Determination of the effects of mowing frequency on botanic composition, grass production and quality properties

Objective: This study was conducted to determine the effects of mowing frequency on botanical composition, forage yield and quality traits in natural pasture. Material and Methods: The experiment was carried out in the spring season in 2022 in the protected natural pasture in Aydın province. The research was established according to the randomised blocks experimental design with 3 replications and applied as mowing every week, mowing every two weeks, mowing every three weeks, mowing every four weeks and control mowing frequency, respectively. In the experiment, green grass yield (kg da-1), dry grass yield (kg da-1), botanical composition ratio (%), crude protein ratio (%), crude protein yield (kg da-1), acid detergent fibre (ADF) ratio (%) and neutral detergent fibre (NDF) ratio (%) were examined. Results: The highest green herb yield was determined with 901,30 kg da-1 at every week and 827,33 kg da-1 at two weeks mowing frequency and the lowest green herb yield was determined with 590,10 kg da-1 at four weeks mowing frequency. The highest dry herbage yield was 273,61 kg da-1 at every week mowing frequency and the lowest dry herbage yield was 137,43 kg da-1 at control. The ratios of grass, legume and other families in the botanical composition according to the weights on the basis of family, respectively; the ratio of grass varied according to the frequency of mowing, the highest ratio of grass was determined in the control with 22,28%, the lowest ratio of grass was determined in two-weeks mowing with 5,53%, the ratio of legume varied according to the frequency of mowing, the highest ratio of legume was determined in two-weeks mowing with 24,04%, the lowest ratio of legume was determined in the control with 11,13%. Close values were obtained for the other family ratios according to the mowing frequency and the other family ratios were determined as 74,22% in every week mowing, 71,03% in three weeks mowing, 70,43% in two weeks mowing, 68,92% in four weeks mowing and 66,59% in control, respectively. The crude protein ratio averages of the grass samples taken from the experiment varied according to the mowing frequency, the highest crude protein ratio was determined as 20,66% in the four-weeks mowing and the lowest crude protein ratio was determined as 13,90% in the control. Crude protein yields varied according to the mowing frequency, the highest crude protein yield was determined in every week mowing frequency with 51,84 kg da-1, the lowest crude protein yield was determined in the control form whit 18,03 kg da-1. The ADF ratio averages of the grass samples varied according to the mowing frequency, the highest ADF ratio was determined in the control mowing with 36,39% and the lowest ADF ratio was determined in the four-week mowing with 30,03%. NDF ratio averages varied according to the frequency of mowing, the highest NDF ratio was determined in control with 50,14% and the lowest NDF ratio was determined in two weeks with 37,57%. Conclusion: Considering the research results as a whole, higher efficiency was generally obtained for the ecology of Aydın province than the weekly method. Alternatively, it can be said that good results are obtained at once in two weeks. Keywords: Rangeland, Dry forage yield, Crude protein ratio, ADF, NDF