INFLUENCE OF TECHNOLOGICAL GROWING METHODS ON THE SPECIFIC AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF THE BINARY CROP OF MELILOTUS ALBUS WITH CEREAL CROPS

Abstract

Production of sufficient quantities of high-quality grassy forages balanced in protein content is an important factor in increasing the economic efficiency of livestock farming. One of the effective ways to reduce protein deficiency and provide animals with complete feed is to grow legume-cereal grass mixtures, the vegetative mass of which contains an optimal combination of protein and carbohydrate compounds, mineral salts and other necessary nutrients. Among the traditional perennial legume crops used in legume-cereal agrophytocenoses, Melilotus albus deserves special attention – a promising fodder crop that is capable of providing stable yields of green mass even under adverse weather conditions. However, there is currently little scientific information on the technological features of growing Melilotus albus in intercropping with cereal crops. The aim of the research is to establish the features of the formation of the species and chemical composition of the herbage of binary crops of Melilotus albus with annual cereal crops depending on the technological cultivation measures. The research was conducted in 2015–2017 in the conditions of the SS of the NULES of Ukraine “Agronomic Research Station”. It was found that thickening of grass with a legume component led to the suppression of cereal crops, especially in binary crops with millet. The highest competitiveness and resistance to thickening were observed in sudan grass and corn.The technological model, which provided maximum yield (51.5 t/ha) and provided for sowing white yam at a rate of 16 kg/ha in binary sowing with Sudan grass against the background of N60P90K90application, also obtained the highest content of crude protein in dry matter of biomass – 20.6%. At the same time, the content of crude fat, crude fiber and NFE was, respectively, 3.56, 23.21 and 43.11%. The lowest feed value in the experiment was noted in crops of legume-cereal phytocenosis with millet.