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Yields and chemical composition of whole‐crop field beans and their components during pod‐filling
Author(s) -
CABALLERO R.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
grass and forage science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1365-2494
pISSN - 0142-5242
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2494.1989.tb02173.x
Subject(s) - point of delivery , forage , chemical composition , crop , biomass (ecology) , composition (language) , agronomy , field experiment , horticulture , zoology , biology , chemistry , linguistics , philosophy , organic chemistry
Experimental trials in both rainfed and irrigated conditions were carried out in Central Spain with the aim of assessing the best time to harvest whole‐crop winter field beans for forage. Three times of harvesting during the pod‐filling phase were considered: seed with less than 20% DM (L,), 30‐35% (L:) and over 85% (Lj). At the early pod‐setting stage (Lj), the stems and leaves represented 75% of the total aerial biomass. At pod maturity (L3), this percentage was reduced to 27%. Over the same period, Lj to L3, the seed's contribution rose from 8% to 59%. Chemical composition of the different plant components varied markedly during the pod‐filling phase. Lignin in leaves and pod‐shells rose abruptly from 082 and 090% DM at L, to 7‐82 and 7‐01 % DM in L3. Crude protein of the seed varied only slightly between harvests. Mean DM yields over both years of 3 44 ± 0‐46. 607 + 071 and 428 ± 037 tDM ha‘ were obtained for the whole plants in rainfed conditions at the L 1 , L 2 and L3 stages respectively. Corresponding values for irrigated conditions were 552 +0‐7I, 8‐66± M 6 and 684±082 tDM ha“'. Taking into account the chemical composition of the whole plant at the three times of harvesting (mean values in both conditions of 675, 657 and 641 g I00gDM‐’for DDM and 215, 18 7 and 186% DM for CP), it is concluded that the highest estimated energy and protein yields would be obtained by harvesting the plant at the Li stage (seeds with 30‐35% DM).