The growing and feeding of lucerne, (Medicago sativa sativa), to dairy cows

S Agriculture (General);SF Animal culture

Chatepa, Lesten Eliez Chisomo ; Wood, Bethan

University:University of Glasgow

Department:School of Interdisciplinary Studies

关键词: S Agriculture (General);    SF Animal culture;   

Others  :  http://theses.gla.ac.uk/4099/1/2013chatepamphil.pdf

来源: University of Glasgow

【 摘 要 】

The purpose of this research was to study the effects of weeds infestation on the growth of lucerne (Medicago sativa sativa) in both summer and winter season as well as the effects of lucerne winter harvesting on the growth and yield of lucerne (Medicago sativa sativa) in spring. This study further evaluated the effects of ensiling lucerne at dry matter content less than 300 g/kg DM using Lactobacillus plantarum MTD-1 as well as the effects of including lucerne (Medicago sativa sativa) in dairy cows' total mixed ration, on milk production and enteric methane production. The growing of lucerne to feed dairy cows is expected to ease the current and future feed constraints in dairy farming. The universally increasing demand for milk poses great challenges for the development of cheap, nutritious forage feeds in both the developed and the emerging worlds. The shortage of high quality nutritious forage feeds causes food/feed crises in the emerging world due to the high proportion of cereals used in dairy farming. Therefore, research intensification in the growing and use of both high quality and high yeilding forages like lucerne is of paramount importance in dairy farming.