Εffect of water stress on nutritive value of Lotus corniculatus L. populations in North Greece
Lotus corniculatus is one of the most valuable forage plants with high nutritive value and tolerance to water stress. In the present study the effect of water stress on the nutritive value of three natural populations of different bioclimatic origin of Lotus corniculatus was investigated in the vegetative growth stage. Plants were collected from three different locations (Drama, Kilkis, Taxiarchis Chalkidiki) in 2012 and were transplanted in pots under controlled conditions. Watering treatments included 100% of water capacity and 40% of it. The aboveground biomass of plants from the three populations was cut at the vegetative stage and crude protein NDF, ADF, ADL contents were estimated and the digestibility of dry matter was calculated. Taxiarchis population of Lotus corniculatus regardless water stress was significantly superior to the other two which they did not have significant differences. Water stress regardless population decreased significantly NDF, ADF, ADL and increased significantly the digestibility. However, there were no significant differences on CP content. Moderate water stress seems to reduce the structural carbohydrates and increase the digestibility of L. corniclatus.
Effect of organic and inorganic fertilization on growth, yield and quality of biomass of quinoa and amaranth
In this study the effect of different fertilization treatments on growth was examined, yield and quality of two pseudocereals: quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) and amaranth (Amaranthus retroflexus L.). The agronomic performance and nutritional value of quinoa and amaranth was analyzed in order to establish them as alternatives to local forages for dry-season feeding of ruminants in the Mediterranean region. The experiment was laid out in a split-plot design with two replicates, two main plots [quinoa and amaranth] and four sub-plots (fertilization treatments: control, inorganic fertilization, compost and cow manure). The results indicated a clear superiority of quinoa over the amaranth in height and dry matter, while there were no differences in the nutritional value of biomass between the two species. In general, fertilization had a positive impact on growth and yield of both pseudocereals. Fertilization with compost showed higher values in most quality traits of biomass in the quinoa crop, while inorganic fertilization had better results in amaranth. The results of this study suggest that the quinoa and amaranth crops could be used as an alternative feed over spring legumes in dry-warm Mediterranean areas.
Nutritive value of vegetation in Christ’s thorn shrublands in Porrogia, Serres Greece
Rangelands constitute the most significant land resource of our country, occupying over than 40% of its surface. Shrublands constitute a large part of rangeland areas in northern Greece. Deciduous shrublands dominated by the Christ’s thorn (Paliurus spina – christi Miller) are considered to be very important, due to the fact that they provide nutritious forage for grazing animals. Christ’s thorn is a species extremely resistant to grazing. The objective of this research was the determination of the chemical composition (CP, NDF, ADF, ADL) and the estimation of Dry Matter Digestibility (DMD) of Christ’s thorn and its understory herbaceous vegetation in central north Greece, at two regions of different altitude. Two areas were selected in Porrogia Serres; High and Low Porrogia, in Christ’s thorn shrublands for this purpose, taking into account the differences between altitudes. Several sampling areas were selected within each location where annual twigs and foliage of Christ’s thorn were collected. Furthermore, the above – ground biomass of the understory herbaceous vegetation was collected for the estimation of its nutritive value. CP content of Paliurus was significantly higher in Low Porrogia, while no significant differences were detected for NDF, ADF, ADL and DMD contents between the two study areas. No significant differences were also detected for CP and ADL contents of the herbaceous vegetation between the two study areas. NDF and ADF contents of the herbaceous vegetation were significantly higher in Low Porrogia, while DMD content was significantly higher in High Porrogia. These differences could be associated with the differences in altitude and vegetation composition.
Development of a database for urban green
The database is a collection of different pieces of information, particularly information that has been formatted in a particular way for use in analysis or decision making. The purpose of this paper was to develop a database useful and functional which involves information for certain types of plants that can be used as urban green, but also to help select the appropriate type of plant according to the desired characteristics. In this paper a database for the complete recording, management and species selection for urban green species in the area of Thessaloniki is developed. By using Microsoft Access 2007 for database management, a simple user friendly interface was created helping end-users to select the appropriate types of urban green under certain criteria.
A comparative study of livestock husbandry on mountains Oiti and Kallidromo
Oiti and Kallidromo are two neighboring mountains of Central Greece, which are covered by fir forests. Although Oiti was declared as a national park in 1966 and both mountains were included in the protection network of NATURA 2000, livestock husbandry remains an important economic activity for the residents of the two regions. The objective of the study was to compare livestock husbandry in two mountains placing emphasis on the current grazing activities and the diachronic evolution of the livestock capital. Current activities were studied by collecting information from the farmers themselves through questionnaires and temporal evolution by collecting data from statistical records. It was found that sheep are the main animals in Oiti followed by goats and finally by beef cattle while in Kallidromo there are no sheep but only goats and beef cattle in numbers higher than in Oiti. During 1960’s livestock numbers decreased drastically while a tendency to increase beef cattle more than any other kind of animal was observed in both mountains. It is concluded that the disappearance of sheep from Kallidromo in the recent years should be attributed to socioeconomic reasons rather than to the protection status of the mountain since there was not a similar development in Oiti where a stricter protection status for livestock grazing is applied.
