Seasonal variation of the nutrient contents of Sarcopoterium spinosum (L.) Spach.

1. SEASONAL VARIATION OF THE NUTRIENT
CONTENTS OF SARCOPOTERIUM SPINOSUM
(L.) SPACH
Ahmet GÖKKUŞ1* Fırat ALATÜRK1 Baboo ALI1 Volkan ÇOBAN1
1Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University. Faculty of Agriculture. Dept. of Field Crop Sciences
*Corresponding author: E-mail: agokkus@comu.edu.tr

2. INTRODUCTION
Broad areas of
maquis scrubland
are found in
Marmara, Aegean
and Mediterranean
Regions of Turkey
where the
Mediterranean
climatic conditions
are dominant. This
situation is due to
the long hot and
dry summer
season of the
Mediterranean
climatic zone.
A portion of
Mediterranean
shrublands
(especially in
disrupted areas) is
composed of dwarf
shrubs called as
garrigue. In
addition to climatic
factors, soil
conditions are also
found very suitable
for dwarf shrubs.
In those areas with
drought season
and particularly
shallow soils, the
herbaceous plants
having roots close
to soil surface
become dry
quickly.

3. Under such conditions, shrubs with deeper roots become emplaced
and preserve their greenery during the drought season. Because of
this, the dominant plant vegetation cover in the Mediterranean climatic
zone are the shrubby lands (maquis and garrigue).
Maquis describes the shrubs growing up to 5 meters, while the
plant vegetation cover of garrigue describes the plants growing
upto a height of 1 meter.
Maquis and garrigue plant vegetation cover encompasses 100
million hectares of the earth’s surface in the World, while around 7
million hectares in Turkey (Baytekin et al.. 2005).

4. Gökçeada (Imbros), situated in the westernmost part of Turkey, is covered
by 27% maquis and 33% garrigue shrublands. The number of thorny
burnet plant is very high into the garrigue vegetation cover.
These areas in Gökçeada represent an important place in terms of
pasture-based animal husbandry due to its short and dry green forage
period, which is a common characteristic trait of the Mediterranean belt. In
these areas, sheep and goat farming is being increased.
In case of semi-arid Mediterranean shrublands, pasture plants have
gained resistance to grazing by hiding their grazeable leaves under their
thorny portions. That is why, the most favourable grazing periods are the
winter and autumn months when the plants become soften.

5. Some studies showed that
in periods when tasty
species are not found into
the vegetation cover then
the animals are compelled
to graze on Sarcopoterium
spinosum with low flavor
(Kababya et al.. 1998;
Aharon et al.. 2007).
S. spinosum is best
consumed especially by
sheep and goats.
However, a reduction
has been observed in
goat population in island
since 1980. On the other
hand, the Gökçeada
(Imbros) sheep has well
adapted to prickly burnet
plant.

6. A GENERAL OVERVIEW FROM WORLD DISTRIBUTION
OF SARCOPOTERIUM SPINOSUM

7. A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF
SARCOPOTERIUM SPINOSUM FROM TURKEY

8. MATERIAL AND METHODS
The research was
conducted in 2013 in
the Yıldız Village of
Gökçeada in
Çanakkale Province.
The plant materials
used in this research
have been collected
from the island, and
a total of 10 plants
selected randomly
during every visit of
island in each
season.
Plant samples were
collected in the
months of May,
August, November
and February to
represent the spring,
summer, autumn and
winter seasons. Plant
samples were
brought to the
laboratory and
separated into leaf
and stalk, and then
necessary analyses
have been done.
Leaf/stalk ratio,
crude oil and ash
analyses (AOAC,
2000), crude protein
(Bremner, 1960) and
NDF-ADF and ADL
analyses (Van Soest
et al., 1991) have
been done in this
research.The
obtained data from
the research were
analyzed using the
mean multiple
comparison test with
SAS 9.0 statistical
program.

12. LEAF, STALK AND LEAF/STALK RATIOS (%)
Seasons Leaf ratio (%) Stalk ratio (%) Leaf/stalk ratio
Autumn 37.57 62.43 0.60
Winter 42.38 57.62 0.74
Spring 41.84 58.16 0.72
Summer 41.72 58.28 0.72
Mean
40.88 59.12 0.69
Pr>F Pleaf ratio= 0.7944, Pstalk ratio= 0.7944, Pleaf/stalk ratio= 0.8871

13. RATIO OF CRUDE PROTEIN (%)
Seasons
Ratio of crude protein (%)
Stalk Leaf Mean
Autumn 3.71 6.38 a 4.71
Winter 3.69 7.46 a 5.29
Spring 4.13 7.10 a 5.37
Summer 3.72 4.63 b 4.10
Mean 3.81 6.39 4.87
Pr>F Pstalk=0.6773. Pleaf=0.0017

14. RATIO OF CRUDE ASH (%)
Seasons
Ratio of crude ash (%)
Stalk Leaf Mean
Autumn 3.99 9.38 6.01
Winter 6.13 9.53 7.57
Spring 4.61 8.39 6.19
Summer 4.95 11.35 7.63
Mean 4.92 9.66 6.85
Pr>F Pstalk=0.2986. Pleaf=0.3854

15. RATIO OF CRUDE FAT (%)
Seasons
Crude fat ratio (%)
Stalk Leaf Mean
Autumn 5.62 6.33 5.89
Winter 5.18 7.56 6.19
Spring 5.80 7.16 6.37
Summer 4.73 7.60 5.93
Mean 5.33 7.16 6.10
Pr>F Pstalk=0.3475. Pleaf=0.1622

16. RATIO OF CELL MEMBRANE MATTERS (NDF)
Seasons
NDF Ratio (%)
Stalk Leaf Mean
Autumn 66.93 40.60 57.03
Winter 68.53 36.19 54.83
Spring 70.77 43.41 59.32
Summer 71.85 42.98 59.81
Mean 69.52 40.79 57.75
Pr>F Pstalk=0.1884, Pleaf=0.2339

17. Seasons
ADF Ratio (%)
Stalk Leaf Mean
Autumn 49.21 23.98 b 39.73
Winter 51.72 22.31 b 39.25
Spring 52.88 27.54 a 42.28
Summer 54.74 22.83 b 41.42
Mean 52.14 24.17 40.67
Pr>F Pstalk=0.0582. Pleaf=0.0087

18. RATIO OF CELL MEMBRANE MATTERS (ADL)
Seasons
ADL Ratio (%)
Stalk Leaf Mean
Autumn 18.83 13.35 16.78
Winter 20.30 10.25 16.04
Spring 20.65 9.50 15.98
Summer 21.27 12.36 17.56
Mean 20.26 11.36 16.59
Pr>F Pstalk=0.6968, Pleaf=0.1128

19. CONCLUSIONS
The research was conducted aim to reveal the nutritional
potential of different parts (stalk and leaf) of the thorny burnet
(Sarcopoterium spinosum) commonly found on shrublands
vegetation cover (garrigue) in Mediterranean countries.
The overall mean percentage of nutritional contents in leaves
was found as 40.88%, in stalks as 59.12% and in case of
leaf/stalk, this ratio was noted as 0.69%.
The mean crude protein percentage in leaves was determined as
6.39%, but this ratio was recorded as 3.18% in stalks. The protein
contents of leaves reached to a maximum of 7.46% in winter, but
went down to the lowest ratio of 4.63% in summer.

20. The mean crude ash percentage in leaves was found as 9.63%,
while this value was noted as 4.92% in stalks. The highest
crude ash content (11.35%) in leaves was recorded in summer,
but the lowest (8.39%) in autumn.
The mean crude oil content in leaves was observed as 7.16%,
but stalks with the mean of 5.33%. The highest oil content
(7.60%) in leaves was found in summer, while the lowest
(6.33%) in autumn. But the mean oil content for whole plant
noted as 6.10%.
The mean ratio of NDF, ADF and ADL found in the leaves were
40.79%, 24.17% and 11.14%; respectively, while this ratio was
recorded as 69.52, 52.14 and 20.26% in case of stalks.

21. According to the results of this study, the nutritional
contents found in the leaves of plant may not be an
alternative forage source for pasture-based animal
farming in Mediterranean countries because of its
short green forage period, and the nutritional potential
of the stalk is below desirable levels. That is why, it is
not suggested and also not appropriate for animal
nutrition.
Thus, animals generally take more benefit
from this herbaceous plant in spring when its
new leaves started emerging.