Application of Cattle Manure, Zeolite and Leonardite Improves Hay Yield and Quality of Annual Ryegrass (Lolium Multiflorum Lam.) Under Semiarid Conditions (Report‪)‬

Introduction Annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) is utilized for hay, pasture, soil protection, pellet feed and green area, and its hay has high nourishment quality, early drying property (Serin and Tan, 2004), plentiful leaf and high yield (Serin et al., 1996). Dry matter digestibility may be high as 80% early in the season of growth, particularly in more temperate areas, and as the season progresses, digestibility is decreased but still remains higher than 65% for much of the grazing season (Balosko et al., 1995). In semiarid conditions of Turkey, most soils are very poor in organic matter and nutritional minerals for crops. Also, very strong water and wind erosions have made the soils extremely poor in organic matter and nutrients in those areas which are generally rough and undulating, and mostly bared. Therefore, those regions of Turkey are suitable and profitable for keeping livestock in agricultural systems. In addition, concerns about the overuse of manufacturing fertilizers leading to environmental pollution, especially to fresh springs and other natural sources, are often expressed in the country. After excessive use of easily soluble chemicals in conventional agricultural production, health problems in humans, animals and plants have been dramatically increased. Therefore, organic forage crop production is receiving attention the last few years. Fertilizations in these areas are different from those in conventional areas. For all the above reasons, crop rotation systems, intercropping mixtures, green manures, solid and liquid farmyard manures, poultry manures, compost, leonardite, zeolite and biological fertilizers have taken over in the organic agriculture instead of chemical fertilizers (Yolcu, 2010a; Lithourgidis et al., 2011). Studies on how to use efficient practices in those regions without nutrient losses and with improvement of nutrient and water use efficiency to maintain or increase crop yields of high quality have been popular in the last few years (Oosterhuis and Howard, 2008). Many studies have been conducted on materials which could be beneficial for increasing nutrient use efficiency and water holding capacity of soils for various crop plants (Akinremi et al., 2000; Erdal et al., 2000; Gevrek at al., 2009; Mahmoodabadi et al, 2009; Ahmed et al., 2010). In this regard, leornadite, zeolite and manure may have potential in fertilizer management programs in those regions. Leonardite is naturally oxidized lignite characterized by high content of humic and fulvic acids which are used in the agricultural production (Broughton, 1972, Lee and Barlett, 1976). A zeolite is a crystalline, hydrated aluminosilicate of alkali and alkaline earth cation having an infinite, open, three-dimensional structure and this mineral has high cation exchange capacity, high water holding capacity and high adsorption capacity (Mumpton, 1999). Also, it can decrease the toxic effects of some elements on crops (Mahmoodabadi et al., 2009). Although the effects of various organic fertilizations have been studied in several crops (Tan and Nopamornbodi, 1979; Lithourgidis et al., 2007; Dordas et al., 2008; Yolcu, 2010a; Bilalis et al., 2010; Rokhzadi and Toashih, 2011), there is not enough information regarding the effect of leonardite, zeolite and manure on ryegrass forage production under semiarid conditions. Thus, this study evaluated the effects of different application rates of leonardite, zeolite and manure on the hay yield and other nutritive properties of annual ryegrass under semiarid conditions.