Authors : Ahmet Tolunay , Veysel Ayhan , Elif Adiyaman , Ayhan Akyol and Duygu Ince
Abstract: This study investigates, the growth characteristics (growth of shoot length, number of leaves on terminal shoots, herbage yield) of herbage samples taken from kermes oak at 6 time intervals (April 15, May 15, June 15, July 15, August 15, September 15) as well as the seasonal change of certain nutritional contents (dry matter, water content, crude ash, organic matter) within the biomass obtained from these samples. The vegetation period started on March 15 and the shoots displayed their fastest development on April 15, May 15 and June 15 (4.25 7.48 and 8.77 cm, respectively). On July 15 and on subsequent intervals, the shoots did not display any growth in length. On April 15, the average number of leaves on main shoots was 10.17 and this figure was 13.42 on May 15. On June 15 and on subsequent intervals, a loss was recorded in the number of leaves on shoots. On April 15, when the first recordings were taken at the beginning of the vegetation season, the average amount of herbage obtained from an area of 1 m2 was 241.00 g. The amount of herbage, marked its greatest increase between intervals on May 15 and reached an average of 441.83 g m-2. The average herbage amount obtained on June 15 was 574.66 g m-2 and on July 15, this figure was 635.00 g m-2. The amount of herbage did not mark any significant increase on August 15 and on September 15 (p<0.05). According to laboratory analyses, the average amount of dry matter in biomasses was 32.03% on April 15 and this ratio marked an increase on May 15 and June 15, reaching 56.85% on July 15 and no subsequent increase was recorded following this date. The ratio of organic matter in the first biomass sample that was taken on April 15 was 30.49%. This figure marked its greatest increase among the intervals on May 15, reaching 41.61%. On June 15, the organic matter ratio was 51.70%. The amount of organic matter in the analyses that were performed on July 15 was 54.48%. On August 15 and September 15, this figure increased in small increments and reached 55.60 and 56.07%, respectively (p<0.05). The herbage yield obtained from an area of one hectare during the vegetation period varied between 2 410.0-6 366.6 kg ha-1, dry matter yield between 772.0-689.4 kg ha-1, crude ash yield between 37.1-150.5 kg ha-1 and organic matter yield between 734.9-3 569.8 kg ha-1. Herbage yield, dry matter, water content, crude ash and organic matter production values for diverse land coverage or mixed scrub species kermes oak scrublands can be calculated by utilizing the data of the study and research results can be adapted for diverse land conditions.
Ahmet Tolunay , Veysel Ayhan , Elif Adiyaman , Ayhan Akyol and Duygu Ince , 2009. Herbage Growth and Fodder Yield Characteristics of Kermes Oak (Quecus coccifera L.) in a Vegetation Period. Journal of Animal and Veterinary Advances, 8: 290-294.