The information about the forage quality of rangeland species is essential to supply a reasonable diet to livestock and determine thestocking rate and grazing time on rangelands. Salsola turcomanica is one of the important species of semi-arid rangelands in the Western part of Golestan province, Iran. The present study was conducted to provide information about the nutritive value of S.turcomanica at different growth stages in 2019. Plant samples (with three replications) were randomly collected in four growth stages (vegetative stage, early flowering, late flowering and seed maturity) from Gomishan rangelands during the summer and autumn 2019. Seven quality indices, including Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF), Crude Protein (CP), Dry Matter Digestibility (DMD), Metabolizable Energy (ME), Digestible Energy (DE), Total Digestible Nutrient (TDN) and Ash content (Ash) were analyzed. Data analysis was performed using One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) method and mean comparisons were done by Duncan test. The results demonstrated that there are significant differences among phenological stages for all the traits (p <0.05). The results demonstrated that the content of CP (from 25.66% to 8.33%), DMD (from 84.45% to 56.31%), ME (from 12.35 to 7.57 MJ/Kg), Ash (from 40.03% to 35.60 %), DE (from 36.17 to 24.12 Mcal/Kg) and TDN (from 82.55% to 53.41%) were decreased by the progress of growth stages. Regarding its growth seasons and high values of CP, ME and DMD in all phenological stages, it is suggested that this species can have aprominent place in the grazing livestock diet in semi-arid rangelands. تفاصيل المقالة

In rangeland management, the ecological needs and response of plants to the environment is studied by investigating the relationship among measurements of plants and environmental factors. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between plant density, vegetation cover and biomass of Salsola turcomanica with the soil physico-chemical properties. For this purpose, in three areas (area with high, medium and low coverage of S.turcomanica), three transects of 100 m length were located at a distance of 100 m from each other. In each transect, 10 plots (2m2) were systematically established. Then vegetation cover and the density of individual plants were recorded. Biomass was estimated via cutting and weighing method. Soil samples were systematically taken from center of each plot at the depth of 0-20cm. Some soil physical and chemical properties such as soil texture, bulk density, pH, EC, organic carbon, Absorbable P, exchangeable K and Na were measured. Data were analyzed by one-way analysis of variance and mean comparisons were made using the Tukey test. The relationships among plant measurements and soil properties were investigated using multiple regression analysis. The results demonstrated that soil acidity had the most influence on the vegetation cover of S.turcomanica, likewise soil acidity and soil exchangeable sodium content had the most influence on its biomass. Among the exchangeable cations, Ca had the highest value and Na had the lowest one. This plant grows in saline and alkaline soils with low organic matter. Considering its long growth period and adaptation of this species to harsh environmental conditions, its use in rangeland improvement operations is recommended. تفاصيل المقالة