In the present study, the influence of 2 levels of nitrogen fertilization viz. 48kg N (high level) and 12kg N (low level) per 10a, on the chemical composition, digestibility as well as digestible nutrients of teosinte forage was determined in connection with the stage of maturity viz. early vegetative (in August), middle vegetative (in September), late vegetative (in October), boot and head stages.
In order to estimate the digestibility of teosinte forage, male rabbits were used and the forage was fed in fresh form cut in small pieces to them.
The results obtained were summarized as follows:
1) Due to the high level of nitrogen fertilization, the content of crude protein increased during the stage of early vegetative to late vegetative whereas NFE content decreased.
2) The digestibility of crude protein increased due to the high level of nitrogen fertilization throughout all the stages of growth except middle vegetative stage, while a significant increase (P<.05) was observed at the late vegetative and boot stages.
3) Due to the high level of nitrogen, DCP content significantly (except P<.05 at boot stage, P<.01 being at other stages of growth) increased during all the stages of growth, while TDN content did not increase at all growth stages.
4) Regardless of the level of nitrogen fertilization, DCP content declined as the growth stage progressed, having shown lowest value at the head stage, and especially in high level of nitrogen fertilization it remarkably declined.
TDN content showed a little decline at the middle vegetative stage and then rose gradually.
5) The content of crude protein was highly correlated with the DCP content, its correlation coefficient having been 0.963 (P<.001).
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