CHEMICAL COMPOSITION AND NUTRITIVE VALUE OF TEFF BIOMASS (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF SOWING RATE AND NITROGEN FERTILIZATION RATE.

In 2021-2022 the influence of three sowing rates (10, 15 and 20 kg ha^-1) and four nitrogen fertilization rates (0, 30, 60 and 90 kg ha^-1) on the chemical composition and the nutritive value of teff biomass (Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter) was tested for the area of Central South Bulgaria. It was established that nitrogen fertilization increases crude protein content, it being the highest when fertilized with 90 kg ha^-1 nitrogen and sowing rate of 15 kg ha^-1 in both harvest phases. Increasing the nitrogen and sowing rates, a negative trend is observed on the content of crude fat, crude fiber and ash, and a positive trend on the content of non-nitrogen extractive substances. The content of feed unit for milk (FUM) and feed unit for growth (FUG) does not change significantly both under the influence of the applied increasing doses of nitrogen fertilization and when the sowing rate is increased. Climatic factors have the strongest influence on the chemical composition of teff biomass. Nitrogen fertilization has a strong influence on the content of crude protein and ash, and harvesting phase - on the content of crude fat and crude fiber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]