Abstract
Cover crops subsequently produced rice culture in the paddy field, were evaluated the nutrient values as feed for livestocks including dry matter (DM) accumulation, metabolizable energy (ME), and chemical composition or digestible nutrients as a nutrient source of livestock. Main results were as follows.
1) There were significant differences in nutrients of cover crops among their growth termination and used species. Soil residual N, however, had little effect on their nutrient values of cover crops.
2) In all cover crop species, both of extract concentration and crude protein concentration were higher in March than those in April. On the other hand, crude fiber concentration was significantly lower in March than in April.
3) Across the growth termination, the order of concentartion of ether extract, crude protein, and crude fiber was rye>oat=triticale>wheat. The ash concentration, however, showed triticale≥wheat≥oat>rye.
4) Higher DM yield of cover crop were shown when soil residual nitrogen was high. At all the soil nitrogen levels, the order of DM accumulation, crude protein accumulation and ME yield showed rye>triticale>=oat=wheat in 2001 and wheat>rye=triticale=oat in 2002.
5) Nitrate concentrations in cover crop that was harvested in April, ranged from 75.6 to 282ppm in DM. These values were appropriate level for livestock feeds.
6) Rye showed high dry matter accumulation, protein content was approximately 7% and fiber concentration was 23∼27% in April. It was recognized rye harvested in April had same digestible chemical qualities compared with commercial timothy. These results suggested that rye had a great potential for livestock feeds to establish a crop-livestock using paddy fields.
