Effect of stem rot disease on berseem protein content and digestibility

Abstract

The effect of sclerotinia stem rot on crude protein (CP) content and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) was assessed in berseem fodder. The stem rot infected berseem samples were collected from different locations of Punjab during 2019-2020 cropping season.The scale of 0–9 was used to determine severity of infection on randomly selected berseem plants. The results showed that the severity of disease was found to affect berseem fodder quality negatively. Berseem CP was significantly (P<0.05) lower in severely infected samples compared to uninfected or less severely infected samples. The regression analysis showed that CP and IVDMD were also negatively related to sclerotinia stem rot severity.