New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts
Management of Galega officinalis L. and preliminary results on
its potential for milk production improvement in sheep
Fernando González-Andrés*
Pedro A. Redondo
Raquel Pescador
Beatriz Urbano
Escuela Universitaria de Ingeniería Técnica Agrícola
INEA,
Camino Viejo de Simancas
km 4,5. 47008
Valladolid, Spain
*Present address: Escuela Superior y Técnica de Ingeniería
Agraria. Universidad de León. Avda, de Portugal, 41. 24071 León,
Spain.
Abstract Galega officinalis L. is a leguminous
perennial herb that presents a demonstrated lactogenic effect. However, it
is toxic to the ewe if it is eaten in substantial amounts, due to the presence
of some alkaloids. The objective of this work was i) to optimise its management
on Mediterranean-type climate regions, and ii) to determine if controlled
amounts of G. officinalis could increase milk yield in “Churra” ewes,
without toxicity problems. The high level of specificity of the infective
rhizobia makes it necessary to inoculate plants with selected strains, prior
to the cultivation of G. officinalis. The optimum stand was 160 000
plants ha-1 obtained after broadcast autumn sowing, which in Mediterranean-type
climatic conditions increased yield in the first cutting year. Optimum cutting
height was between 6 and 10 cm above ground level. The maximum yield was
13 t dry matter ha-1 in the first year, and 10 in the second year
which allowed five cuttings per year before flowering. This avoids an increase
in alkaloids at flowering. To increase the yield during the second year,
delaying of the last cutting to avoid autumn regrowth is proposed. This cut
would be left as green manure. Preliminary results on increasing milk yield
indicated that a controlled daily dose of 2 g dry matter kg-1
(body weight) from the first month after lambing until the third milk recording
60 days later, led to a 16.90% increase in total milk yield and a 10.86%
increase when the milk yield is readjusted to a lactation length of 120 days.
Keywords Galega officinalis; goat’s rue; Churra;
Rhizobium meliloti; cutting height; density; milk production; toxicity
A03032; Received 3 June 2003; accepted 12 January 2004; Online publication
date 27 May 2004
New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 2004, Vol. 47: 233-245
0028-8233/04/4702-0233 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2004
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