The effect of sheep manure application rates on the yield, quality and macro element content of rangeland

Abstract

This study was conducted during 2021 and 2022 in Bingöl Province (Türkiye) to determine the effects of different doses of sheep manure on forage yield, forage quality, and macroelement contents in natural rangeland areas. The study used a randomized block design with six different doses of sheep manure (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 t ha-¹) applied to the rangeland areas. According to the two-year average results, green forage yield ranged from 3.80 to 10.60 t ha-¹, dry matter yield from 1.50 to 4.04 t ha-¹, and crude protein yield from 0.216 to 0.633 t ha-¹. The highest green forage yield (10.60 t ha-1) was obtained at the 25 t ha-¹ rate, the highest dry matter yield (3.57, 3.93 and 4.04 t ha-1) at the 15, 20, and 25 t ha-¹ rates, and the highest crude protein yield (0.603, 0.555, 0.633 and 0.610 t ha-1) at the 10, 15, 20, and 25 t ha-¹ rates. In terms of forage quality, the highest crude protein content (18.1%) and the lowest NDF (44.0%) and ADF (30.3%) values were obtained at the 10 t ha-1 application rate. The macro element contents (P, K, Ca, and Mg) were not significantly affected by the application rates. Yield parameters were higher in the second year, while quality parameters were higher in the first year. The study inferred that the application of 10 t ha-¹ of sheep manure is the ideal rate for optimizing the yield and quality of rangeland forage.