Nutritive value of meadows in the Northeast of Portugal

• Author(s): Fernández-Núñez, E. ; Pires, Jaime ; Fernandes, Adelaide ; Pires, João ; Aguiar, Carlos ; Galvão, Lurdes ; Moreira, Nuno
• Date: 2011
• Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10198/10833
• Origin: Biblioteca Digital do IPB
• Subject(s): Nutritive value; Nitrogen fertilisation; Legumes; Grasses; Pasture
• Document Type: Conference Object
• Language: English

Description

Meadows continue to be the most important source of pasture and hay for beef cattle production in the hill and upland areas in the NE region of Portugal. The aim of this study was to evaluate CP contents and IVOMD values during the year, in three harvests (spring, hay cut and autumn) under the effect of three rates of N fertilisation in seven mountain meadows. The results showed that the highest CP and IVOMD occurred in the beginning of spring when meadows are in active vegetative growth. Effects of N fertilisation on CP and IVOMD occurred only in oligotrophic meadows, but in an irregular way, and mainly on IVOMD.