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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
The Mediterranean region is one of the areas most affected by climate change, which
influences the production of forages. This has led producers to change from one to several forage
cuttings, aiming to maintain crop productivity in increasingly water-scarce conditions. This study
aimed to evaluate the nutrient content and productivity of forage produced for horses when subjected
to variable water availability conditions at a Lusitano stud farm located in the central region of
Portugal. The soil water content was evaluated throughout the growing season, using the gravimetric
method, with soil samples collected every 15 days. Forage samples were collected from three grass
cuttings (two for haylage and one for hay production), harvested from the same sward during the
2018/2019 growing season. The nutrient content of the forage samples was determined by chemical
analysis. The global productivity throughout the crop-growing season was 8.3 t DM ha1, with the
second harvest presenting the highest productivity (3.42 t DM ha1), corresponding to an adequate
water supply, whereas the last cut, produced under water deficit conditions, presented the lowest
productivity (2.1 t DM ha1). The estimated nutritive value by chemical composition analysis for
both haylage and hay fell within the range reported in the literature for preserved forages for horses
Description
Keywords
hay haylage productivity nutritive content water deficit
Pedagogical Context
Citation
Soares, D.; Rolim, J.; Fradinho, M.J.; do Paço, T.A. Production of Preserved Forage for Horses underWater Scarcity Conditions: A Case Study. Water 2022, 14, 388
Publisher
MDPI