Effect of Seed Mixture and Organic Fertilizer Application on Productivity, Botanical Composition and Forage Quality in Middle Mountainous Pasture
This experiment was carried out to determine the effect of organic fertilizer and seed mixture on productivity, botanical composition and forage quality in middle areas(Geumsan, 250m sea level) pasture. Total six experimental pastures (orchardgrass, timothy and tall fescue based seed mixture and with or without organic fertilizer) were established in autumn, 2014 and evaluated productivity and agronomic characteristics from 2015 to 2016. Plant heigh was higher in orchardgrass based mixture and orchardgrass and tall fescue based mixture were higher in 2nd harvest. There was not found the significant difference among treatment(P<0.05) in dry matter (DM) content. Botanical composition in 1st harvest was higher weed portion in orchardgrass based mixture and legumes was disappeared at 3rd harvest in all treatments. Fresh and dry matter yield was higher in 2nd year than 1st year. In 1st year, orchardgrass based mixture with organic fertilizer plot was the highest(P<0.05) DM yield, but tall fescue based mixture with organic fertilizer was the highest in 2nd year. Content of crude protein (CP) was the highest in tall fescue based mixture and Timothy based mixture showed low in ADF (acid detergent fiber) and NDF (neutral detergent fiber) content. But the content if in virto dry matter digestibility was higher than others. In 2nd year, the nutritive value of 2nd and 4th harvested grasses were higher and average RFV (relative feed value) value was the highest at 4th harvest. According to this result, orchardgrass and tall fescue based mixture would be recommendable for farm who considering productivity and timothy based mixture would be recommendable for considering forage quality in middle areas of Korea.