Effect of Cutting Interval on Yield, Nutrient Composition and Digestibility Several Species of Mulberry

Abstract
Description
The high cost of feedstuffs is the problem in the development of ruminants, therefore finding new species is one of the strategies to increase the availability of feed. Mulberry (Morus spp.) is one of potential diversity of forage that can be used as animal feed. The aim of the study was to determine the effects of cutting interval on biomass yield, chemical composition and digestibility several species of mulberry as animal feed. In a factorial randomized block design, four species of mulberry was divided into 48 equal plots and subjected to three cutting intervals of 30, 60 and 90 days, each with four replications. The number of branches and the leaf:stem ratio was significant (P<0.05) on 30 days, Dry matter yield higher significant on 60 days, chemichal composition on DM was higher (P<0.05) of 41.53 on species M. nigra, influence on 60 days defoliation. The content of OM was highest on 30 days defoliation and not significanly different each species (averages 90.28%). The higher frequency of defoliation cause the lower of CP content in mulberry. NDF on the M. cathayana has the lower fiber fraction among the three other species. ADF do not indicate the significance of each defoliation and species of mulberry treatment. These data suggest that species M. cathayana conducted on 30 and 60 days cutting interval could be potential feed source for livestock ruminants.
Keywords
Cutting Interval; mulberry (Morus spp.); Nutrien Composition; Yield; Digestibility
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