Journal of Range and Watershed Managment

Comparison of the forage nutritional value of Bromus tomentellus Boiss., Festuca ovina L., and Stipa lessingiana Trin. & Rupr. at different phenological stages in the Gavanban- rangelands, Harsin, Kermanshah Province.

Mohammaadreza Tatian; ٍElahe Shayesteh; Reza Tamartash; Mohammadreza Shooshtari; Nateq Lashkari

Volume 79, Issue 1 , March 2026, , Pages 105-118

https://doi.org/10.22059/jrwm.2026.403850.1853

Abstract

Iran, owing to its diverse climatic conditions, is considered as one of the main centers of genetic diversity in grasses, particularly forage grasses, in the world. This research aimed to evaluate the variations in forage quality of Bromus tomentellus, Festuca ovina, and Stipa lessingiana in Gavanban ... Read More Iran, owing to its diverse climatic conditions, is considered as one of the main centers of genetic diversity in grasses, particularly forage grasses, in the world. This research aimed to evaluate the variations in forage quality of Bromus tomentellus, Festuca ovina, and Stipa lessingiana in Gavanban rangelands of Harsin, Kermanshah Province, at vegetative growth, flowering, and seed maturity stages. To achieve this, each species was randomly sampled in three replicates at each phenological stage. Samples were dried, ground, and assessed using Near-Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS) for the determination of their nutritive value, including CP, DMD, WSC, ADF, NDF, ash, N, P, K, and ME. ANOVA followed by Duncan’s multiple range test for mean comparisons were performed in R software. The results indicated that forage quality traits differed significantly during the phenological stages. During the transition from vegetative to seed maturity stages, all three species showed a reduction in DMD, CP, ME, ash, and nitrogen content, while WSC, ADF, and NDF levels increased. At the seed maturity stage, CP decreased most significantly in B. tomentellus (68.02%), while DMD and ME showed their highest decreases in F. ovina, at 30.73% and 38.75%, respectively. In contrast, S. lessingiana revealed a 17.77% increase in WSC. The interspecific comparison demonstrated that B. tomentellus maintained higher nutritional value across phenological stages, which can be attributed to its elevated ME, DMD, and WSC levels and lower ADF content. These findings highlight that optimizing forage nutritive value and ensuring rangeland sustainability require grazing management to be aligned with the phenological stages of dominant species. According to the results, B. tomentellus has the greatest nutritional potential at the vegetative stage, whereas S. lessingiana, despite its lower forage quality, is valuable for rangeland stabilization and restoration due to its strong grazing tolerance and soil-protective role.

Nutritive Value of Zandi Sheep Diets (Halophyte Plants) Grazing in Abbasabad Desert Rangelands of Qom

A Ahmadi; A Sanadgol

Volume 63, Issue 3 , December 2010, , Pages 277-287

Abstract

Desert and marginal lands of playas which are covered with halophyte shrubs, play a great role in supply of forage for livestock as winter rangelands. In this research, plant samples were collected from four palatable halophyte species for Zandi sheep of Qom desert rangelands including Seidlitzia rosmarinus، ... Read More

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Keywords = nutritive value

Comparison of the forage nutritional value of Bromus tomentellus Boiss., Festuca ovina L., and Stipa lessingiana Trin. & Rupr. at different phenological stages in the Gavanban- rangelands, Harsin, Kermanshah Province.

Abstract

Nutritive Value of Zandi Sheep Diets (Halophyte Plants) Grazing in Abbasabad Desert Rangelands of Qom

Abstract