Abstract:
This paper presents our
studies regarding the determination of total
crude protein content (%) from forages,
using NIR Spectroscopy. The forage
samples were harvested in the middle of
May 2008 from a permanent meadow
situated in Caraş-Severin County, near
Grădinari. The permanent meadow was
organized in ten trials with different doses
of organic and mineral fertilizations and five
replicates for each trial. The fertilization of
permanent meadow was made using: GP1 -
unfertilized variant, GP2 - 20 t sheep
manure, GP3 - 40 t sheep manure, GP4 - 60
t sheep manure, GP5 - 20 t sheep manure +
50 P2O5, GP6 - 20 t sheep manure + 50 P2O5
+ 50 K2O, GP7 - 20 t sheep manure + 50 N
+ 50 P2O5 + 50 K2O, GP8 - 100 N + 50 P2O5
+ 50 K2O, GP9 - 150 N + 50 P2O5 + 50
K2O, GP10 – (100 + 100) N + 50 P2O5 + 50
K2O. The main species founded on the
permanent meadow from Grădinari were:
Festuca rupicola and Calamagrostis
epigeios. Other species were
Antohoxanthum odoratum, Briza media,
Poa pratensis, Trifolium arvense, Trifolium
medium, Lotus corniculatus and Filipendula
vulgaris. The mathematical model (PLSCross
Validation model) for the
determination of total crude protein content
(%) by NIR method was performed using
the values of reflectance from NIR spectra
and those obtained with chemical Kjeldahl
method. For the statistical interpretation we
used UNSCRAMBLE software. The
external calibration was made using forage
samples harvested from the same permanent
meadow, but in March 2008.