EFFECTS OF VARIOUS PLANT GROWTH REGULATORS ON THE NUTRITIVE VALUE AND YIELD OF SOME GRASS SPECIES, RED CLOVER AND GRASS-LEGUME MIXTURES

Plant growth regulators (PGRs) were evaluated on smooth bromegrass, timothy, meadow foxtail, red clover, red clover-timothy and alfalfa-smooth bromegrass mixtures with respect to the following quality parameters; acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), lignin, crude protein (CP), calcium, phosphorus, digestible protein (DP), intake per kilogram body weight (INTBW), percent in vivo digestibility (IVD), dry matter (DM) yield and where applicable proportion (%) of grass in a forage mixture. PGRs mefluidide and chlormequat were applied to the grasses at growth stages 6 and 9 (Feekes scale) and to the red clover at the mid-vegetative and bud stage in 112 and 225 L ha−1 water whereas maleic hydrazide, ancymidol, daminozide, dicamba, 2,4-DB, MCPB, flamprop methyl, accel and carbofuran were applied to the grasses at growth stage 6 (Feekes scale) and to red clover at the mid-vegetative growth stage in 112 L/ha water, Application timing for the forage mixtures was based on the grass growth in the...