Yield, composition and digestibility of Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) at different harvesting stages

This research was assigned to study the top crop yield potential and nutritive value of Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus), using a completely randomized designed with three treatments and four replications. The forage was cut at three growing stages where plant high, fresh and dry forage yield and leave/steam ratio were recorded. First and second cut were made when the plant heights were 100-150 and 150-200 cm, respectively. Forage from the third cut was at the early bloom stage (200-250cm). Then the cuts were chopped and sampled and nutrient contents and in vitro digestibility of the samples were determined. The amount of fresh and dry forage yield were 45.20 and 15.95 (ton/h) in first cut, and 64 and 29.85 (ton/h) in the last cut (flowering stage), respectively. Yield of second cut was significantly higher (p