Abstract
Sulla is a short-lived Mediterranean perennial legume with remarkable growth in clay and calcareous soils. It is of great interest for pasture utilisation for its good nutritional value in early stages and bloat-safe characteristics and it may be interesting for silage conservation due to its high spring yield and sligar content. The aim of this work was to study the evolution of yield and nutritional characteristics of forage during the first growth cycle and their relationships with the morphological stages in two environments. The field experiments were set up in Sassari (Sardinia) and Ancona (central Italy). In one year experiment, yield, DM content, water soluble carbohydrates (WSC), crude protein, NDF, ADF, ADL, and in vitro organic matter digestibility (OMD) were determined in the first growth cycle on cultivar Grimaldi in the two environments plus cv. Sparacia in Ancona. The morphological stage was evaluated and codified with an original scale here proposed based on the Kalu and Fick's scale (1981) for lucerne. The forage characteristics were regressed on the codified morphological stage and some weather data. The DM content was positively related to the codified stage, and resulted to be particularly low, ranging from 100 to 200 g kg-1, without any difference between cv. and sites (R2 adj. = 0.81). The WSC resulted to be dependent on the codified stage, N content in the plant and minimum temperature ofthe day before harvesting (R2 adj. = 0.87). The NDF ranged from 300 to 550 g (kg DM)-1 and was directly related to growing degree days (DD) and stage. The OMD, which is the most important determinant ofthe nutritive value, was inversely related to the stage and ranged from 758 to 533 g (kg OM)-1 as extreme values without difference between cv. in Ancona and in Sassari ranged at a lower level from 714 to 492 g (kg OM)-. Analysing the pooled data of OMD over the sites and cv. the following regression equation was obtained: OMD = -20.7 STAGE -0.111 DD + 830 (R2 adj. = 0.90). These relationships indicate the potential usefulness of the numerical codification of the morphological stage adopted for defining the quality of sulla. The stage, together with DD, resulted to be a promising predictor for the estimation ofOMD of sulla forage. La sulla, leguminosa mediterranea adatta a suoli argillosi e calcarei, presenta un marcato interesse per l'utilizzo a pascolo \ne alcune sue peculiari caratteristiche, tra le quali il buon tenore in carboidrati solubili e l'elevata produttività del taglio primaverile, potrebbe favorire l'utilizzazione del foraggio per l'insilamento. Lo scopo di questo lavoro è stato quello di studiare l'evoluzione della produzione, delle caratteristiche di insilabilità del foraggio di sulla in relazione allo stadio morfologico di sviluppo in due ambienti collinari diversi. Da colture di cv. Grimaldi \ne Sparacia ad Ancona e cv. Grimaldi a Sassari, nel periodo compreso tra fase vegetativa e allegagione, sono stati raccolti settimanalmente campioni di foraggio per ciascuno dei quali è stato determinato lo stadio morfologico con un metodo quantitativo proposto da Kalu e Fick per l'erba medica, adattato per la sulla. Sono stati misurati per ogni rilievo: produzione, tenore in sostanza secca (s.s.), carboidrati solubili in acqua (CSA), proteina grezza, fibra grezza, NDF, ADF, ADL e digeribilità in vitro della sostanza organica (DSO). Le caratteristiche qualitative del foraggio sono state messe in relazione mediante regressione con lo stadio codificato ed alcune variabili climatiche quali variabili indipendenti. Il contenuto di s.s. è aumentato con l'evolversi dello stadio senza nessuna differenza significativa tra cv. esiti (R2 adj. = 0,81). I valori osservati sono particolarmente bassi <130 g (kgS.S.)-1) fino a fioritura. I CSA sono risultati inversamente correlati con lo stadio codificato, il tenore in N della pianta e la temperatura minima del giorno precedente la raccolta (R2 adj. = 0,87). La DSO è risultata inversamente correlata con lo stadio di sviluppo senza differenze fra le cv. ad Ancona, ma ha evidenziato decrementi settimanali differenti nei due siti, pari a 32 e 37 g (kg S.O.)-1 rispettivamente ad Ancona e Sassari. Dall'analisi di regressione multipla di tutti i dati emerge che il parametro che differenzia la DSO nei due ambienti è la somma termica (DD), come evidenzia la seguente equazione di regressione unica per cv. esiti: DSO = -20,7 Stadio - 0,111 DD + 830 (R2 adj. = 0,90). Lo stadio morfologico codificato, assieme alla somma termica, è risultato un parametro fondamentale nello studio dell'evoluzione della qualità , nonché un promettente predittore per la stima della DSO.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Sulla dry matter content rose with morphological stage and ranged from 100 to 200 g kg-1.
- Organ / stage
- codified stagee0
- Outcome
- DM contente0
- Direction
- positively relatede0
- Value
- 100 to 200 g kg-1e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“The DM content was positively related to the codified stage, and resulted to be particularly low, ranging from 100 to 200 g kg-1”
e1“Sulla is a short-lived Mediterranean perennial legume”
Claim · model-written summary
Dry matter content did not differ between cultivars or sites.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“without any difference between cv. and sites”
e1“The DM content was positively related to the codified stage”
e2“Sulla is a short-lived Mediterranean perennial legume”
Claim · model-written summary
Water soluble carbohydrates depended on stage, plant nitrogen content, and the previous day’s minimum temperature.
- Organ / stage
- codified stagee0
- Outcome
- WSCe0
- Value
- R2 adj. = 0.87e0
- Qualifier
- N content in the plant and minimum temperature ofthe day before harvestinge0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“The WSC resulted to be dependent on the codified stage, N content in the plant and minimum temperature ofthe day before harvesting (R2 adj. = 0.87)”
e1“Sulla is a short-lived Mediterranean perennial legume”
Claim · model-written summary
NDF rose with growing degree days and stage, ranging from 300 to 550 g (kg DM)-1.
- Organ / stage
- stagee0
- Outcome
- NDFe0
- Direction
- directly relatede0
- Value
- 300 to 550 g (kg DM)-1e0
- Setting
- growing degree days (DD)e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“The NDF ranged from 300 to 550 g (kg DM)-1 and was directly related to growing degree days (DD) and stage”
e1“Sulla is a short-lived Mediterranean perennial legume”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic matter digestibility declined with stage, spanning 758 to 533 g (kg OM)-1.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“The OMD, which is the most important determinant ofthe nutritive value, was inversely related to the stage and ranged from 758 to 533 g (kg OM)-1”
e1“Sulla is a short-lived Mediterranean perennial legume”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic matter digestibility did not differ between cultivars in Ancona.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“without difference between cv. in Ancona”
e1“The OMD, which is the most important determinant”
e2“Sulla is a short-lived Mediterranean perennial legume”
Claim · model-written summary
Organic matter digestibility in Sassari ranged at a lower level, from 714 to 492 g (kg OM)-.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“in Sassari ranged at a lower level from 714 to 492 g (kg OM)-”
e1“The OMD, which is the most important determinant”
e2“Sulla is a short-lived Mediterranean perennial legume”
Claim · model-written summary
A regression of pooled organic matter digestibility on stage and degree days had adjusted R² of 0.90.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“OMD = -20.7 STAGE -0.111 DD + 830 (R2 adj. = 0.90)”
e1“Sulla is a short-lived Mediterranean perennial legume”
Claim · model-written summary
Morphological stage and degree days were proposed as predictors of sulla forage digestibility.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.

Verbatim
e0“The stage, together with DD, resulted to be a promising predictor for the estimation ofOMD of sulla forage”