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Research article2013Peer reviewed

Fatty acid concentrations in timothy (Phleum pratense L.) and meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.): Effects of seasonal variations at different nitrogen fertilization levels

Arvidsson, Katarina; Martinsson, Kjell; Gustavsson, Anne-Maj

Abstract

Timothy (Phleum pratense L.) and meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.) were subjected to three different nitrogen (N) fertilization regimes (30+30, 90+90, and 120+90 kg N ha(1); N-30, N-90, and N-120 treatments, respectively) and harvested at three different stages of maturity during spring growth and at two different maturity stages during summer growth. In addition, N-90 plots were sampled on one additional occasion during spring growth and two additional occasions during summer growth. Total fatty acid concentrations and concentrations of the four major fatty acids (C16:0, C18:1n-9, C18:2n-6, and C18:3n-3), which account for 9094 g 100 g(1) of the total fatty acid contents of both grasses, declined over time during both growth periods in both grass species (p < 0.001), irrespective of N-fertilization level. Moreover, the relative proportions of the four fatty acids were affected by the harvest date (p < 0.001); C16:0, C18:1n-9, and C18:2n-6 increased in abundance at later harvest dates, while the opposite was true for C18:3n-3. There were differences (p < 0.05) between timothy and meadow fescue in terms of the concentrations of C16:0, C18:1n-9, C18:2n-6, and C18:3n-3, and in the relative proportions (p < 0.001) of C16:0, C18:2n-6, and C18:3n-3. Meadow fescue contained higher concentrations of C16:0, C18:1n-9, and C18:3n-3, while timothy contained higher concentrations of C18:2n-6. However, the total fatty acid concentrations for both species were similar. The N-fertilization level did not directly affect (p > 0.05) the concentrations or relative proportions of the different fatty acids, but positive linear relationships (p < 0.001) were identified between the concentrations of fatty acids and crude protein. Consequently, there is a scope for adjusting the fatty acid profile and content of forage by changing the grass species used and the time of harvest, with the latter having the greatest influence.

Keywords

developmental stages; Forage grasses; harvest time; linolenic acid; linoleic acid

Published in

Acta Agriculturae Scandinavica, Section B - Soil and Plant Science
2013, Volume: 63, number: 4, pages: 314-321
Publisher: TAYLOR & FRANCIS AS

      SLU Authors

      • Martinsson, Kjell

        • Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

        • Gustavsson, Anne-Maj

          • Department of Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

        UKÄ Subject classification

        Agricultural Science

        Publication identifier

        DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09064710.2013.766256

        Permanent link to this page (URI)

        https://res.slu.se/id/publ/54609