BACKGROUND: The variation in amino acid (AA) digestibility and metabolisable energy (ME N ) in four spring and four winter faba bean genotypes differing in vicine/convicine (V/C) concentrations grown on two sites was investigated in caecectomised LSL-Classic laying hens. Effects of dehulling one faba bean genotype were also examined. Diets containing one out of 17 faba bean variants each and a basal diet were fed to ten caecectomised laying hens in a row-column design to achieve five replicates per diet.RESULTS: Ranges and levels of digestibility of the hulled variants differed widely among AA with the lowest and highest range determined for Arg (90-93%) and Cys (−12-65%), respectively. ME N ranged between 10.3 and 12.3 MJ kg −1 dry matter. Lower ME N and digestibility of Cys, Glx, Phe, Pro, Tyr, and Val (P < 0.050) was determined for the winter genotypes grown in Nimtitz compared to the other variants. Digestibility of Ser was lower for the spring than for the winter genotypes (P < 0.050). Negative correlations with AA digestibility were determined for phytate, but not for tannin and V/C concentrations (P < 0.050). Negative correlations between tannin fractions and ME N were weak (P = 0.082-0.099). Dehulling increased ME N by 1.8 MJ kg −1 dry matter and raised the digestibility of Pro, His, and Glx (P < 0.050). CONCLUSIONS:The results indicated that the digestible AA and ME N supply of laying hens was increased by using low phytate faba beans while breeding for low V/C genotypes did not affect AA digestibility or ME N . Dehulling increased ME N and the digestibility of some AA.

No abstract

No abstract

No abstract

It is not known whether seed inoculated soybean intercropping can increase the number of nodules, nitrogen uptake and yield of the subsequent main crop, soybean. For this reason, the soybean intercropping approach, sole or mixed cropping with buckwheat, was adopted to examine the influence of inoculation and intercropping of soybean and buckwheat on the subsequent main crop, soybean. Field trials were conducted from 2016 to 2019 in Germany and Poland. For this purpose, soils on which soybeans had not been grown in the past were selected as experimental plots and laid out in a split-plot design. It was surprising that even without inoculation a nodule growth could be documented. However, intercrop inoculation resulted in an average of 12 times more nodules per plant at four out of five sites. In addition, a 43% higher number of nodules was found on the lateral roots of the main soybean crop when intercropping with inoculated soybean occurred. The influence of the intercrop on the main crop soybean also depended on their growth in late summer and autumn. Further, there was a medium relationship (R = 0.7) between the number of nodules in the intercrop soybean and the nitrogen content of the soybean grain in the main crop. In terms of soybean grain yield, a single inoculation of the intermediate soybean crop contributed an average of 5% higher yield and inoculation of both the intercrops, and the main crop improved yield by 15%.