Dry Matter Yield and Silage Quality of Some Winter Cereals Harvested at Different Stages under Mediterranean Climate Conditions

Abstract

Winter cereals can provide feed earlier than annual grasses since they are generally more adaptable to early sowing due to their higher tolerance of dry conditions. Cereals are also better suited to single-cut silagemaking, whereas annual grasses require multiple cuts or grazings to be fully utilised. A field and laboratory experiments were conducted to evaluate the effect of different harvest stages on the dry matter yield and silage quality of some winter cereals, during 2009-2011 growing season. Effects of three different harvest stages (early heading, milky stage, mid-dough stage) on five cereals (Hordeum vulgare, Triticum aestivum, Secale cereale, Triticosecale, Avena sativa) were tested. The experiment was arranged in split block with four replications. Results indicated that, it was possible to produce an average of 10.9 t ha-1 dry matter yield and an average of 9.2% crude protein content at mid-dough stage in regions with Mediterranean-type climates. It was also concluded that Avena sativa should be preferred for high biomass yield and should be cut at the beginning of mid-dough maturity stages for higher quality silage