Die Bodenkultur - Journal for Land Management, Food and Environment

W. Opitz v. Boberfeld und S. Echternacht:

Quality and yield of catch crops for arable land – folds in dependence on variety, date of sowing and date of winter harvest

Summary

With year-round outdoor stock keeping of suckler cows a near natural livestock production is possible. Instead of winter pastures folds on arable land can be an alternative, if the bearing capacity of the soil is insufficient. The objective of the research was to determine DM yield and forage quality of several catch crops in arable-land-folds for suckler cows. In conclusion for utilisation of catch crops in arable-land folds the use of Lolium multiflorum at the beginning of the winter and of Brassica napus ssp. napus in advanced winter can be regarded, irrespective of sowing date. Emergenced volunteer cereals demonstrated inadequate quality. In both cases, utilisation of grasses or cruziferous crops, the supplementation of hay from extensively managed grassland is necessary. Key words: Year-round outdoor stock keeping, arable-land folds, catch crop, yield, forage quality.