Objective:

To evaluate the forage performance and chemical composition of four varieties of Avena sativa L. in Ubaté, Cundinamarca, Colombia.

Materials and Methods:

The essay was conducted in the Agro-Environmental Unit El Tíbar, of the University of Cundinamarca, located on the Palo Gordo district, Colombia. The experiment was conducted through a randomized block design. Each block corresponded to two periods of planting moments (October-November and April-May). The treatments corresponded to four A. sativa varieties: cayuse, konan, everleaf and suprema. The experimental units had plots of 4 m2. Plant height was measured and cutting was done with a frame of 1 x 1 m to determine forage production. Samples were taken to measure quality by a chemical-nutritional analysis.

Results:

The average value of plant height at the moment of cutting was 167 cm, with significant differences (p < 0,05) among varieties. The variety cayuse stood out, with 175 cm, which was the tallest. No significant differences were shown regarding the biomass production, whose average was 31,5 ± 7,26 t/ha. With regards to the chemical composition, dry matter showed significant differences (p < 0,05), with the highest values for the variety everleaf in both planting seasons, with an average of 24,6 %. Crude energy reached an average of 4 208 kcal/kg, with the highest values (p < 0,05) in the variety suprema. The dry matter digestibility at 48 h averaged 54,9 %, without significant differences among the four A. sativa varieties. The same occurred for the degraded protein in the rumen (average of 94,5 %) and degradability of the neutral detergent fiber (53,8 %).

Conclusions:

The planting season did not influence biomass production or the nutritional composition of the different evaluated oat varieties, which obtained similar results.

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