Agronomy Science, przyrodniczy lublin, czasopisma up, czasopisma uniwersytet przyrodniczy lublin
The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of cutting frequency and kind of soil on the yields and quality of dry matter of festulolium cultivar Felopa. A pot experiment was based on two factors: first – kind of soil (brown soil developed from light loamy sand and silt medium alluvial soil) and second – different frequency of cutting (the first cut harvested at the shooting stage of grass followed by subsequent cuts at intervals of 21, 28 and 35 days). The experiment was run in the years 2000–2002 in Puławy. In the first year of utilization green mass was harvested eight times at frequency of cutting every 21 days, six times – every 28 days and five times – every 35 days, in the second year of utilization – four times at frequency of cutting every 21 days and 28 days, and three times – every 35 days. Festulolium grown on the silt medium alluvial soil gave higher yields when cuts were made every 28 or 35 days; however, on the brown soil developed from light loamy sand when cuts were made every 28 days. Because of superior nutritional value (the highest total protein content and the lowest crude fibre content) it is beneficial to make the cuts at 21-day intervals. Increase of the frequency of cuts (from five to eight cuts during the year) caused that plants were shorter in height and length of the main leaf. However, there was no influence on the width of the main leaf. High frequency of cutting caused weakened persistence of festulolium, especially in conditions of water deficit.