THE EFFECT OF SOIL CONDITIONERS ON THE QUALITY OF SELECTED FORAGE GRASSES

The aim of this paper is to determine the effect of selected soil conditioners, applied separately and with mineral fertilizers, on the intake, digestibility, and feed value of cocksfoot and perennial ryegrass. The main experimental factors were three soil conditioners with the following trade names: UGmax, Eko-U(z) over dotyzniacz, and Humus Active Papka, each used on its own or together with NPK fertilizers. They were applied to the soil with two forage grasses: the Bora variety of cocksfoot and perennial ryegrass of the Info variety. In the case of cocksfoot the Humus Active Papka and UGmax soil conditioners, when both used with mineral fertilizers, had the highest impact on dry matter digestibility, but for the biomass of perennial ryegrass this parameter was the highest when Humus Active Papka was used on its own, or when UGmax was applied together with mineral fertilizers. As an average effect of fertilizer combinations, perennial ryegrass had higher digestibility, dry matter content, and relative feed value than cocksfoot. Combinations of mineral fertilizers with soil conditioners, particularly with UGmax and Humus Active Papka, resulted in the highest relative feed value of perennial ryegrass. This forage met requirements of high productive dairy cows.