Selected qualitative parameters above-ground phytomass of the Lenor-first Slovak cultivar of Festulolium A. et Gr

© Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra Faculty of Agrobiology and Food Resources


Introduction
Festulolium A et Gr. is a natural or synthetic intergeneric hybrid between species of the genus Festuca L. and Lolium L. Breeding aim is a cumulating the positive, agriculturally important, parents properties in the newly created genome (Casler et al., 2002;Humphreys et al., 2003;Černoch and Groenbaek, 2015). Hybrids are divided into two groups. The first group consists of so called ryegrass type (Lolium L.) for example cv. Perun, Bečva and Lofa. Another group consists of so called fescue type (Festuca L.) for example cv. Felina, Fojtan and Hykor (Kováč, 2002;Humphreys et al., 2003).
x Festulolium had a broad spectrum uses. They are used in animal nutrition in the form of fresh phytomass, or as conserved fodder in the form of hay and silage. Among other things, they can also be used like a biogas plants. Lolium x Festuca grass hybrids have a good agronomical potential especially in adverse environments (Nesheim and Bronstad, 2000;Prochnow et al., 2009;Herkeľ et al., 2015;Hric et al., 2018).
Quality hay is a natural and irreplaceable feed for ruminants and horses (Bíro et al., 2014). Nutrient content in feeds from grasslands varies and their concentration, depending on several factors (Čunderlík and Martincová, 2013). Chemical composition and yield value of forage mainly depends on species, levels of soil fertilization, agro-technology, phenological phase, collection technology, conservation and storage (Gálik et al., 2016).
The aim of this experiment was to compare selected qualitative parameters of above-ground phytomass of the first Slovak cultivar of Festulolium A. et Gr. with different cultivars.  (Kováč et al., 2002).

Material and methods
Hykor (registered in 1991) (Lolium multiflorum LAM. x Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) was created by crossing Lolium multiflorum LAM. cv. Rožňovský and Tiara with Festuca arundinacea Schreb. ecotypes from the neighbourhood Hladké Životice (Czech republic) and backcrossing with selected varieties of the world assortment. Hykor is resistant to freezes, drought and lie down. It is Festulolium pabulare and fescue type (Kováč et al., 2002).
Lenor (registered in 2015) (Lolium multiflorum LAM. × Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) was created by crossing Lolium multiflorum LAM. cv. Jamaoba with Festuca arundinacea Schreb. cv. Sopline and backcrossing with selected varieties of the world assortment. Lenor is the first Slovak variety of Festulolium A. et Gr. It has a rapid growth in the spring. Lenor is resistant to frost and drought. It has fine leaves and it is suitable for grazing. The breeder is Graminex s.r.o. Levoča (Slovak Republic). It is Festulolium pabulare and fescue type (Bašta, 2017). In Slovak State Varieties Tests was Lenor was compared with Felina and Hykor. Experiment was conducted in containers with volume 2 dm 3 in 3 replicates. Each container contained four individual seedlings. Chemical characteristics of applied substrate are documented in Table 1.
Grass plants were fertilized at a dose of 100 kg ha -1 N (1.44 g per a container) with NPK fertilizer (14-9-10). The whole dose of fertilizer was divided into two equal doses (2 × 50 kg ha -1 N). First fertilization was applied 21 st April 2017 (month after sowing) and second fertilization was done after the first mowing. The plants were irrigated at the first signs of water scarcity. Irrigation dose was 200 ml water for each container.
Grasses were cut to 50 mm. There 3 mowing were realized in terms 23 rd June, 14 th August and 27 th September 2017. Moved aboveground phytomass was drying at 105 °C to constant weight. Then were determined: y N -by Kjeldahl, y P -spectrophotometrically by phosphomolybdic method after wet mineralization with HNO 3 and HClO 4 , y K and Ca -flame photometry after wet mineralization with s HNO 3 and HClO 4 , y Mg -spectrophotometrically with titanium yellow after wet mineralization with HNO 3 and HClO 4 , y WSC -(water soluble carbohydrates) by method Luff-Schoorl, y CF -(crude fiber) by two-stage hydrolysis in weakly acidic and weakly alkaline medium by Hennberg-Stohmann.
The results were evaluated by software STATISTICA 7.1 complete CZ analysis of variance (Fisher LSD test, α = 0.05).

Results and discussion
Mineral content play a number of important roles in the animal organism. The content of mineral content is about 1.6% in plants. Their contents vary widely and their concentration depends on several factors (Bíro et al., 2016). Poaceae L. is characterized by different values of nutritional value Gibson (2009). According to Gibson (2009), the suitable range of mineral content in the grassland is as follows: N 10.0-53.0 g kg -1 , P 0.5-9.8 g kg -1 , K 2.1-49.3 g kg -1 , Ca 0.3-27.3 g kg -1 , Mg 0.3-7.9 g kg -1 .
Selected qualitative parameters in above-ground phytomass of Festulolium A. et Gr. cultivars are presented in table 2. The nitrogen (N) content decreased in all cultivars from 1 st cut to 2 nd cut. Only in hybrid Felina was the N content higher in the second cut (32.0 g kg -1 ) compared to first cut (31.6 g kg -1 ). The higher (P <0.05) nitrogen content in average of cuts was in above-ground phytomass on Felina (30.3 g kg -1 ) than Hykor (25.4 g kg -1 ) and Lenor (25.0 g kg -1 ). Similar trend of the decrease of the nitrogen content in above-ground phytomass of Festulolium A. et Gr. with increased cut found Skládanka et al. (2010).
Also, the phosphorus (P) content gradually declined from 1 st cut to 3 rd cut. Only in hybrid Hykor was the P content higher in the third cut (3.5 g kg -1 ) compared to second cut (3.0 g kg -1 ). In the total evaluation was not finding significant difference of P content between the evaluated cultivars. At the least content of phosphorus was found out in hybrid Lenor (3.4 g kg -1 ). Jančovič et al.
(2013) considers P content in the dry matter of grassland 2.8 g kg -1 and more.
Another element of assessment was potassium (K). Jančovič et al. (2013) considered the potassium content in the grassland dry phytomass from 20 to 22 g kg -1 . It is lower concentration than the physiological need for plants, but it is higher than the need for animals. The potassium concentration in above-ground phytomass had a decreasing tendency with other cuts. The exception was only the third cut of Felina In average of three cuts was the least concentration of potassium in new intergeneric hybrid Lenor (5.8 g kg -1 ).
In first cut the calcium (Ca) content of above-ground phytomass was from 4.6 g kg -1 (Lenor) to 6.4 g kg -1 (Felina). In the next cut, the Ca concentration increased by almost twice compared to the first cut. In the last, the cut calcium content declined in all cultivars. In the average Ca concentration of above-ground phytomass was 7.0 g kg -1 and higher. The qualitative grassland feed should contain at least 7.0 g kg -1 calcium (Jančovič et al., 2013).
Magnesium (Mg) content in above-ground phytomass cultivars had similar development as calcium. In the total evaluation significant difference of Mg concentration between the evaluated cultivars was not found. Magnesium content was from 5.0 g kg -1 (Hykor) to 6.1 g kg -1 (Felina).
In ruminant nutrition the fibre has irreplaceable place. It participates in the proper digestion of feed, encourage chewing, rumen and intestinal peristalsis and ensures the mechanical saturation of the animal (Gálik et al., 2016). Štýbnarová et al. (2013) state that the minimum fibre content in feed intended for the proper functioning of the ruminant digestive system should be 18.0-20.0%. The authors further point out that the fibre content above 30%, declined the digestibility of the feed and therefore the energy value of the grasses. In the first cut was concentration of crude fiber (CF) as follows: 24.0% (Lenor), 23.1% (Hykor) and 21.3% (Felina). In the first cut Houdek (2010)  Water soluble carbohydrates (WSC) are an important source of energy for the animals and for the rumen microflora. Digestibility is almost 100%. The plants accumulate sugars during the day and during the night they spend them. This suggests that the WSC content is the lowest in the morning and the highest at the end of the day (Hakl and Fuksa, 2011). Water soluble carbohydrates have a positive effect on animal production parameters. In work Miller et al. (2001) has proven effect of WSC from  (2010) found the 9.82% and 14.0% of water soluble carbohydrates concentration of the hybrid Felina and Hykor, respectively. In the last cut was reached the highest content of water soluble carbohydrates in Hykor (4.2%). In the total evaluation was not finding significant difference of WSC content between the evaluated cultivars. The highest concentration of water soluble carbohydrates has in Hykor and Lenor (3.5%). Skládanka et al. (2014) presented content of WSC in Felina 11.0% and Hykor 12.9%. Černoch et al. (2004) found the water soluble carbohydrates concentration of the cultivar Felina 7.2% and Hykor 10.3%.

Conclusions
On the basis of the results, it can be stated that new Slovak cultivar of Festulolium A. et Gr. Lenor had comparable values of qualitative parameters faboveground phytomass in comparison with earlier registered cultivars Felina and Hykor. Consisdering the evaluation of the content of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, crude fiber and water soluble carbohydrates. Lenor was found suitable for animal nutrition.