Abstract:

To examine the impact of planting density and cutting stage on forage yield and quality of 'Baopimai 28', a study was designed with these two factors as variables. Three planting densities were tested, including 2.7 million, 3.0 million, and 3.3 million seedlings per hectare. Three cutting regimes were implemented, including single cutting at milk stage, dual cutting (tillering stage + milk stage), and dual cutting (jointing stage + milk stage). Altogether there were nine treatment combinations. The forage yield and quality parameters were subsequently analyzed under these experimental conditions. Results indicated that fresh yield increased proportionally with planting density when comparing identical cutting stages. Among equal-density treatments, the highest fresh yield was obtained from the tillering stage + milk stage dual-cutting approach, but its quality decreased significantly at the second cutting. At the same cutting stage, crude protein content was observed to decrease with increasing planting density, whereas neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and crude fiber contents exhibited a corresponding increase. Crude fat content demonstrates an initial decline followed by an upward trend as density rises. During the milk stage, a significant reduction in crude protein content is recorded in forage, accompanied by pronounced increases in crude fiber, acid detergent fiber, and neutral detergent fiber levels. Comprehensive analysis of yield and quality reveals that planting density of 3 million plants/hm² and a single cutting at the early jointing stage is the best agronomic combination to achieve high yield and good quality balance, is the recommended scheme of 'Baopimai 28' silage cultivation.

Key words: 'Baopimai 28', density, mowing period, forage yield, quality