DRY MATTER YIELD AND DIGESTIBILITY OF SECOND CROP SILAGE CORN CULTIVATED AFTER CEREALS UNDER ESKISEHIR ECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS

Silage corn has a potential as the second crop in the irrigated lands of the Central Anatolia Region. The research was conducted in 2014 and 2015 years to determine dry matter yield and digestibility of the second crop silage corn after barley and wheat harvest and sown using direct and conventional methods with five cultivars (Ada, Cadiz, Donana, Sagunto, Sakarya). Dry matter yield did not vary significantly between years. Similarly, dry matter yield of the plant sown after wheat and barley harvest varied slightly but the difference was statistically nonsignificant. In conventional sowing, dry matter yield was higher (29.96 t ha(-1)) than direct sowing (19.83 t ha(-1)) and the highest dry matter production was estimated in Cadiz (27.23 t ha(-1)) while the lowest was in Sakarya (22.30 t ha(-1)). Digestible dry matter ratio was higher in 2014 (70.37%) than 2015 (68.17%). Silage corn that sown after barley harvest had slightly higher digestibility and it was 69.33% and 68.63% after barley and wheat harvest respectively. The digestible dry matter ratio was higher in directly sown plants (71.26%) than conventionally sown (67.28%). The highest and the lowest dry matter digestibility were estimated in Donana (71.02%) and Sakarya (67.42%) cultivars, respectively. Results indicated that sowing should be carried out conventionally using Donana cultivar after barley harvest. In the conditions of extended main crop harvest, Donana cultivar could be an alternative because direct sowing may be required if wheat harvest delayed and the cultivar could produce sufficient dry matter that has a high digestibility.