Effects of Fertilization on Forage Yield and Quality in Range Sites with Different Topographic Structure

Abstract

Five range aspects were selected and three doses of N (0, 50, 100 kg ha -1 ), two doses of P fertilizers (0, 50 kg ha -1 ), as in combination, were used in this study to determine t he effects of fertilization on dry matter yield and forage quality. The study carried out on the Palandoken Mountain rangeland, in Erzurum, in 2004 and 2005 years. Dry matter yield increased by the effects of fertilization and the h ighest value was in N 2P1 treatment plots whereas the lowest was in control plots. The crude protein (CP) contents from fertilizer applications (N, P and N + P) were highe r than that of the plots without fertilization. While the north as pect had the highest CP content, the south revealed lowest in terms of average of the study years. The highest acid det ergent fiber (ADF) content was found to be in south and the lowest in west. ADF content decreased with fertilization a nd there were significant differences between ferti lization and aspects. North aspect had higher and west aspect lo wer neutral detergent fiber (NDF) contents than those found in other aspects. But the NDF content had no significa nt difference from north, south and east aspects. N and N+P fertilizations had a significant difference from co ntrol and N0P1 treatment plots in the respect of NDF content. Fertilization increased total digestible nutrient o f forages. The highest TDN was in west aspect, the lo west was in south aspect. According to the results of the study 100 k g ha -1 fertilizer can be recommended to increase dry matt er and