Effect of organic fertilizing on the composition of fiber components of cell wall and nutritional value of birds-foot-trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) forage

Katerina Churkova; Boryana Churkova

Katerina Churkova

, Boryana Churkova

Abstract: During the period 2021-2023, in the experimental field of the Research Institute of Mountain Stockbreeding and Agriculture-Troyan, a scientific research experiment was conducted with bird's-foot-trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.), variety Targovishte 1., in the following fertilizing variants: 1. Control – untreated; 2. Blago 5 at dose of 300 ml/da; 3. Blago 5 at dose of 600 ml/da; 4. Fertileader Axis at dose of 500 ml/da; 5. Fertileader Axis at dose of 1000 ml/da. The fiber composition of the cell walls was determined by applying the detergent analysis. The nutritional value of the forage was calculated by gross and exchangeable energy, feed units for growth and milk, and in vitro enzymatic digestibility of dry matter by a two-phase pepsin-cellulose method. It was found that fertilization over the years has been shown to affect the values of neutral and acid detergent fibers, cellulose and the degree of lignification. A higher effect on these indicators was recorded by the biofertilizer Fertileader Axis, applied at a dose of 1000 ml/da, and applied at a dose of 500 ml/da, it reduced the levels of acid detergent fibers and cellulose compared to the control variant. The higher nutritional value was reported in fertilizing with Blago 5 at dose of 300 ml/da, whose feed has feed units for milk 0.86% and for growth 0.82%. Fertilization with Fertileader Axis at dose of 500 ml/da registered 68.77% feed digestibility.

Keywords: biofertilization; birds-foot-trefoil; digestibility; nutritional value; structural fiber components

Citation: Churkova, K. & Churkova, B. (2025). Effect of organic fertilizing on the composition of fiber components of cell wall and nutritional value of birds-foot-trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) forage. Bulg. J. Agric. Sci., 31(4), 652–659.

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Date published: 2025-08-27

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