A Research on the grazing capabilities of cereals grown as winter crops in Çukurova

This study was conducted to investigate the grazing capability of wheat and barley grown as winter crops in Çukurova region. In addition to this, observing the variation in grain yields and yield components of wheat and barley after grazing at tillering stage were another aims of this study. The study was carried out at the experimental dryland of Ç.U. Faculty of Agriculture, during winter periods of 1995 and 1996. The experiment was designed in a RCBD as split plots with three replication. Wheat and barley were placed in main plots and the level of stocking rates (0,100,150,200 Sheep/ha) were applied in split plots sized 200 m2. Grazing trials, at tilering stage of cereals, were conducted for seven days (7 hours per day). Grain yields of both wheat and barley were significantly affected by years,type of cereals, years x cereal type, SR and years x SR. Average of the grain yield over two years 3019 kg/ha for wheat and 2681 kg/ha for barley were obtained. Increasing the SR caused reductions in grain yields of both two cereals but more particularly in wheat comparing to control. Means of the grain yields corresponding to SR (0, 70, 150, 200 Sheep/ha) were determined as 3385, 2857, 2654, 2504 kg/ha, respectively. Other characters inluding some yield components were also affected by the grazing pressure at tillering stages. While the lenght of spike, fertile spikelet number per spike and harvest index were not significantly affected by grazing, grain weight per spike, 1000 grain weight, hectoliter weight and above ground biomas yields showed reduction in both two cereals responding to grazing practise. It was concluded that wheat and barley were favoriable material for dual purpose utilization in drylands of Çukurova region. Since wheat could produce higher yield and has a better commercial value, it would be advisable to use wheat instead of barley altough it seems to be more tolerable to detrimental effects of grazing. Since the least reduction in grain yield was obtained by the SR of 100 sheep/ha/d, this stocking rate seems to be advisable. However, other stocking rates would also be considered depending on the duration of grazing. Our main conclusion is that more research should be done to determine more useful varieties of cereals or more appropirate seed rates and/or fertilization techniques for this kind of production pattern in Çukurova.