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Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2021, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (11): 203-211.DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2020490

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Effect of cutting height and nitrogen fertilizer rate on yield and nutritive value of whole-plant mulberry (Morus alba

Hong-lin WANG1(), Yan-chun ZUO1(), Xu YAN1, Xiao-kang ZHOU1, Jing KOU1, Xi-zhi YANG3, Jun-ying GUO2, Jun PU2, Hao-ren ZHANG2, Zhou-he DU1,2()   

  1. 1.Animal Husbandry Research Center of Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences,Nanchong 637000,China
    2.Sericultural Research Institute,Sichuan Academy of Agricultural Sciences,Nanchong 637000,China
    3.Animal Husbandry Station of Yilong County,Nanchong 637600,China
  • Received:2020-11-03 Revised:2020-12-17 Online:2021-10-19 Published:2021-10-19
  • Contact: Zhou-he DU

Abstract:

In this study, a two-factor randomized block experiment was conducted to determine the yield, botanical characteristics, and nutritive value of a forage mulberry cultivar (Morus alba cv. Chuansisang-1). Treatments comprised different cutting heights (H1: 70 cm, H2: 90 cm, and H3: 110 cm) and nitrogen fertilization rates (N1: 138 kg N·ha-1, N2: 207 kg N·ha-1, and N3: 276 kg N·ha-1) in Northeast Sichuan, South China. Feeding value of the forage mulberry under the different treatments was evaluated in order to provide data support promotion and utilization of forage mulberry as an animal feed. It was found that herbage yields increased with age under each treatment, and the treatment combination H2N3 had the highest herbage yield. Cutting height and nitrogen application rate both had significant effects on the yield, botanical characteristics, and nutritive value of forage mulberry. Cutting height was the main factor affecting the botanical characteristics of forage mulberry, and there were also significant (P<0.05) cutting height×nitrogen fertilization rate interaction effects on herbage yield, single-branch weight, and nutritive value. At the same cutting height, the herbage yield, and neutral detergent fiber of N3 treatment were the highest, and the crude protein content was higher in N2 than in N1 or N3, and the herbage yield, the number of leaves on main branches and single plant weight were largest under the H2 treatment. The contents of neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber increased with increase in cutting height. Crude protein and ash contents were highest at H2, and crude fat content initially increased and then decreased across the three cutting heights. The feeding value of ‘Chuansisang-1’was evaluated using a multivariate subordinate function analysis and the optimal treatment combination was found to be H2N3 (i.e. a cutting height of 90 cm and nitrogen application rate of 276 kg N·ha-1).

Key words: cutting height, nitrogen application rate, whole plant of forage mulberry, yield, nutritional value, multivariate analysis