The effects of harvest date and frequency on the yield, nutritional value and mineral content of the paludiculture crop cattail (Typha latifolia L.) in the first year after planting

The use of drained peatlands as dairy grasslands leads to long-term organic matter losses, CO2 emissions and soil subsidence. It also yields grass with increased N and P contents compared to grass grown on mineral soils due to peat mineralisation, which often leads to greater farm surpluses of these elements. Growing Typha latifolia as a forage crop on rewetted peatlands (paludiculture) could reduce these issues. Therefore, the effects of harvest date and frequency on yield and nutritional value were studied in three experiments during the first growing season after establishment of two different T latifolia plantations. T latifolia produced 40-68 shoots m' and maximum dry matter (DM) yields of 9.81-10.89 Mg ha(-1). Harvesting before flowering resulted in the highest nutritional value per kg DM, of 563-575 g in vitro digestible organic matter (IVDOM), 120-128 g crude protein (CP), 287-300 g crude fibre (CF) and 1.5 g P. Surprisingly, harvesting at intervals of three or six weeks resulted in similar cumulative DM yields (p= 0.190). Also, average nutritional values per kg DM, especially of biomass harvested at 3-week intervals, remained similar to a May yield of 466-591 g IVDOM, 103-134 g CP and 286-303 g CF. Growing T latifolia fodder for inclusion in grass-based diets could reduce the environmental impacts of dairy farming on peat.