Effects of seeding dates on dry matter yield and feed values of whole-crop barley cultivated in a paddy field

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of seeding dates on the yield and feed value of whole-crop barley cultivated in paddy soil. The field experiment was conceived as a randomized block design performed in triplicate with seeding dates of Oct. 19 (T1 as treatment 1), Oct. 26 (T2 as treatment 2), Nov. 2 (T3 as treatment 3), Nov. 9 (T4 as treatment 4), and Nov. 16 (T5 as treatment 5) as treatments. The barley grown in all treatments was harvested on May 21 of the following year. Plant length, fresh yield, dry matter yield, and total digestible nutrient (TDN) yield were higher (p T2 > T3 > T4 > T5 (p < 0.05), whereas the total amino acid content increased significantly (p < 0.05) with a delay in seeding date. Free sugar contents (fructose, glucose, and sucrose) were higher with early seeding dates (p < 0.05). Collectively, the results obtained in this study indicate that it is favorable to seed soon after harvesting rice to increase dry matter and TDN yields and mineral and free sugar contents of whole-crop barley in the midlands of Korea.

Keywords

• whole-crop barley
• seeding dates
• dry matter yield
• total digestible nutrients