Forage Quality and Nutrient Uptake Potential of Triticale

Abstract

Two triticale cultivars, Trical® 342 and Trical® 2700, were amended with 3 fertilizer treatments: commercial nitrogen (N) fertilizer, broiler litter, or control (no treatment). Forage yield, forage quality, and concentration of copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and phosphorus (P) were determined for 3 stages of forage maturity: early-tillering stage, stem extension, and boot-flowering stage. Commercial N consistently provided the greatest (P < 0.10) dry matter yields and crude protein (CP) concentrations. However, as forages matured, accumulation of cell wall constituents in commercial fertilizer-amended forages outweighed the benefit of greater CP concentration, thus contributing to the lowest total digestible nutrient (TDN) concentration values among treatments. No difference (P > 0.10) was found for nutrient mitigation potential between cultivars at boot-stage harvest. However, among fertilizer sources, commercial fertilizer-amended forages showed the greatest nutrient mitigation potential due to greatest effect on biomass yields.