assess the stability. According to the values of most of the calculated stability parameters (bi, Si2, λi, σ2i, PP, W2, S⁽³⁾, S⁽⁶⁾, NP⁽¹⁾) Dactilis glomerata shows good ecological stability. Complex evaluation by GGE biplot analysis identifies Festuca rubra L. as a species that favourably combines high productivity with relative stability. Dactilis glomerata and French ryegrass are characterized by high stability and yield close to the average for the group. These species are suitable for growing in a wide range of environmental conditions.

Keywords

• meadow grasses
• evaluation
• productivity
• stability parameters