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Initial performance of red mulberry (Morus rubra L.) under a light gradient: an overlooked alternative livestock forage?

Initial performance of red mulberry (Morus rubra L.) under a light gradient: an overlooked... Climate change creates uncertainty for the future of animal agriculture and forage productivity. The use of palatable shrubs that can be browsed directly as a mid-story component in silvopastures may be one way to diversify resources and mitigate losses in forage productivity. While white mulberry (Morus alba) has been widely studied for its fodder potential, there remains a paucity of information for the native, shade tolerant red mulberry (M. rubra). We report on the initial growth, survival, biomass, and leaf nutritive value of M. rubra seedlings planted under a cherrybark oak (Quercus pagoda) canopy at four overstory densities: 3 × 3 m (D), 6 × 6 m (S–D), 9 × 9 m (S–O), and 12 × 12 m (O). Despite drought conditions, 81.25% of seedlings survived, with more seedlings surviving in S–O and O than in D. As canopy openness increased, stem diameter increased and specific leaf area decreased. Seedlings obtained greatest leaf biomass in S–O. Late summer nutritive value surpassed the quality of many common pasture forages. Crude protein was greater in S–D and D than it was in S–O and O. Acid detergent fiber was greatest in D and digestibility metrics did not differ between treatments. Our results indicate that production of M. rubra fodder can be optimized on this site at 66.21% Global Site Factor, an irradiance level that corresponds to around 500 trees ha−1. More research is needed to determine seedling response to repeated defoliation events. Additionally, information is needed on secondary metabolites and other anti-quality components that may reduce the value of this potential alternative forage source. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Agroforestry Systems Springer Journals

Initial performance of red mulberry (Morus rubra L.) under a light gradient: an overlooked alternative livestock forage?

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References (48)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V. 2021
ISSN
0167-4366
eISSN
1572-9680
DOI
10.1007/s10457-021-00699-3
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Climate change creates uncertainty for the future of animal agriculture and forage productivity. The use of palatable shrubs that can be browsed directly as a mid-story component in silvopastures may be one way to diversify resources and mitigate losses in forage productivity. While white mulberry (Morus alba) has been widely studied for its fodder potential, there remains a paucity of information for the native, shade tolerant red mulberry (M. rubra). We report on the initial growth, survival, biomass, and leaf nutritive value of M. rubra seedlings planted under a cherrybark oak (Quercus pagoda) canopy at four overstory densities: 3 × 3 m (D), 6 × 6 m (S–D), 9 × 9 m (S–O), and 12 × 12 m (O). Despite drought conditions, 81.25% of seedlings survived, with more seedlings surviving in S–O and O than in D. As canopy openness increased, stem diameter increased and specific leaf area decreased. Seedlings obtained greatest leaf biomass in S–O. Late summer nutritive value surpassed the quality of many common pasture forages. Crude protein was greater in S–D and D than it was in S–O and O. Acid detergent fiber was greatest in D and digestibility metrics did not differ between treatments. Our results indicate that production of M. rubra fodder can be optimized on this site at 66.21% Global Site Factor, an irradiance level that corresponds to around 500 trees ha−1. More research is needed to determine seedling response to repeated defoliation events. Additionally, information is needed on secondary metabolites and other anti-quality components that may reduce the value of this potential alternative forage source.

Journal

Agroforestry SystemsSpringer Journals

Published: Mar 1, 2022

Keywords: Tree-shrub interactions; Multi-strata agroforestry; Forage production; Silvopastoral systems

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