The nutritional value of green fodder crops in pure stand and mixtures

In Hungary there is a new opportunity to use mixtures of green fodder crops for ruminant nutrition. Joining the EU there is a subsidy for the producer's cattle breeders who prefer the extensive way of breeding. The objective of this paper is to determine which plant species and varieties could be used in the green fodder feeding system. The small plot trials with rye (Secale cereale) winter barley (Hordeum vulgare), tritikale, hairy vetch (Vicia villosa), pannon v. etch (Vicia pannonica) were performed in four repetitions. We used the next mixtures of temporary certified seeds: tritikale & vetch, rye & vetch, winter barley & vetch. Immediately after the harvest yields of fodder from plots were weighted and the samples were analysed for dry matter, crude protein and crude fibre. The yields of green fodder, dry matter and crude protein were calculated in tons per hectare. In the production year of 2002-2003 of green yield, there was a significant difference between the two mixes of rye and hairy vetch (R&HV) but none of them differed from the tritikale mixed with pannon vetch (T&PV). In the crude protein yield there was no significant difference between the Filius-Beta (T&PV) and the Matador -Kisvardai (R&HV). In the production year of 2003-2004 of green yield variety Filius mixed with Beta (T&PV) ga ve the highest green yield (45.19). The highest crude protein yield was given by Filius-Beta (T&PV) but there was no significant difference from the Viktor- Beta (B&PV). We found significant differences among same variety of species. The variety had a huge effect on yield results. Based on the two years the most perspective mixtures is the Tritikale mixed with vetch varieties Filius and Beta. If the weather is humid as we could see in 2004, the winter barley mixed with vetch varieties Viktor and Beta will be favourable than the rye mixed with vetch. We must continue our research on green fodder because we need to determine some further nutrition value of the mixtures for the same quantity and quality for ruminant feeding.