Stubble Quality of Wheat Grown under No-Tillage and Conventional Tillage Systems, and Effects of Stubble on the Fermentation Profile of Grazing Ewes’ Ruminal Fluid

Hajer Guesmi, Cyrine Darej, Piebiep Goufo, Salah Ben Youssef, Mohamed Chakroun, Hichem Ben Salem, Henrique Trindade and Nizar Moujahed
Additional contact information
Hajer Guesmi: Ecosystems and Aquatic Resources Research Unit Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia (INAT), University of Carthage, 43 Ch. Nicolle Street, Tunis 1082, Tunisia
Cyrine Darej: Ecosystems and Aquatic Resources Research Unit Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia (INAT), University of Carthage, 43 Ch. Nicolle Street, Tunis 1082, Tunisia
Piebiep Goufo: Center for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), Universidade de Tras-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Salah Ben Youssef: Laboratory of Animal Productions and Forages, National Institute of Agronomic Research of Tunisia (INRAT), Hédi Karray Street, Ariana 2049, Tunisia
Mohamed Chakroun: Laboratory of Animal Productions and Forages, National Institute of Agronomic Research of Tunisia (INRAT), Hédi Karray Street, Ariana 2049, Tunisia
Hichem Ben Salem: Laboratory of Animal Productions and Forages, National Institute of Agronomic Research of Tunisia (INRAT), Hédi Karray Street, Ariana 2049, Tunisia
Henrique Trindade: Center for the Research and Technology of Agro-Environmental and Biological Sciences (CITAB), Universidade de Tras-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Quinta de Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal
Nizar Moujahed: Ecosystems and Aquatic Resources Research Unit Laboratory, Department of Animal Sciences, National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia (INAT), University of Carthage, 43 Ch. Nicolle Street, Tunis 1082, Tunisia

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 4, 1-12

Abstract: Conservation practices that involve leaving mulch on the soil are known to increase soil fertility. However, mulch is an important source of feed for ruminant livestock. Accordingly, the trade-offs between mulching and stubble uptake by livestock are currently hot topics in the research field. In this study, a comparison between the quality of stubbles of wheat grown in no-tillage and conventional tillage fields and the rumen fermentation characteristics of Barbarine ewes grazing in the two fields was carried out. Samples were collected four times after wheat grain harvesting. Immediately after harvest, stubble biomass was slightly higher under no-tillage than conventional tillage. The ewes displayed different grazing behavior, with feeding at a higher rate on the conservative stubble than the conventional stubble. This feeding behavior seemed to be an adaptive strategy to offset the decline in the nutritional quality of stubbles from no-tillage-grown wheat. Indeed, dry matter, protein, fiber, and ash contents were lower in stubbles from no-tillage than conventional tillage at the second sampling time. Consequently, the concentration of the volatile fatty acid, propionic acid, was lower in ewes grazing in the conservative plots. However, this feeding behavior did not cause any body weight impairment during the two-month experimental period. At the end of grazing, the no-tillage practice was found to be comparable to the conventional tillage system according to the amount of residue remaining on the soil surface. Therefore, no-tillage could not be used to solve the competition between crops and livestock for residues.

Keywords: livestock digestion; dryland ecosystem; forage allowance; stocking rate; rumen fermentation; volatile fatty acids; ammonia emissions; agricultural sustainability; rumen pH (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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