Study of the Yield and Nutrient Content of Various Triticale Varieties (× Triticosecale)
Ifj József Kruppa*, Szilvia Orosz, Gábor Bencze, József Kruppa and Zoltán Futó
Department of Irrigation development and amelioration, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Hungary
Submission: November 15, 2021; Published: November 24, 2021
*Corresponding author: Ifj József Kruppa, Department of Irrigation development and amelioration, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Hungary Agri
How to cite this article: Ifj József K, Szilvia O, Gábor B, József K, Zoltán F. Study of the Yield and Nutrient Content of Various Triticale Varieties (× Triticosecale). Agri Res & Tech: Open Access J. 2021; 26 (3): 556341. DOI: 10.19080/ARTOAJ.2021.26.556341
Abstract
Between 2017 and 2020, the yields and green yields of different triticale varieties and the most important nutritional parameters of triticale silage were investigated in Szarvas. The plots were sown in 4 replicates in autumn each year in a block system experiment and each plot received the same agro-technique. The earliest date of the 1st sampling in each treatment was timed to the optimal growth stage for triticale (the ear in boot was 6 cm) followed by three additional sampling. Cut 2 to 4 took place nearly every 7 days. Among the triticale varieties (genotypes) tested in the experiment, Hungaro, Dimenzio, GK Szemes and GK Maros. Between 2017 and 2020, the grain yield averages of the varieties ranged from 4.39 to 5.22 t/ha. From the first sampling date, the varieties were able to produce an average green yield of 16.6 to 26.3 t/ha with a dry matter content of 30%. At the second sampling date, the most dynamic increase was green yield 31.2 t/ha and 30.1 t/ha. By the third harvest date, the best yields were around 28.1-34.4 t/ha. At the fourth sampling time, the average yield increase of the varieties was dynamic and ranged from 26.4 to 41.5 t/ha. At the first sampling, the best fibre digestibility (NDFd48) was measured to be 67.4-73.2 %, which steadily decreased at subsequent samplings. At the fourth sampling, the worst fibre digestibility was measured to be 52.4-60.1 %, which represented a significant decrease at all sampling times.
Keywords: Triticale; Silage; NDFd48; Fibre content; Green yield
Introduction
There are many directions for the utilization of grain cereals in modern agricultural practice. In addition to the use of grain in the traditional sense, the utilization of the green mass of cereals, in particular harvesting as whole crop cereal silage, has gained in importance in recent years. Maize silage provides a base for the mass feeding of ruminants, in particular cattle, but the cultivation of maize silage is becoming increasingly questionable due to climate change. The flowering and grain filling of maize coincides with the driest periods of the growing season, when rainfall is lowest, which can result in significant yield losses, sometimes earlier harvests and reduced nutritional value. This is why new technologies have been developed which can make better use of the winter rains and provide good quality silage material with a good yield. Rye (Secale cereale) has been the main crop used for the production of cereal silage. During the four years of our experiment, we investigated the suitability of triticale (x Triticosecale) for use as a bulk feed, its ability to provide silage yields and its nutritional value. Climate change in recent decades is one of the main reasons for this. Domestic forage production is predominantly based on silage maize, but maize is highly drought sensitive. In his experiments [1], concluded that in the future the occurrence of optimal rainfall for maize and the possibility of achieving optimal yields will decrease, and therefore the role of irrigation may become increasingly crucial. We can mitigate this significant risk factor by developing alternative forage technologies, such as cereal crops, to address this. We can now and in the future rely more safely on low-water-demanding autumn grain cereals - especially rye and triticale - which can use winter precipitation to produce high green yields (silage) in early spring, often with excellent nutritional value [2], found that climate change is expected to reduce summer semester rainfall. The triticale and rye varieties studied are capable of producing high amounts of silage with the winter half-year rainfall. It has been found that triticale silage is a suitable substitute for rye silage and can be grown in combination with it. In Hungary, the whole crop rye (for forage) production area is increasing, and triticale is also being grown for this purpose in many countries around the world. For example, in the USA, Mexico, Canada, Africa, Italy and Australia. Based on the experimental and cultivation results obtained so far, Hungarianbred winter rye and triticale varieties and their seeds provide an excellent biological basis for the domestic production of whole crop cereals as forage [2]. The aim of the present experiment is to investigate indigenously bred genotypes in terms of grain yield and green yield in region of Szarvas. Kruppa [3], in his article on rye cultivation, emphasizes the excellent adaptability of medium and tall-stemmed domestic rye varieties. In experiments on poorly fertile sandy soils, these varieties have outperformed foreign (Polish and German) varieties and hybrids. As a result of private breeding, newer Hungarian varieties, Rye food rye and Hungaro triticale, which have been granted State Recognition and Plant Variety Protection, are also excellent for food and feed grain production and have good drought and stress tolerance [4-6] report in their articles that the Hungarian rye and triticale genotypes included in the research in the period 1998-2002 have good stress tolerance, mainly to drought tolerance or nutrient deficiency, but some genotypes to both factors.
A new possibility is the use of rye and triticale for forage(silage), and Hungaro is the first triticale variety that is also suitable for food use [7-10] found that the renewal rate of triticale varieties has been improving in recent years, based on the results of variety and seed production, but it is still below 20%, which is very unfavorable. Efforts should be made to increase the renewal rate of new varieties as much as possible to ensure a guaranteed supply of quality seed. Very early cut rye provides high quality silage for dairy cattle [11,12]. We have a competitive domestic biological basis for growing whole crop rye (as forage) - the Rye food variety and its certified seed. Rye food rye is increasingly grown as a forage (silage), which has the great advantage of early production of good quality whole crop cereal silage, low nutrient and water requirements, which can be met with winter rainfall and little fertilizer. Based on the results obtained so far, the Hungaro triticale variety can safely increase the area under silage production with similar advantages to rye and can be harvested in between rye and alfalfa. An additional advantage is that the area can be used for spring main crops after rye and triticale harvest [13]. However, in double crop cultivation, the maize silage portion of annual forage yields is typically reduced by between 10 and 20% due to delayed sowing [14]. In addition, triticale matures more slowly during heading, thus there is more time to harvest high quality silage at the optimal growth stage (the ‘harvest window’ is larger). As the heading comes later than rye, the sampling of good quality silage material with triticale can be continued after the rye sampling is completed, thus also reducing the risk of weather-related damage. Therefore, triticale silage gives a longer period of favorable quality and harvesting can be managed easier than for rye [15-18]. When harvesting winter cereals early (in April, in boot stage), the low starch content is compensated by the favorable digestibility, energy derived from easily degradable fibre and higher protein content. Rye is essentially a ‘single-function’ early cut forage. It is also worth experimenting with crops that are ‘multifunctional’. Two of the new indigenous triticale varieties are promising, as they rival rye in yield and nutritional value at the end of April, but also provide excellent forage for the heifers when harvested in milky stage, and their mature grain yield is also good for concentrated feed [19- 21]. Harvesting whole crop cereals as silage in the flag-leaf stage results in similar NDF content as in the waxy maturing stage [22], but with increased NDF digestibility [23,24], demonstrated that triticale and wheat forage crops harvested as silage can provide milk yields above 41 kg/day in Holstein-Friesian dairy herds when the feed ration contains 10% maize silage. Reduced rainfall due to climate change makes silage maize production risky. Lower maize silage yields raise the question: can cereal silage satisfy part of the maize silage in dairy cattle feed? In the UK, several studies have reported similar milk yields for cereal silages harvested after the onset of flowering [25,26].
Material and Method
Between 2017 and 2020, the yields and green yields of different triticale varieties and the most important nutritional parameters of triticale silage were investigated in Szarvas. The experiment was set up in the area of Mezőmag Ltd. near the main road of Orosháza (GPS coordinates: 46°47’48.2 “N 20°37’35.6 “E; altitude: 86 m). The soil is characterized by a clay loam physical texture, acidic to slightly acidic pH, no CaCO3 in the cultivated layer, and medium N supply based on humus content. The water management of the soil is characterized by a medium water conductivity and a high-water holding capacity. The cultivated layer is compacted and has a lower proportion of porosity and, within this, of gravity pores.
Growing season 2016-2017
The important growing season for the green yield and yield of triticale was marked by a wet autumn-winter and a very dry spring. This created only average growing conditions for triticale, because the excess precipitation in autumn led to soil oversaturation and the formation of airless conditions. Although there was significantly less rainfall in November and December, this was compensated for by the abundance of rainfall in the preceding period. The spring period was also not very favorable in terms of green mass and seed growing, as a significant precipitation deficit prevailed during the period. The plants were able to use most of the water stored in the soil during this period. In the growing season 2016-2017, the rainfall was almost entirely lower than the multi-year average, which meant that triticale was only able to start its most sensitive development period around flowering in an area with a significant water deficit. The lack of average or minimal precipitation in the winter months did not improve the yield potential of triticale, with the result that 2017 also brought only good to average climatic conditions for triticale.
Growing season 2017-2018
The autumn half-year was characterized by abundant rainfall, with a significant rainfall surplus in September and December,which compensated for the minimal rainfall deficit in October and November. In contrast, the spring half-year saw significant dry periods. The months of April, May and June, which coincided with the intensive growth and flowering of triticale, were very poor. The plants could only survive this with the abundance of winter rainfall and the winter precipitation stored in the soil, without a drastic reduction in yields. The year was therefore only average in terms of yields.
Growing season 2018-2019
A different harvest year to the previous ones. The winter semester was extremely dry with very little rainfall until mid- April 2019. This 6-month period of low precipitation created unfavorable starting conditions for the autumn crops. During the last two months of the growing season, very significant rainfall of 111.9 mm and 119.0 mm respectively was recorded, which compensated somewhat for the negative effects of the previous period. Overall, however, this growing season was only poor to medium for triticale varieties due to the initial period of low rainfall.
Growing season 2019-2020
The period was highly variable, with rainfall deficits, rainfall surpluses and average rainfall all occurring during the year. During the winter half-year, rainfall was just below the multi-year average, the deficit being largely made up for by the February rainfall surplus. The most critical point of the growing season was the lack of rainfall in April, which occurred during the most intensive period of growth and development of the triticale. The nearly 130 mm of rainfall in June was more of a hindrance to grain maturation and water loss and was no longer relevant for green yields, by which time the stands had been harvested. The year was considered a good one for yields due to the steady winter rainfall. The plots were sown in 4 replicates in autumn 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 in a block system experiment and each plot received the same agro-technique. The earliest date of the 1st sampling in each treatment was timed to the optimal growth stage for triticale (the ear in boot was 6 cm) followed by three additional sampling (05.10.; 05.17.; 05.24.; 06.13.). Cut 2 to 4 took place nearly every 7 days. Sampling 4 took place during the period of triticale in waxy stage2. Among the triticale varieties (genotypes) tested in the experiment, Hungaro is the highest-stemmed variety registered in the National Variety Register, with high green yield and grain yield, excellent adaptability, drought and stress tolerance, and Dimenzio is a new variety with similar economic value (only a candidate variety in the first two years of the experiment). In the experiment, we also tested the autumn triticale varieties GK Szemes and GK Maros from the Szeged Cereal Research Station genotypes. In both years of the experiment, the yield and green yield were measured. At the time of sampling, green yield and dry matter content were measured, and the forage value was also determined from the samples (Hungaro, Dimenzio, GK Maros and GK Szemes). At sampling, the weight of green yields measured in the plots (based on their measured dry matter content) was uniformly converted to 30% dry matter content (silage yield) and compared. In each year of the experiment, the varieties were treated with a uniform agro-technique. The agro techniques used were as follows:
1. The unit number of plants is 5.2 million plants/ha,
2. Nutrient supply 37.5 Kg N, 37.5 Kg P2O5 and 37.5 Kg K2O in autumn, followed by 52 Kg N in spring
Herbicide: 7.5 g/l thiencarbazone-methyl (TCM), and 300 g/l 2,4-D-ethylhexyl ester, 10 g/l iodosulfuron active substance and 30 g/l mefenpyr diethyl were present in the herbicide. The herbicide dose was 1 l/ha.
4. Fungicide: 250 g/l fenpropimorph, 84 g/l epoxiconazole. Fungicide dose 1 l/ha.
5. Insecticide: 50 g/l (4.8 m/m %) deltamethrin. Dose 0.15 l/ha.
The tillage was uniformly shallow, for cereals, the basic tillage was done with a disc cultivator and the seedbed preparation with a combinator. Green yield measurements were made by sampling the plots at different times. The first sampling was done when the ear was about 6 cm long and not yet emerged (in boot), a growth stage of BBCH 45. Subsequent samplings were carried out every 7 days after the first. Plant development was as follows: second sampling BBCH 49 (in boot and 8-10 cm long), third sampling BBCH 51 (at the beginning of flowering), fourth sampling BBCH 58 (at full flowering). The harvested whole crop cereal was then chopped into 2-5 cm chops length and a sample was taken, which was sent to the Livestock Performance Testing Ltd. Feed Analysis Laboratory in Gödöllő, Hungary. The dry matter content of the harvested samples was used to calculate uniform green yields corrected to a uniform dry matter content of 30%. Moisture content was determined with method according to ISO 6496:2001). The nutrient content of the samples was measured by NIR (spectral imaging: NEN-EN-ISO 12099:2010) and the following parameters were investigated:
1. Crude protein (NIR method, reference method: NEN-ISO 5983-2)
2. Crude fibre (NIR method, reference method: NEN-ENISO 6865)
3. aNDFom (NIR method, reference method: NEN-EN-ISO 13906),
4. NDFd48 (NDF-degradability, 48 h in vitro incubation in rumen fluid) NIR method
In the experiment, in addition to the green yields, the grain yields of triticale varieties were also tested. Harvesting was done with a combine harvester at full triticale maturity BBCH 89. Statistical analysis of the experimental results was performed using SPSS for Windows 25.0. The evaluation included analysis of variance, correlation, and regression.
Results
Grain yields of triticale varieties
The first study of triticale grain yield was carried out. The four years showed significant differences in rainfall distribution, which made it possible to analyze the yields obtained in the different years (Figure 1). The yield averages of the varieties were the lowest in 2017 of the four years studied. Yield averages ranged from 4.39 to 4.69 t/ha. This was mainly due to dry spring weather, despite better autumn-winter water supply, which resulted in lower yields in 2017. Of the 4 varieties tested, the best yield average was achieved by the GK Maros variety. No significant difference between the yield averages of the varieties could be confirmed by statistical analysis. In 2018, all varieties yielded better than in 2017. This year, the yield averages ranged from 4.74 to 4.93 t/ha for the 4 varieties tested. The highest yield average was achieved by the variety Dimenzio, with 4.93 t/ha. The statistical analysis also showed that there was no significant difference in yields this
year. In 2019, the yields of the four varieties were more dispersed, with some varieties achieving the same or higher yields than in previous years, while there were 2 varieties that achieved lower average yields. Despite the greater variation, the difference was not statistically justified, as evidenced by the fact that another variety, Hungaro, achieved the highest yield this year (4.98 t/ ha). In the last year under study, the highest average yield of GK Szemes was in 2020, mainly due to the more favorable autumnwinter weather. However, in the spring of the 2020 vintage, April and May were extremely dry, which is why the other varieties had the lowest average yields of all the years studied, unlike GK Szemes. This suggests that of the four varieties studied, GK Szemes is better able to withstand the drought period around the time of flowering and flowering and has good drought tolerance. When the yield averages were statistically analyzed, only one year and one variety showed a verifiable difference, with GK Szemes (5.00 t/ha) having a significantly higher yield average.
Yield of whole crop triticale varieties
The green yields (corrected to 30% DM) of the four whole crop triticale varieties were examined. The harvest dates were chosen to monitor both the yields and the nutritive value of the whole crop. For green yields, it is important to convert to the same dry matter content in order to compare the performance of the varieties. The green yields obtained from the experiment were therefore converted to 30% dry matter content. The conversion is based on subtracting the amount of water needed to reach 30% dry matter from the green yield, simulating the water loss due to wilting. The dry matter content of the last sampling had already reached 30% due to the considerable water loss. The performance of the varieties is not characterized by the same dynamics (Table 2). It was observed that the green weight of all varieties increases as the harvesting period progresses, but the rate and dynamics of growth varies considerably between varieties. Already at the first sampling time, the varieties were able to produce an average green yield of 15.4-23.5 t/ha with a dry matter content of 30%.
First sampling
At the first sampling in 2017 and 2018, GK Maros gave the highest green mass, while in 2019 Dimenzio was the highest yielding variety and in 2020 GK Szemes has the highest yield. This shows that the green yield is highly dependent on the actual year, not a characteristic of a single variety, and therefore statistical differences have been found in green yield between varieties could be observed in the years studied. The high silage yields are also favorable because triticale varieties use little water (typically in winter) to produce high yields and are removed from the field early, allowing the area to be used for the main crop of the year. In 2017, the GK Maros variety showed an outstanding performance at early cut, with a green yield of 3.87 t/ha, significantly higher than the lowest yielding variety.
Second sampling
By the second sampling date, there were significant changes in the silage yields of the varieties. In 2017, the most dynamic increase in the second sampling date was shown by the variety Dimenzio (31.2 t/ha), but the good performance of GK Maros was maintained (30.1t/ha). By the next cutting date, Dimenzio had increased its silage yield significantly, by about 8.7 t/ha, while the yields of the other varieties increased only marginally, by 3.7- 3.9 t/ha. In 2018, GK Maros still gave the highest green yield at the second cutting date, but there was no significant difference between the varieties, barely exceeding 1.5 t/ha. In 2019, a new variety, Hungaro triticale, gave the highest silage yield at the second cutting (23.2 t/ha). It is observed that this year the increase in yields was much more modest for the second cutting, due to the effect of the vintage. In 2020, GK Szemes gave the highest silage yield for the second cutting (31.1 t/ha), with an increase in yield of more than 10 t/ha.
Third sampling
In 2017, at the third sampling date, the green yields of the varieties continued to increase, but the intensity of growth was significantly reduced. By the third harvest date, the growth rate of two varieties remained more intense, GK Szemes (4.3 t/ha) and Hungaro (3.4 t/ha), indicating that these varieties reach their green yield peak before grain filling only later, in the second half of May. The varieties that showed high development at the time of the previous sampling (GK Maros and Dimenzio) showed only moderate (1.2 t/ha and 0.7 t/ha) increases in green yield. These varieties had already reached their pre-sampling maximum at the time of the previous sampling, i.e., they can be considered as “early” varieties in terms of green yield. The lowest yields of the four harvesting years were measured in 2018. This remained the case in the third sampling, and no yield increase was measured. The varieties were not able to increase their silage yields further in this period due to the unfavorable weather. In 2019, in contrast to the previous year, the increase in yields was significant for the third sampling. The most dynamic increase was achieved by the variety Dimenzio, with a yield increase of 12.0 t/ha in the sevenday period. Thus, the silage yield was very high at 34.5 t/ha. The Dimenzio triticale variety also gave the highest silage yield of all the varieties studied in three of the four years studied at the time of the third sampling. At the time of cutting, the highest silage yield was obtained by GK Maros.
Fourth sampling
At the time of the fourth sampling in 2017, we measured a significant increase in silage yield. The average yield increases across varieties reached 9.3 t/ha on average across varieties. The most dynamic increase in yield was achieved by the GK Szemes variety, but the yields of the varieties were very evenly balanced and ranged from 38.7 to 41.5 t/ha. In 2018, the more modest silage yields typical for the whole year were achieved by the time of the last harvest of the experiment. Yield increases were also much more modest across varieties, with a total increase of 4.3 t/ha. In 2019, all varieties significantly exceeded the 35 t/ha silage yield, except for the GK Szemes variety, which only achieved a yield of around 25 t/ha. This is significant because this variety achieved the best yields at the time of the fourth cutting in 2017 and 2018. The extreme rainfall in May-June 2019 is likely to have been very detrimental to the variety, highlighting that the variety may be susceptible to soil-air deficits caused by waterlogging. In 2020, yields were around 23.1-26.4 t/ha, with the exception of the Hungaro variety, which achieved a silage yield of 30.2 t/ha. At this sampling date, the Hungaro variety achieved outstanding yields in both 2019 and 2020. The analysis of variance confirmed that there is no significant difference in adjusted green yield between varieties on average across years, while the differences between years and sampling dates are significantly different. There may be significant differences between varieties in some years, but these are only due to the extremes of the year, with similar performance between varieties on average over the years.
Nutrient content of the whole crop triticale
Not only the net biomass mass but also the nutrient content of the whole crop is of high importance in the utilization of forage. Forage can provide a significant part of the protein requirements of animal species consuming forage (e.g., cattle), mainly due to the high intake. The forage intake is the highest in these species, so the crude protein content of whole crop cereals, the ability of the plants to maintain their crude protein content during the growing, and the varieties mature slower are relevant. For animals that consume large amounts of forage, the other crucial nutrient is crude fibre, or the various fibre fractions. The forestomaches of ruminants are capable of breaking down large amounts of fibre in the rumen. However, for high yielding species such as intensive dairy cows, the degradable fibre content of the feed consumed (NDFd48) is also an important aspect. In our experiment, we investigated the nutrient content of the different varieties at different sampling date in different years and at different phenological stages. It was found that the crude protein content of triticale varieties decreased continuously and significantly as the sampling dates progressed (as the plants aged) (Table 4(a)). The other important finding is that the crude protein content in harvested green materials also depends on the genetic background of the triticale varieties. The crude protein content of the cultivar Dimenzio exceeded that of the other triticale cultivars at all harvest dates (Table 4) (Figure 2). In 2 out of 4 sampling dates, the variety GK Szemes had the lowest crude protein content. Overall, of the four triticale varieties tested, GK Szemes had a significantly lower crude protein content than the other varieties. Therefore, GK Szemes can only be recommended in cases and on farms where protein content is not a primary quality criterion (Table 4(b)). In addition to crude protein content, the fibre content of cereal silages plays a prominent role (Figure 3). The fibre content and composition of forages stimulate rumination, buffering the rumen fluid pH, and maintain the proliferation of rumen microflora and fauna, but also has own nutritive value (energy content). The fibre, which has a favorable composition (low in lignin) and easy to digest, is an important and valuable nutrient of the whole crop cereal silages. In our experiments, we monitored the variation in fibre content, its composition and digestibility. First, we followed the changes in the aNDFom content of the whole crop triticale silages during the years studied at different sampling dates (Figure 3). We found that in 2017, two varieties Hungaro and Dimenzio had the lowest aNDFom content at all sampling dates. This year, as the samplings progressed, the aNDFom content increased until the third sampling and then decreased at the last sampling. This trend changed significantly in 2019, where three out of the four sampling showed low aNDFom content for three different varieties. In 2020, however, the variety Dimenzio gave the lowest aNDFom content of all the varieties studied, at all sampling dates. In 2018, the serious drought during spring caused the plants to enter the generative phase earlier, develop less vegetative mass and their aNDFom content gradually decreased. In the other years studied, the plants were not under such drought stress, so the fibre content increased in all cases until the third sampling. It can be seen from the experiment that the increase in fibre content of the different varieties was characterized by different rates, intensities, and extent. The results obtained show that aNDFom content can be influenced by varieties in addition to the harvest year, but the variance of the measurements was so large that no statistically verifiable difference between varieties was found! However, based on the average data for the four years studied, there was a significant difference in aNDFom content between sampling dates at different phenological stages (Table 6). The aNDFom levels were lowest at the first sampling each year. The statistical analysis demonstrated that the aNDFom content of the varieties at the first sampling was lower than at the other phenological stages. The aNDFom content increased until the third sampling and was significantly higher at the second and third sampling dates compared to the fibre content measured at the first date (Table 6). In the variation of aNDFom content, it was observed that the fibre content of the samples decreased at the last sampling time when the triticale was already in the phenological phase of grain saturation. This is due to the change in the grain-stem-leaf ratio. At this time, the samples are dominated by the mass of grains developing in the ear, which proportionally reduces the fibre content due to the intense starch accumulation.
The highest fibre content was achieved by GK Szemes on 11 of the 16 sampling dates in the four years, which was also associated with a more modest crude protein content, suggesting that the nutritive value of the GK Szemes cereal silage is inferior to that of the other varieties. The fibre digestibility affects the rate of passage and thus indirectly the appetite, which is a critical aspect especially during the summer. The in vitro 48-hour fibre digestibility gives a more complete picture of the potential physiological impact and therefore value of the forage. Therefore, in the experiment, we also monitored how the value of NDFd48 changes at different sampling date as the plant ages. The NDFd48 value shows the percentage of aNDFom that is potentially degradable in the rumen within 48 hours. This indicator shows the ability of the fibre content in the whole crop triticale to degrade in the rumen, and the proportion of indigestible ballast material, filling the rumen and potentially reducing appetite. The experiment measured how the fibre digestibility changes as the plant ages. At the first sampling, the best fibre digestibility was measured at 67.4-73.2%, which steadily decreased with subsequent samplings. At the fourth sampling, the worst fibre digestibility was measured at 52.4-60.1% (Figure 4). Statistical analysis of fibre digestibility was also carried out and showed significant differences between samplings and between varieties. At different times of sampling, NDFd48 values decreased steadily, with the rate of decrease being such that there was a significant level of variation at each sampling time (Table 7). It can be clearly seen that as the plant ages, the fibre digestibility decreases steadily, a characteristic that exists regardless of age and variety. In addition to sampling dates, we wanted to see if there were differences in fibre digestibility between varieties. The statistical analysis showed that there were verifiable differences between the varieties (Table 8). In the study, the fibre digestibility of two varieties differed significantly. The first one to be highlighted was GK Maros, which had the highest fibre digestibility among all varieties. The other significant value was measured for GK Szemes, which had the lowest fibre digestibility, as verified by averaging all years and sampling dates. This illustrates that there can be significant differences between triticale varieties in digestibility and in the nutritive value of cereal silage made from triticale varieties. Based on our complex analysis, it can be concluded that the triticale variety GK Szemes has the worst quality parameters, while the varieties GK Maros and Dimenzio have favorable quality parameters. If we look at the sampling dates, it is clear that the crude fibre content increases as the plant ages, but its digestibility steadily decreases. If fibre digestibility is an important factor in feeding (e.g., in high yielding dairy herds), early harvest should be preferred. In addition to the 48-hour digestibility of fibre (NDFd48), the absolute value of digestible fibre is also important in the feeding of dairy cows. Low concentration of digestible fibre (g/kg DM) in the diet can reduce the efficiency of rumen flora and fauna and milk fat content. That feed ration of an intensive cow has a favorable fibre composition, which contains more digestible fibre (g/kg DM). This also means that less of this forage is needed to meet the physiological digestible fibre requirement, which makes the composition of the ration more flexible and safer. The younger plant’s better fibre digestibility is associated with a lower fibre content, while the older plant’s higher fibre content is characterized by a lower digestibility, and it is therefore a question of at which phenological stage the trade-off between fibre digestibility and digestible fibre content is achieved. If we want to produce efficient forage using whole crop triticale varieties, we also need to consider how the phenological phase changes the digestible fibre content (dNDF48 g/kg DM). In the experiment, no statistically significant differences were found in the digestible fibre content (dNDF48) of the four varieties studied over the three years and the four samplings (Table 9). However, when analyzed in more detail, it was observed that in two of the three years (2019 and 2020), the GK Maros triticale variety had the highest digestible fibre content at all sampling dates. In the first year 2018, the variety did not reach the highest digestible fibre content, but the values were very close to the most favorable digestible fibre content. This shows that not only the harvest year has a significant influence on the digestible fibre concentration, but also the genetic background of the triticale varieties. Significant differences in digestible fibre content (dNDF48) were found at different sampling dates (Table 10). It was verified that digestible fibre content decreases as the plant ages, with significantly lower digestible fibre content measured at the last 4 sampling dates than at all other dates. The triticale fibre content increases steadily as the plant ages (until the beginning of the maturing phase of the ear) and its digestible fraction decreases steadily as the plant ages until the grain phase. However, at the time of ear maturing, there is an additional effect, i.e., a lower fibre content is associated with a lower digestibility, which is the worst combination. The highest digestible fibre content was measured at the time of the first sampling, i.e., at the first sampling a high digestible fibre content is associated with a higher crude protein content. Therefore, when digestible fibre supply is an important consideration in feeding (e.g., in high yielding dairy herds), early harvest should be preferred from this point of view as well.
a,b,c,d significant groups in between years, A, B, C, D significant groups between different sampling dates
a) Average over the years
b) Average of samplings
a) the average of the sampling dates
a, b significant difference between varieties; A, B, C, D significant difference between different sampling dates
a, b significant differences between aNDFom content
Discussion
Between 2017 and 2020, the grain yield averages of the varieties ranged from 4.39 to 5.22 t/ha. No significant difference between the yield averages of the varieties can be confirmed by statistical analysis. In our experiment, the grain yield results of triticale varieties were not the primary objective of the study, but we found that the grain yield results are fully consistent with the averages of the growing area, i.e., the performance of triticale varieties is consistent with the multi-year average. We found that the yield performance of the whole crop varieties was not characterized by the same dynamics. It was observed that in all the years studied, the green weight of all varieties increased as the harvesting period progressed, but the rate and dynamics of the increase varied greatly between varieties. From the first sampling date, the varieties were able to produce an average green yield of 16.6 to 26.3 t/ha with a dry matter content of 30%. By the second sampling date, there were significant changes in the silage yield of the varieties, with yield increases ranging from 28.0 to 30.5%, which the varieties were able to produce in seven days. At the second sampling date, the most dynamic increase was shown by the variety Dimenzio (31.2 t/ha), but the good performance of GK Maros was maintained (30.1 t/ha). This shows that the silage yield of triticale varieties harvested at this phenological stage is competitive with maize silage yields. At the third sampling date, green yields of the varieties continued to increase, but the intensity of the increase decreased significantly. By the third harvest date, the best yields were around 28.1 - 34.4 t/ha. At the fourth sampling time, the average yield increase of the varieties was dynamic and ranged from 26.4 to 41.5 t/ha. Typically, lower yields were observed in 2018, a year with poor rainfall. Based on our results, green yield is strongly dependent on the effect of the seasons and not a characteristic of a single variety, therefore no significant differences in green yield between varieties could be observed in the years studied. The quality of the silage showed that the crude protein content of whole crop triticale silage decreased steadily and significantly with successive samplings. The average crude protein content of the varieties decreased from 165.8 g/kg DM at the first sampling to 101.8 g/kg DM at the fourth sampling. Not only between samplings, but also between varieties, there was a significant difference in protein content: the GK Szemes variety had a total crude protein content of 111.3 g/kg DM compared to 123.3 - 128.3 g/kg DM for the other varieties. The statistical analysis demonstrated that the aNDFom content of the varieties at the first sampling was lower than in the other phenological stages. The aNDFom content increased until the third sampling and was significantly higher at the second and third sampling dates compared to the fibre content measured at the first date. In the variation of aNDFom content, it was observed that the fibre content of the samples decreased at the last sampling time when the triticale was already in the phenological phase of grain filling. This is due to the change in the grain-stem-leaf ratio. At this time, the samples are dominated by the mass of grains developing in the ear, which proportionally reduces the fibre content due to the intense starch accumulation. In the experiment, the highest fibre content was achieved by GK Szemes on 11 of the 16 sampling dates in the four years, which was also associated with a more modest crude protein content, suggesting that the nutritive value of the GK Szemes whole crop cereal silage is inferior to that of the other varieties. The NDFd48 value shows the percentage of aNDFom content in the rumen that can be degraded within 48 hours. In the experiment, we measured how the fibre digestibility (NDFd48) changes as the plant ages. At the first sampling, the best fibre digestibility was measured to be 67.4-73.2%, which steadily decreased at subsequent samplings. At the fourth sampling, the worst fibre digestibility was measured to be 52.4-60.1%, which represented a significant decrease at all sampling times. Two varieties showed significant differences in fibre digestibility. The first one to be highlighted was GK Maros, which had the best fibre digestibility among all varieties. The other significant value was measured for GK Szemes, which had the lowest fibre digestibility, as verified by averaging all years and harvests. Significant differences in digestible fibre content (dNDF48) were found at different sampling dates. It was verified that digestible fibre content decreases as the plant ages, with significantly lower digestible fibre content measured at the last 4 sampling dates than at all other dates. In the experiment, the dNDF48 value of 373.6 g/ kg DM at the first sampling decreased to 311.4 g/kg DM at the last sampling. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that whole crop triticale silage harvested at an early stage (BBCH 45- 49) can be an excellent feed for high yielding dairy herds, while whole crop triticale harvested at a later stage (BBCH 51-58) can be more suitable for beef cattle and dairy heifers. Based on our complex analysis, it can be concluded that, based on the combined analysis of several parameters, the GK Szemes triticale variety has the worst quality parameters, while the GK Maros and Dimenzio varieties have favorable quality parameters.
Conclusion
Triticale as a forage- until now an unexplored area of crop production. No or only very limited information on triticale silages was previously available. The aim of our experiment was to investigate the use of triticale as a forage and to draw conclusions on the suitability of the varieties studied for the production of whole crop triticale silage and its quality in terms of feed value. So far, the basis for classical whole crop cereal silage has been rye (Secale cereale). The yields and quality of whole crop rye are known, and the question in the experiment was whether triticale could match the yields and silage quality of whole crop rye. The experimental results show that, in line with the literature, the triticale varieties (genotypes) studied produced high yields (18.8 t/ha - 31.6 t/ha corrected to 30% dry matter) between 2017 and 2020 and can therefore be recommended for forage production now and in the near future. It should be added that climate change is unlikely to reduce the green yields of these low-water-demanding winter-crop cereals, which make efficient use of the winter rains, and which can be harvested in early spring (April). Based on our experimental results, we have found that early sampling (BCCH 45: the ear is 4-6 cm long in boot) can achieve favorable crude protein content in triticale silages. With the shift in sampling, crude protein content decreased significantly from 165.8 g/kg bw to 101.8 g/ kg DM. This significant decrease indicates a deterioration in feed quality. It was found that the extension of the sampling period (BBCH 45-51: 1st, 2nd and 3rd sampling) was associated with an increase in crude fibre content (from 238.4 g/kg DM to 288.6 g/kg DM), an increasing aNDFom value (from 533.1 g/kg DM to 581.6 g/kg DM) and a steady deterioration in fibre digestibility (from 70.2% to 55.8%), which is unfavorable for silage quality. Based on the results obtained, it can be concluded that triticale silage harvested at an early stage (BBCH 45-49) can be an excellent feed for high yielding dairy herds, while triticale harvested at a later stage (BBCH 51-58) can be more suitable for beef cattle and dairy heifers. The experimental data seem to confirm that the triticale varieties studied can produce similar yields at the end of April and especially in early May as whole crop rye under normal growing conditions [27-31]. However, there is a wider ‘harvest window’, i.e., a longer time for harvesting (slower ageing) and the possibility to mow it in May maintaining quality. The optimal period of triticale harvest is wider, with a longer harvesting window, delaying the start of harvesting by 1-2 weeks compared to rye. This also means more favorable weather conditions for wilting. The area can be utilized in the season after triticale has been removed, as there is still time to sow maize, sorghum and Sudan grass.
Acknowledgements
The publication was created in the framework of the project EFOP-3.6.1-16-2016-0016 “Specialization of the research and training profile of SZIE Szarvas Campus with intelligent specialization: agricultural water management, hydroponic crop production, alternative crop production, and related precision machinery management”.
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