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One of the challenges in arid and semi-arid regions for fodder supply is water scarcity. Various strategies have been proposed to produce fodder using less water. One of these is forage production under greenhouse conditions. To evaluate the feasibility of fodder production in greenhouse conditions (with plastic cover), a study was conducted in Yazd, Iran, from 2022 to 2024 under non-saline (less than 1.5 dS m-1) and saline water (3.4 dS m-1). The forage crops were sorghum, corn, proso millet, amaranth, soybean, quinoa, lathyrus, hairy vetch, broad bean, triticale, barley, beet, and safflower. Additionally, to assess the quality of the forage, quality indices such as starch, crude protein, acid detergent fiber (ADF), and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) were measured for some species. The results showed that under greenhouse conditions, the crop had relatively high heights. The fresh and dry forage yields of sorghum for one year were 650 and 117 Mg ha-1, respectively, which was at least five times higher than the production of the plant in field conditions. "Dehghan" and "Chavosh" were selected as suitable corn cultivars for forage production in greenhouses, with yields of approximately 86 and 102 Mg ha-1 (average for saline and non-saline conditions), and a cob index of about 25%. For fodder beet, the results showed that the varieties of this crop were capable of producing between 197 and 237 Mg ha-1 of fresh forage (including root and leaf) in a 120-day period under non-saline conditions. In a 90-day period under saline conditions, the forage yield of the cultivars ranged from 163 to 185 Mg ha-1. The forage yield of quinoa, lathyrus, and proso millet was not considerable under greenhouse conditions. Furthermore, due to need for insect activity in pollination, a few pods were formed in broad bean plant. The crude protein content of the hairy vetch, proso millet, quinoa, sorghum, amaranth, and corn were 21.9%, 17.3%, 16.8%, 10.7%, 21.0%, and 8.3% under greenhouse conditions, respectively. Based on the results compared to field conditions, the amount of water savings in the greenhouse for forage production ranged from 34.5% to 70% depending on the conventional irrigation methods in field. Additionally, the economic evaluation of forage production under greenhouse conditions considering operating costs, yield, and income in 2022, showed that in greenhouses where the annual production of cucumber and tomato is less than 16-17 tons per 1,000 m2, the advantage is production of fodder crops. The results of this study showed that in dry and semi-dry regions where water is limited, it is possible to produce more fodder in plastic greenhouses with less water consumption.
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