Element content, botanical composition and nutritional characteristics of natural forage of Şanli{dotless}urfa, Turkey

Abstract

This study was carried out to assess the macro and micro element contents of forage plants in natural pasture, Şanliurfa, Turkey. Bromus inermis, Aegilops biuncialis Vis., Vicia hybrida L., Vicia mollis, Vicia palaestina Boiss, Vicia cracca L. subsp. stenophylla, Vicia sativa subsp. nigra var. nigra, Trigonella mesopotamica, Trifolium purpureum var. purpureum, Trifolium repens var. repens, Trifolium tomentosum L., Trifolium campestre, Onobrychis gracilis, Onobrychis crista-galli (L.) Lan., Medicago sativa, Medicago truncatula var. truncatula, Medicago orbicularis (L.) Bart., Lathyrus cassius, Hippocrepis unisiliquosa subsp. unisiliquosa, Astragalus hamosus, Pisum sativum subsp. sativum var. arvense, Lens culinaris Medik. and Cicer echinospermum P.H. Davis (Endemic) were identified and used to determine macro and micro element analysis, crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acid detergent fiber (ADF). Macro and micro element contents in the plants were found to be species and family dependent. The micro elements were in the ranges: B 4.1-13.4, Cu 2.3-4.8, Fe 90.9-1211, Mn 10.6-40.3, Na 140.2-553.6, Al 44.8-852.7 and Zn 8.0- 27.8 mg/kg, the macro elements having values of N (1.27-2.95 %), P (383.5-850.9 mg), K (4127-12310 mg), Ca (3059-13830 mg) and Mg (602-1728 mg), respectively.