A research on the changes in the quality of alfalfa hays grown in different districts of Aydin

This study was conducted in order to present the changes in the quality of alfalfa hays grown in different districts of Aydın. In the study, data (DM, CP, NDF, ADF and RFV) of alfalfa hay (AH) supplied from four different districts (Aydın-Center, Germencik, İncirliova and Nazilli) and five different months (May, June, July, August and September) were used. According to the findings, minimum and maximum DM, CP, NDF, ADF and RFV values of AHs on the basis of monthly average were 82.59-84.58%, 17.14-19.21%, 38.00-41.08%, 30.49-34.13% and 143.15-162.13%, respectively (P<0.05). AHs of Aydın-Center and Nazilli districts were found in the highest quality in terms of CP, NDF, ADF and RFV values within May. However, decrease was observed in the quality of AHs of all the districts in June, July and August. Here, the best data in terms of the quality stabilization of AHs in the districts in all the months were obtained in Germencik and İncirliova. Thus, the change in NDF and CP parameters of AHs occurred as 8% and 12%, respectively. In conclusion, significant changes were detected in the quality of AHs grown in different districts of Aydın in different months. The change detected in the quality of AH leads to great differences between the optimized rations calculated and the application. In this case, classification of AHs according to their quality and the use thereof accordingly in animal feeding will also minimize the changes experienced in the quality.