Biomass yield, chemical composition and in vitro organic matter digestibility of stinging nettle (Urtica simensis) from four locations at three stages of maturity

摘要

Biomassyield,chemicalcompositionandinvitroorganicmatterdigestibility(IVOMD)ofcultivatedstingingnettle(Urticasimensis)weredeterminedfromfourdifferentlocationscutatearly,midandlatefloweringstagesbetweenFebruaryandMarch,2013.IncreasingtrendsofDMyield,Ash,EE,ADF,NDFandADLcontentsbutdecreasingtrendofCPcontentandIVOMDwerenotedwithincreasingstagesofmaturity.MaximumDMyield(10.8t/ha),highNDF(407g/kgDM)andlowerCPcontent(243g/kgDM)andIVOMD(63.1%)wereobservedatlatefloweringstageandmaximumCPcontent(277g/kgDM)andIVOMD(78.5%)atearlyfloweringstage.Thecellwallcomponents(ADF,ADLandNDF)werenegativelycorrelatedwithbothproteincontentandIVOMD.Ontheotherhand,therewaspositiverelationshipbetweenproteincontentandIVOMD.Amongfourexperimentallocationshighproteincontent(277g/kgDM)andIVOMD(78.5%)wasobtainedinBorearea.TheproteincontentandIVOMDvariedfrom277g/kgDMand78.5%atearlyfloweringstageto243g/kgDMand63.1%atlatestageofmaturityrespectively.Hencethewholestingingnettlecouldbeusedtobufferproteindeficienciesandimprovedigestibilityinanimalration.