Effect of Sowing Data and Nitrogen Fertilizer Levels on Yield and Quality of Chicory Forage in Ahwaz Climate Condition

Thanks to its palatability and high digestibility, chicory plays an effective role in increasing domestic animals’ products. In order to study the effect of sowing data and nitrogen fertilizer levels on some characteristics of chichory (Cichorium intybus L.), an experiment has been conducted in a split plot design, using randomized complete blocks design with three replications at the Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Khuzestan in 2016-2017. The factors include four sowing data (22 October, 5 November, 21 November, and 5 December) as the main plots and four levels of nitrogen (zero (non-application), 75, 150, and 225 kg / ha) as subplots. Results show that the sowing dates have only affected chlorophyll meter index, dry matter digestibility, and digestible energy, whereas nitrogen has had a significant effect on all studied traits. Increasing the application of nitrogen to 225 kg / ha increases plant height, chlorophyll meter index, leaf area, and branch number, not to mention both fresh and dry weights of the plant. The treatment of 225 kg / ha nitrogen raises the fresh weight of shoots and the percentage of forage protein by 66.35% and 6.44%, respectively, compared to non-application. But in these two traits, no significant difference has been observed among nitrogen application levels in different planting dates.  In this study, late planting date led to better conditions for most physiological, morphological yield, and quality characteristics. Accordingly, it is turned out that October 22 till November 5 sowing date with 150 kg ha-1 fertilizer has been the best treatment for chicory cultivation in Ahvaz.