Yield and nutritional content of oats alone and associated with vetch, by cutting season and by phenological event in the high Andean zone of Peru

Abstract

The objective of the study was to determine the dry matter yield and nutritional value of oats and oats associated with vetch at the time of harvest cut (flag leaf, 100% flowering and milk grain). An experimental design of 3x2 split plots with four replications was used.

The dry matter yield was higher in the oat milk grain cutting season of 19.1tn/ha; and the lowest was in oats associated with flag leaf vetch of 10.5tn/ha. Regarding the protein content, the oat-vetch was higher in the flag leaf cutting season (10.9%); but in oats during the milk grain phenological event it was lower (4.7%).

The content of digestible energy, net maintenance energy and net gain energy were higher in oats during the milk grain cutting season, with values of 2.71, 1.41 and 0.76 Mcal/Kg, respectively; while the lowest production was in oats associated with flag leaf vetch (2.48, 1.22 and 0.52 Mcal/Kg).

In conclusion, the highest yield of dry matter was made during the grain cutting season, milk in oats. While the nutritional value of oats, with respect to oats associated with vetch, was statistically similar.