Foliar fungicides are important management inputs for winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in high-yielding areas of Europe, but their effectiveness may interact with cultivar selection and nitrogen (N) fertilization. No information is available on the potential use of fungicides in reducing yield losses from foliar diseases in Croatia, where wheat crop is extensively grown under low N inputs. Field experiments were conducted during 2000-02 to evaluate the agronomic responses of six winter wheat cultivars to fungicide application (tebuconazol around heading) compared with untreated plots at low (67 kg N ha )1 ) and high (194 kg N ha )1 ) N fertilization rates. Grain yields tended to increase in all years following fungicide treatment at high N rate by an average of 10.1 % (773 kg ha )1 ), but improved significantly in one year only at low N rate. When these occurred, yield increases were associated with larger grain weight per ear primarily due to heavier 1000-kernel weight. Cultivars differed in their responses to fungicide application across growing seasons and N fertilization rates. Under low disease pressure in 2000 and 2001, improved yields with fungicide use occurred for few susceptible cultivars only, whereas all cultivars significantly increased yields under higher disease severity in 2002 by an average of 383 kg ha )1 (5.0 %) at low N rate and 1443 kg ha )1 (19.0 %) at high N rate. Following fungicide application at high N rate, some susceptible cultivars outyielded resistant cultivars, whereas opposite responses occurred in untreated plots. High N fertilization rate consistently produced larger grain yields except under high disease severity and no fungicide sprayed in 2002, when it had no benefits at all over low N rate. Fungicide application showed limited importance for wheat performance at low N rate; however, cultivars significantly differed in yield responses as well as in rankings after fungicide use at high N fertilization rate.

Six Trifolium pratense L. cultivars, five diploid and one tetraploid, were grown in the lowland region (123 m altitude) and the mountain region (650 m altitude). Dry ma�er (d.m.) and green mass (g.m.) yield, stem height and leaf proportion were assessed from each of the three growing seasons. Chemical composition was assessed from the average samples of all cuts in the second year of the experiment. Greater green mass (54.14 t/ha) and dry ma�er yield (9.86 t/ha), stem height (0.61 m), crude protein (157.6 g/kg), crude fiber (222.9 g/kg), crude ash (100.68 g/kg) and crude fat (30.09 g/kg) content were observed in the mountain region, compared to the lowland region (45.61 t/ha g.m. 8.92 t/ha d.m. 0.59 stem height, 156.38 g/kg crude protein, 216.6 g/kg crude fiber, 94.85 g/kg crude ash, 24.98 g/kg crude fat). The greater leaf proportion (47.2%) and nitrogen free extract content (420.13 g/kg) were observed in the lowland region compared to the mountain region (42.95% and 402.99 g/kg, respectively). A significant location × cultivar interaction was found for all investigated parameters except for leaf proportion.

This study quantified herbage mass and feeding behavior by animals at a fine spatial scale, in a 1.1‐ha bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flügge) pasture progressively (4 or 5 days) grazed by a herd of 32–33 beef cows and 8–13 calves in three seasons (spring, summer and autumn). Herbage mass was nondestructively estimated every day, using an electronic capacitance probe, at 91 fixed locations (50 cm × 50 cm; approximating a feeding station scale) along a permanent line transect. At the same time, selection and use of the individual locations by cows were measured every day, in terms of the number of visits, number of bites and residence time. Vegetation of the pasture created a trade‐off between availability (herbage mass) and quality (nitrogen concentration, dry matter digestibility) in summer and autumn but not in spring. There were always considerable location‐to‐location variations in the feeding behavior of animals; that is, some locations were not visited and bitten at all or were visited infrequently (once or twice daily) and grazed only for a short time (<10 s daily) receiving relatively few bites (<10 bites daily), whereas some locations were frequently visited (5–10 times daily) and utilized for a long period (>30 s daily) receiving many bites (>30 bites daily). Although regression analysis showed a tendency for animals to select and use locations with higher herbage mass in spring and those with lower or intermediate herbage mass in autumn as a result of the seasonally different availability–quality relationships, neither herbage mass nor herbage quality was an absolute factor determining the choice and use of locations by animals. The results show that the choice and use of fine‐scale locations by animals foraging in actual grasslands are not fully explained by major forage factors such as mass, nitrogen and digestibility.

The effect of rumen-protected DL-methionine on some blood biochemical and haematological values of cows in approximately the last 102 days of pregnancy was examined. Twenty-six cows in the third stage of gestation were divided into two groups of equal number, a control (C) and an experimental group (E). Cows were fed meadow hay, maize grain silage and a 500 g fodder mixture (35% CP). In addition to the fodder mixture, cows in group E received 15 g rumen-protected DLmethionine per animal daily (Mepron ® M85). Blood samples were collected on approximately days 102, 68, 34 and 1 prior to parturition.Plasma glucose concentrations of cows in group E were significantly decreased over a long part of the trial period (68 and 34 days prior to parturition) (P=0.046 and P=0.0175, respectively). Plasma urea concentration in group C was decreased close to statistical significance (P=0.053) on the 68 th day prior to parturition. No significant differences were found in plasma concentrations of total protein, albumin, triacylglycerols, total cholesterol and creatinine between the two groups during the trial.The activity of alanine aminotransferase in animals of group E was lower, close to statistical significance (P=0.052) 34 days prior to parturition. No significant differences were found in plasma of asparate aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyltransferase and alkaline phosphatase levels between groups during experimental feeding. Cows in group E had a lower red blood cell count on the 5 Corresponding author: e-mail: bliker@agr.hr Journal of Animal and Feed Sciences, 14, 2005, 625-638 P=0.316 and P=0.153, respectively). On the 68 th day before calving the lower number of leukocytes was close to statistical significance (P=0.0785), with highly significant neutropenia in absolute (P<0.001) and relative (P=0.039) terms, and a decreased neutrophyles/lymphocytes ratio (P<0.001).The results indicate that rumen-protected methionine could have an anti-stress effect on cows during late gestation in winter stable feeding and holding conditions.

Managing alfalfa silage in livestock production systems is an important issue in order to maintain the silage quality and achieve maximum profitable production of milk and meat. The aim of this study was to estimate effects of commercial bacterial inoculants on chemical composition and fermentation of alfalfa silage, under field conditions in the commercial dairy farm, during 2017. The silage mass was subdivided into five equal parts (control-silage without inoculant) and silages treated with commercial bacterial inoculants (PIO 1-Pioneer 11H50, PIO2-Pioneer 11AFT, SIL-Silko and BON-Bonsilage alfa) all ensiled in microsilos. After 90 days of ensiling, silages were analysed for chemical and nutritional composition and fermentation characteristics. Dry matter and crude protein value were higher, lactic acid and acetic acid value were significantly higher in silage treated with bacterial inoculant PIO1, PIO2, SIL and BON compared to control silage. Contrary, alfalfa silage treated with a bacterial inoculant PIO1, PIO2, SIL and BON had lower values of acid detergent fibre, neutral detergent fibre and pH and significantly lower values butyric acid, alcohols and NH 3-N/total nitrogen compared to control silage. Results showed that bacterial inoculant PIO1, PIO2, SIL and BON increases silage quality compared to control silage.