DRY MATTER AND PROTEIN YIELDS AND LEAF GREENNESS (SPAD) OF RED CLOVER AND FESTULOLIUM DEPENDING ON CULTIVATION METHOD AND SOIL MOISTURE LEVEL
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Abstract
The aim of the study was to assess the influence of water deficiency in the soil and cultivation method on dry matter and protein yields as well relative chlorophyll content of red clover (Trifolium pratense) and festulolium (Festulolium braunii) leaves. The pot experiment was conducted in the years of 2012-2014 in the greenhouse of IUNG-PIB in Puławy, in a completely randomized system, in 4 repetitions. The research included two varieties of red clover (Bona, Pyza) and festulolium (var. Agula) cultivated in pure stand and in a mixture, at two soil moisture levels: 70% field water capacity (optimal humidity) and 40% FWC (drought stress). The study showed that long-term drought stress significantly reduced the dry matter and total protein yield of red clover and festulolium, with the highest loss in pure red clover stand, lower in the mixture, and the lowest in pure festulolium stand. Among the studied cultivars, more resistant to stress was diploid Pyza than tetraploid Bona, which resulted in a smaller loss of dry mater and total protein yields in drought conditions. The greenness index of the red clover leaf was significantly higher than that of the hybrid festulolium, regardless of the soil moisture conditions. Stress contributed to the increase of SPAD index in the studied species, with significant differences recorded only in the second year of vegetation.
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