Mineral contents of natural pasture crops in Central Anatolian region of Turkey

Objective of this study was to determine the mineral contents of common pasture forage legumes and cereals intensively grazed by livestock of Central Anatolian Region. A total of 10 forage cereals and 15 forage legumes collected at flowering periods during June 2011 from pastures of Kayseri and analyzed. Study revealed that forage legumes had sufficient Na and Cu levels in all plants, Vicia narbonensis and Trifolium pratense had desired levels of Zn and others had higher than desired levels of Zn. Other elements were found to be at higher levels than desired levels but not reaching to harmful levels. In forage cereals, while P, Ca, Na and Cu were found to be at desired ranges, Zn was within desired ranges in Amaranthus edulis and Agropyron cristatum and higher than desired levels in other plants. The other elements were found to be higher than desired ranges but lower than toxic or harmful levels. It was concluded that pasture crops of Central Anatolia were rich in trace elements and there was no need for supplemental trace element feeding.