EVALUATION OF OATS GENOTYPES FOR FORAGE PRODUCTION.

Abstract

The experiment was conceived to evaluate the dry matter production and nutritive value of the São Carlos, UFRGS7, UPF87111, UPF86081, and Preta oats genotypes. A randomized block design with five oats genotypes, three replications, in a split plot scheme, considering the oats genotypes in the parcels, and cutting date in a sub parcels, was used. The forage was manually sowed on 06/21/00,using a seeding rate of 70 kg/ha, and fertilized with 400 kg/ha of the 4-20-20 fertilizer. Forty kg of N/ha was applied twenty-two days later, and the same amount was applied after each cut. An aspersion system was used to irrigate the oats genotypes. The first cut was performed at 64 days after seeding, and the second at 56 days of regrowth, at 0.1 m of height. It was observed highest herbage mass, crude protein, and digestibility values, and lowest cell wall content in the forage harvested at the first cutting as compared to the second one. At 60 days after planting, the dry matter, crude protein and