Effects of sowing time and nitrogen doses on forage yield of annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum westerwoldicum-Caramba) in Karaman

This research was conducted to determine most proper sowing time and nitrogen dose for the annual rygrass (Lolium multiflorum westerwoldicum Caramba) under ecological conditions of province Karaman during the growing season of 2008-2009. In the research, effects of different nitrogen doses (0, 5, 10, 15 kg/da) on number of tillers per plant, green and dried herbage yield as well as ratio and yield of crude protein of annual ryegrass sown both at the end of October as winter crop and at the 10 th March as spring crop were studied. The experiment was arranged in a split- plots design with four replications. Main plots were sowing times and sub plots were nitrogen doses.Results of the study showed that spring sowing gave higher green and dried herbage as well as ratio and yield of crude protein. Nitrogen doses affected all of the studied characters, and the highest values of green and dried herbage yield as well as those of ratio and yield of crude protein were obtained from the application of 15 kg/da N.