Аннотация:There has been an increased interest in growing nontraditional cereal crops and studying the possibility of using them as raw material for feed preparation. Such promising crops include Indian dwarf wheat (Triticum sphaerococcum Percival). The aim of this study was to determine the nutritional value of Indian dwarf wheat ears in different phases of ripeness for use as raw material in feed production in comparison with soft wheat, and to determine the rational time frame of their harvesting for feed purposes. Harvesting was carried out by combing without threshing and separating grain heap in different phases of maturity. Feed was prepared from the grain heap. Chemical analysis of samples was carried out using standard methods. The mid-wax ripeness phase is the best time to harvest Indian dwarf wheat for preparing feed from its ears when they contain the maximum amount of essential amino acids and the minimum amount of fiber. The feed prepared from the ears of Indian dwarf wheat is of better quality than feed from soft wheat; in particular, it has an increased content of the sum of essential amino acids (by 1.06–2.23%) and individual amino acids (by 1–5%). This opens opportunities for using the crop in the preparation of feed in order to improve the quality of protein. The disadvantages of feed from Indian dwarf wheat include the increased (by 4– 10% compared to soft wheat) fiber content. The grain heap (ears) of Indian dwarf wheat harvested without threshing in the phase of early wax and mid-wax ripeness can be a source of raw materials that ensure an increase in the nutritional value of feed.
