Agro-ecological study of forage productivity of some annual untraditional drought-resistant fodder species for foothill regions in Central Balkan Mountains (Bulgaria)

Comparative testing of some annual untraditional drought-resistant cereal (foxtail millet and true millet) and legume crops (bitter vetch and chickpea) was conducted during 2011-2013 in the Research Institute of Mountain Stockbreeding and Agriculture (RIMSA) in Troyan (Bulgaria). The largest part of the forage yields had the stems in comparison with leaves and inflorescences. The chickpea had more green mass (12.82 t ha^-1) and dry mass (3.27 t ha^-1) yields than bitter vetch – respectively by 18.46% and 18.48%. Regarding the cereal crops it turned out that the true millet had more yields (12.98 t ha^-1 green mass and 3.32 t ha^-1 dry matter) than the foxtail millet (respectively 16.80% and 11.14%). Judging from the factual data it can be considered that the forage species studied in details are suitable for ecological fodder preparation in foothill regions of the Central Balkan Mountains in Bulgaria.