Producción y calidad de forraje de variedades de avena en condiciones de temporal en Zacatecas, México Yield and forage quality of oats varieties under rainfed conditions in Zacatecas, Mexico

Yield, quality and yield components of six varieties of oat for forage were evaluated in Zacatecas. Experiments were established on July 2011 and 2012 at Monte Escobedo. A complete randomized block experimental design replicated three times was used. Oat seeding density was 120 kg ha-1 and NPK fertilizer application rate of 60-40-00. Harvest was at milky-dough stage of maturity. In both years, 2011 and 2012, Saia stood out among cultivars (P 0.05) among varieties with a range of 10.6 to 13.8 %. On two years of study Karma showed the best nutritional characteristics: low accumulation of neutral detergent fiber (51 %) and acid detergent fiber (33.4 and 35.3 %), high values of digestible nutrients (54 and 58 %), dry matter digestibility (60 and 62 %), forage relative value (110 and 113) and lactation net energy (1.4 y 1.34 Mcal/kg; P<0.05). Dry forage yield was positively correlated to plant height (r=0.701), days from sowing to harvest (r=0.685) and stem proportion (r=0.629), and negatively correlated to spike proportion (r=-0.629). In relation to the nutritional quality, Karma had the best forage value. Saia is a good alternative to increase forage yield per hectare.