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MACRO-MINERAL STATUS
AT THREE PHENOLOGICAL STAGES OF SOME RANGE SHRUBS OF
GADOON HILLS, DISTRICT SWABI, KHYBER PUKHTUNKHWA,
PAKISTAN
ZAMAN SHER1,
FARRUKH HUSSAIN2 AND MOHAMMAD SALEEM3
Abstract:
The purpose of
this study was to evaluate the macro-mineral status of some shrubs
species at three phenological stages which are commonly grazed by
livestock in Gadoon hills, District Swabi, Pakistan. Eight shrubs
species viz., Berberis lycium, Debregeasia salicifolia, Dodonaea
viscosa, Gymnosporia royleana, Indigofera heterantha, Justicia adhatoda,
Rosa moschata and Zizyphus nummularia were analyzed for
Ca, K, Mg, Na, and N contents. Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium and Nitrogen
contents differed significantly among the shrubs and among all
phenological stages except Debregeasia and Indigofera in
which the Ca concentration was similar. Potassium contents
differed significantly among the various investigated shrubs but such
difference was not found among the different phenological stages.
Gymnosporia showed extremely low nitrogen contents than all other
shrubs. The reproductive stage of Indigofera contained highest
amount of nitrogen among all the shrubs. The present study showed that
macro-mineral contents were quite high in all the tested shrubs at all
the phenological stages, which generally might fulfill the requirement
of grazing animals.
1Govt.
Degree College, Lahor, District Swabi, Pakistan
2Phytoecology
Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Peshawar, Pakistan
3Department
of Animal Nutrition, Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Agriculture University Peshawar,
Pakistan.
Corresponding author’s e-mail: zamanbotany@yahoo.com
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