Rumex new fodder crop for animals

Rumex K-1 as feeding crop

Rumex K-1 is a hybrid of two buckwheat families - English spinach as mother form and Tien Shan sorrel as father form. It exceeds much more parents' kinds and traditional feed crops in productivity of green mass and seeds. As far as external factors are concerned, Rumex K-1 is non-freakish, frost and drought resistant plant. Due to strong root 1.5 m long and high thick crown adult, a plant provides itself with moisture and fights the weeds. Rumex K-1 is classified by early spring growing and mowing mass: first mowing is made within the second April decade - 90 tons per ha, the second after crop within the third August decade - 70 tons per ha, the third after crop within the second October decade - 70 - 80 tons per ha.

The crop harvested may amount to 240 up to 300 tons/ha per season. Such results were received over Almaty region. Farmer of Ordabasy district, Yuzhno-Kazakhstanskaya oblast (Southern region) B.Ersultanov succeeds to make seven mowing when the plant is 1 m long.Rumex K - 1 is a non-freakish plant, vegetating from early spring until late autumn. Seeds productivity of the crop is up to 1500-2000 kg per ha. Seeding rate is 6 - 6.5 kg per ha. By the end of April the plant is 2 m high. In terns of the yield of green mass per hectare Rumex may be compared to 10-12 ha of alfalfa or 12-14 ha of corn. Rumex K-1 is the only one feed plant with such big biomass existing in nature. Calculations show that production of Rumex K-1 is economically cheaper than production of corn, barley, wheat and alfalfa. Cost production of this feed-stuff per 1 ton is 500 tenge whereas usual feed-stuff costs 0.8 - 1 thousand tenge. Despite terms of sowing, like many other perennials, Rumex K-1 doe not produce generative offsets, but roots and forms a strong tuft of leaves, which closes rows. According to the crop creator Uteush Y.A. a root collar during the first year makes 18-20 mm in diameter, but in Almaty tje root collar made 60-70 mm. Root is strong, stalky, branchy, deepening in 1.5 - 2 meters. At the third year after planting diameter increases up to 40-50 mm. (Uteush), in Almaty region up to 80-90 mm. Beginning from the second year and further simultaneously with snow thawing, the regeneration of the root tuft of leaves takes place, revival buds at the root collar produce 2-3 generative scions (according to Uteush) in Almaty region 7-8 scions. Depending on the density of sward, stem's diameter at the basis is 12-19 up to 20-24 mm. At the stooling stage it is 65-80 cm high, at the beginning of blossoming season 230-290 cm including blossom cluster. Truss of a hybrid sorrel comprises 10-20 branch of the first order, by the second year it is in average 75-120 cm, sometimes 150-180 cm long. Foliation depends on sward's density - 40-45%.

When young, hybrid sorrel is a valuable feed plant. In terms of protein and vitamin percentage it ranks as the first. During the second decade of April it may serve as vitamin support as creep feed. Ground green mass of feeding sorrel is eaten by all agricultural domestic animals during spring growing during stooling and budding stages before blossoming Rumex K-1 is applied in the form of green mass, silage, feed-stuff, granules and biologically active additives to regular feeding stuff. Rumex K-1 is full source of phytalbumin and vegetable oils, organic acids, vitamins, microelements, non-toxic matter for human beings and mammals. In terms of feeding units and exchange energy, feeding stuff based on Rumex K-1 exceed three times those of alfalfa, contents of protein is also 3.2 times more than in alfalfa herb flour. Percentage of such vital for development of mammals and fish iron, zinc and copper in Rumex K-1 exceeds two and more times those of the famous feeding crops (clover, alfalfa, corn and others).