title: Effect of Phragmites japonicus harvest frequency and timing on dry matter yield and nutritive value.
abstract: Phragmites is a cosmopolitan perennial emergent macrophyte that is distributed worldwide. In recent years, Phragmites has attracted attention for its potential use as roughage. Given the increasing demand for feed and the number of constructed wetlands (CWs) vegetated with Phragmites, Phragmites is expected to play an important role in roughage production. Thus, it is vital to understand the effects of harvest timing and frequency on dry matter yield, nutritive value, and nitrogen (N) removal to establish appropriate vegetation management. In two CWs in Southwest China, four treatments with different harvesting frequencies were evaluated in monospecific areas of P. japonicus. The four treatments included no harvest, single harvest at 6 months, two harvests at 2 and 4 months, and three harvests at 2, 4, and 6 months. A sharp decline in the total digestible nutrients (TDN) concentration and the rate of increase in dry matter (DM) yield was associated with the heading timings, and the seasonal variations in TDN were likely influenced by carbohydrate accumulation in the stems. The three harvest treatment contributed to substantially improve the N and DM yields without decreasing the nutritive value but negatively affected the growth in the following year. Therefore, not only the combinations of harvest timing and frequency but also other management practices, including partial harvesting, may be needed to optimize CW performance and roughage production.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, 727 Jingming Road (South), Chenggong New District, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, China; Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Oiwake Kitashirakawa Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi S T
authors.initials: TST
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, 727 Jingming Road (South), Chenggong New District, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, China. Electronic address: irbis.chagan@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Chagan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Irbis
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Oiwake Kitashirakawa Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kumagai
authors.affiliation: Kunming Agrometeorological Station, Xifu Road, Xishan District, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, China.
authors.forename: Pengyun
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Life Science and Technology, Kunming University of Science and Technology, 727 Jingming Road (South), Chenggong New District, Kunming, Yunnan, 650500, China.
authors.forename: Kunzhi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Oiwake Kitashirakawa Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inamura
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture; D000821:Animal Feed; D000818:Animals; D002681:China; D004043:Dietary Fiber; D009753:Nutritive Value; D006109:Poaceae / Q000737:chemistry / Q000254:growth & development*; D012418:Ruminants; D012621:Seasons; D053833:Wetlands
keywords: Constructed wetland; Harvesting frequency; Multiple harvest; Phragmites japonicus; Roughage; Total digestible nutrients