Prediction of salsola vermiculata foliage production for different grazing intensities

Abstract

Salsola vermiculata is considered as one of promising indigenous fodder shrub with high relative palatabilty. Productivity parameters of this shrub are an important factor to determine its potential and carrying capacity for different grazing intensity. There are relationships between productivity parameters and shrub measurements. Height, compact circumference and radius seem to be the most parameters, which affect the productivity. Simple and multiple correlations between productivity parameters and shrub measurements for various defoliation intensity treatments were significant. Compact circumference has the highest efficiency to predict productivity. The relation between productivity and shrub measurements, as related to site condition, could be best expressed with quadratic equations for medium and light defoliation treatments. Semi-log equations could be used for heavy defoliation treatment. Linear model for most treatments had (R2) values lower than those for the best models with small difference.