Effects of the Altitude on the Growth and the Chemical Composition of Some Forage Crops : (1) About three kinds of annual grasses

[摘要] The object of this experiment is to study the ecological effects of altitude on the annual herbage crops of Gramineae. Six locations were selected (Table 1), which were different in altitude but resembled each other in other conditions. Experimental plots were enclosed with wooden flames of 90cm square, and were filled with the soil which was taken from the same field. Oats (Avena sativa), Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) and Sudangrass (Sorghum vulgare var. sudanense) were planted in the same way at the each different location. The growth behaviour of the plants was observed and the chemical composition of the plant herbage was examined. Results obtained are shown in Table 2, 3 and 4. The response to the altitude varies according to the kind of crops. The cool weather growing annual plant which has the short growing period such as oats shows comparatively slight response to the altitude. And as a rule the higher the elevation gives the better effects to the growth and the quality of the plant. However the cool weather plant of long growing period such as Italian ryegrass shows a remarkable response to the altitude. At low altitude warm temperature retards the growth and the quality of the herbage, and at high altitude the growth is restricted by the lack of growing period. And at the intermediate altitude it can grow vigorously, because both temperature and rainfall are optimum to the plant. The warm weather annual plant such as Sudangrass cannot grow vigorously at high altitude. And with the increase of elevation, the percentage content of soluble nitrogen free extract increased, and crude protein and crude fiber diminished.

[学科分类] 农业科学（综合）