Chemical composition and nutritive value of <i>Hedysarum flexuosum</i> L. according to morphological parts and phaenological stages

Abstract

The objective of this work is to evaluate the chemical composition and nutritive value of different parts of the Hedysarum flexuosum plant and their evolution according to the different phaenological stages, in order to retain the most appropriate harvesting stage. The data are based on the results of chemical composition analysis of the three main parts of the plant (whole plant, stems only and leaves only) according to the phaenological stages (Mid-vegetative, vegetative growth, Budding, flowering, seed setting and seed ripening). At the budding stage, the chemical composition of the whole plant is much better, especially in terms of protein content, which reaches 225 g/kg of dry matter, Hedysarum flexuosum should be harvested or grazed at the bud stage, at the latest at the beginning of flowering.