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Abstract Two field experiments were conducted at the Experimental and Research Center, Faculty of Agriculture, Moshtohor, Zagazig University, during 1992/1993 and 1993/1994 seasons. The aim of this study to was investigate the effect of P and K fertilization and various forage mixtures on the botanical composition, growth, forage yield and chemical content of Egyptian clover. The soil was a clay having an alkaline reaction (pH 8.1), a.M. content 20/0 and available P 12 ppm and K 200 ppm. Split plot design was used with four replications. Four fertilization treatments (0, P, K and P+K) were randomly located in the main plot and four various forage mixtures (Meskawy alone, Meskawy with Fahl, ryegrass and barley) in the sub-plots. Results could be summarized as follows: A. Effect of fertilization treatments: 1. Fresh and dry weight percentages of Meskawy clover were significantly increased with application of P, K and P+K treatments in the 1S1cut in both seasons and dry weight % in 1992/1993 season and fresh weight«% in 1993/1994 season. On the other hand, weeds % in the obtained forage was significantly decreased in the 1st cut in both seasons with adding P, K and P+K treatments. --~-------_._- - --_.- _.-._-~_.--~-- --------------- 86 2. Fertilization treatments had no significant effect on the 2nd. part of mixture % in the 1st.cut in both seasons. 3. Application of P, K and P+K treatments significantly increased plant height, No. of branches/plant, fresh as well as a dry weight of Meskawy plants and No. of stems/m2 in most cuts in both seasons. Dry matter content of the obtained forage mixture was significantly increased with adding fertlization treatments in the three cuts in both seasons. 4. Application of P, K and P+K levels significantly increased green as well as dry forage yield in all cuts and total forage yields/fad.. However, the diference among P and P+K treatments in most cuts in the tst season were insignificant. Application of P, K and P+K treatments significantly increased total dry forage yield over the control treatment by 46, 30, 540/0 in 1992/1993 season and 26, 23 and 36% in 1993/1994 season, respectively. S. Applying 32 kg P205, 24 kg K20 and 32 kg P20S + 24 kg K20/fad. significantly increased N, P and total carbohydrate contents in all cuts of different Meskawy plant organs over the unfertilizer treatment. The absolute amount of N, P, K and carbohydrates in different plant organs in all cuts increased with applying the same respective treatments. -- --------- -------- -- - - - 87 6. Total protein yield (kg/fad.) significantly increased by 80, 51 and 1320/0in 1992/1993 and by 66, 48 and 1220/0in 1993/1994 for the application of P, K and P+K levels, respectively. This result indicated that the rate of 32 kg P20S + 24 kg K20/fad. is recommended for forage yield and quality of Egyptian clover. B. Effect of various forage mixtures: 1. Mixing Meskawy cv. with Fahl cv., ryegrass and barley had significantly decreased Meskawy’’ in its mixtures in the tsi cut compared with Meskawy cv. alone. In the 2nd and 3m cuts, Meskawy % in Meskawy-ryegrass mixtures produced the lowest ones compared with the other mixing treatment or Meskawy cv. alone. 2. Barley gave the highest percentage in Meskawy cv./bar1ey mixture in the 1st cut. Whereas, the lowest one was ryegrass 0/0 in its mixture. In the 2nd.and 3m cuts, Italian ryegrass was continus in the herbage. Whereas, Fahl cv. or barley was absent in their mixtures. 3. The weeds weight from Meskawy alone was significantly higher than that obtained from Meskawy cv. mixtures. On the other hand, weed% were reduced in the 2nd and 3m cuts. ~-- ._-~- - .- . 88 4. Growth characters of Meskawy clover were significantly affected by various forage mixtures. In general, Meskawy alone gave the highest fresh weight of leaves, stems/plant and total weight/plant, No. of stems/m2 and the lowest values in plant height, No. of branches/plant and dry matter content. Meskawy cv. with Fahl cv. or ryegrass mixtures recorded the highest plant height, No. of branches/plant and dry matter content. Meskawy cv.-barley mixture gave the lowest values of plant height, No of branches/plant, No. of stems/m2 and fresh as well as dry weight of different plant organs. However, the difference between Meskawy cv. with Fahl cv., ryegrass and barley mixtures in dry matter content in the 151cut in both seasons was insignificant. 5. Green and dry forage yields in the 151cut were significantly increased by mixing Meskawy clover with Fahl cv-, ryegrass and barley compared with Meskawy alone. These increases in dry forage yield for the respective species mixtures over Meskawy alone were 50, 37 and 81% in 1992/1993 season and by 26, 26 and 350/0in 1993/1994 season, respectively. In the 2nd and 3rd cuts, Meskawy cv. ryegrass mixture. In general, Meskawy cv./ryegrass mixture produced the highest green and dry forage yield and Meskawy cv./barley mixture gave the lowest ones. The forage mixtures as a total dry forage yield could be arranged in descending order as: Meskawy/ryegrass- Meskawy/ Fahl-MeskawylbaFley-Meskawy alone. -- _. -- - -- -,--_. - ------------ --,---~---- - 89 6- The various forage mixture improved the quality of Egyptian . clover and its mixtures. Meskawy alone or MeskawylFahl mixture increased N, P as well as absolute amount of these elements in Meskawy plants and total protein yield compared with Meskawy/grass mixtures. K content was not affected by mixing treatments. Meskawy alone or with Fahl cv. mixture gave the highest K uptake in different plant organs, and the lowest values were obtained in Meskawy grass mixtures. In general, total carbohydrate content in different Meskawy plant organs was significantly increased by Meskawy/grass mixtures compared with Meskawy alone or with Fahl cv. C. Effect of the interaction: 1. The effect of the interaction between fertilization treatments and forage mixtures was significant on:’ dry weight of Meskawy clover % in the 1st cut in 199311994season, plant height in the 2nd cut in 1993/1994 season, No. of branches/plant in the 3rd. cut in 1993/1994 season, total dry weight/plant in the 1st cut in 1992/1993 season, dry matter content in the 1.s1cut in 1992/1993 season, green foage yield in the 1st cut in 1992/1993 season and the 3rd cut in 1993/1994 season and total dry forage yield in both seasons. -- - - - - ------- - ---- -~~ --_._---- ._--- _. 90 2. Also, nitrogen content In leaves/plant in the 2nd cut in 1992/1993 season, phosphorus, potassium and total carbohydrates percentages -in leaves/plant in the 2nd cut in 1993/1994 season were significantly influenced by the interaction between fertilization treatments and Meskawy clover mixtures. |