scholarly journals Effect of Varieties and Sowing Dates on Forage Yield and its Components in Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (5-1) ◽  
pp. 34-56
Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 550
Author(s):  
Panagiotis Kanatas ◽  
Ioannis Gazoulis ◽  
Ilias Travlos

Irrigation is an agronomic practice of major importance in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L), especially in the semiarid environments of Southern Europe. Field experimentation was conducted in Western Greece (2016–2018) to evaluate the effects of irrigation timing on weed presence, alfalfa yield performance, and forage quality. In a randomized complete block design (four replications), two cultivars (“Ypati 84” and “Hyliki”) were the main plots, while three irrigation timings were the subplots (split-plot). The irrigation timings were IT-1, IT-2, and IT-3, denoting irrigation 1 week before harvest, 1 week after harvest, and 2 weeks after harvest, respectively. IT-1 reduced Solanum nigrum L. density by 54% and 79% as compared to IT-3 and IT-2, respectively. Chenopodium album L. density was the highest under IT-2. IT-3 resulted in 41% lower Amaranthus retroflexus L. density in comparison to IT-2, while the lowest values were observed under IT-1. Stand density and stems·plant−1 varied between years (p ≤ 0.05). Mass·stem−1 and alfalfa forage yield were affected by the irrigation timings (p ≤ 0.001). Total weed density and forage yield were negatively correlated in both the second (R2 = 87.013%) and the fourth (R2 = 82.691%) harvests. IT-1 and IT-3 increased forage yield, leaf per stem ratio, and crude protein as compared to IT-2. Further research is required to utilize the use of cultural practices for weed management in perennial forages under different soil and climatic conditions.


Author(s):  
Allan Foster ◽  
Bill Biligetu

Cicer milkvetch (Astragalus cicer L.) (CMV) is a non-bloating, perennial legume that has shown persistence under grazing. Limited information is available on its seedling establishment and subsequent forage yield and nutritive value in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) mixtures. Field plots were seeded in May 2013 at Melfort, SK, Canada to evaluate ‘Oxley II’ cicer milkvetch performance in ‘AC Grazeland’ alfalfa or alfalfa and ‘AC Success’ hybrid bromegrass (Bromus riparius × B. inermis) mixtures from 2014 to 2017. Two controlled environment tests were also conducted by treating seeds of CMV using alfalfa root aqueous extract. Seed germination and seedling height of CMV were significantly reduced in aqueous extract. In field, establishment of CMV in a mixture containing alfalfa was reduced, and CMV dry matter proportion in the mixture increased only 3.5% over three years. Increasing CMV seeding rate did not increase its DM percent in the mixtures, indicating a high allelopathic effect of alfalfa. Forage DM yield of all mixtures was linearly correlated to the proportion of alfalfa, and adding hybrid brome did not increase the DM yield. Forage DM yield was higher for the three-cut than the two-cut treatments for CMV-alfalfa mixtures, but there was no difference between the cutting frequency for CMV-alfalfa- hybrid brome mixtures. Fiber concentrations decreased linearly with increased CMV seeding rate in the mixtures. This study showed CMV establishment in alfalfa mixtures was reduced in a same row seeding, and the allelopathic effect was not reduced by lower alfalfa seeding rates or adding a grass.


1999 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. W. Holt ◽  
P. G. Jefferson

Forage grasses need to be evaluated in pasture trials in the Great Plains region of North America. The objective of this study was to compare four grass–alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) mixtures for productivity and persistence when grazed during spring and summer. The grasses were Altai wildrye (Leymus angustus [Trin.] Pilger), intermediate wheatgrass (Elytrigia intermedia [Host] Nevski), meadow bromegrass (Bromus riparius Rehm. syn. B. biebersteinii Roem. & Schult.) and Russian wildrye (Psathyrostachys junceus [Fisch.] Nevski), with grass rows seeded perpendicular to the alfalfa rows. Two sites, 4 km apart, were grazed with yearling beef cattle from 1987 to 1993. Forage yield differed among grass treatments in 4 of 5 years, but differences were inconsistent over time. Five-year mean forage yields and total livestock production were not significantly different among the four grasses. Mean annual forage yields ranged from 800 to 8170 kg ha−1 and were related to the amount of growing season (April–August) precipitation. Carrying capacity ranged from 35 steer grazing days per hectare in 1992 to 176 in 1991. Grasses in the mixtures did have a significant effect on the grass–alfalfa ratio and on ground cover. Alfalfa content was highest when grown with Altai wildrye and lowest when grown with Russian wildrye. Percentage of ground cover by the grass plus alfalfa increased from an average of 3.8% in 1987 to 16.1% at one site and 31.9% at the second site by 1993. Russian wildrye contained the least alfalfa and weeds after 7 yr. Intermediate wheatgrass and Altai wildrye did not compete with invading weeds at one site, or with alfalfa at the other, and should not be recommended for spring–summer pastures in semiarid regions. Meadow bromegrass maintained a balance of grass and alfalfa and further research should confirm its persistence in semiarid climates. Key words: Leymus angustus, Elytrigia intermedia, Bromus riparius, Psathyrostachys junceus, Medicago sativa, grazing with cattle


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Synan AbuQamar ◽  
Thomas G. Sors ◽  
Suzanne M. Cunningham ◽  
Jeffrey J. Volenec

Phosphorus deficiency reduces forage yield and stand persistence of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Our objectives were to isolate and characterize a high-affinity phosphate-transporter (P-transporter) from alfalfa roots (Medicago sativa L.); determine how phosphorus (P) nutrition impacts P-uptake, growth, and carbohydrate and protein metabolism of alfalfa cells; and learn how expression of the P-transporter is influenced by P nutrition. An 1087-base pair (bp) sequence was isolated using RT-PCR that possessed high nucleotide and amino acid sequence similarity to high-affinity P-transporters. Cultured cells were sampled at 3-day intervals for 9 days while growing in media containing P concentrations ranging from 0 to 10 mM. Media P concentrations declined rapidly in all P treatments by day 6. Low media P concentrations (0, 0.1 and 0.5 mM) reduced cell growth rates compared to higher media P levels (2.5, 5 and 10 mM). Suspension cell cultures supplied 0.5, 2.5, 5, and 10 mM P had lower starch concentrations by day 3 compared to cells cultured in media containing 0 and 0.1 mM P. Steady-state transcript levels for the high-affinity P- transporter were high in P-deprived cells, but declined within 1 day when cells were provided 10 mM P.


Author(s):  
Sebahattin Albayrak ◽  
Mehmet Oten ◽  
Mevlut Turk ◽  
Mehmet Alagoz

The aim of the research was to determine the forage yield and quality of thirty alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) genotypes. Plots were established in 2014 in Isparta, Turkey, in a randomized complete block design with 3 replicates. Five cuttings were done during the 2015, 2016 and 2017. The dry matter yield (DMY), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), acid detergent lignin (ADL) and relative feed value (RFV) were determined. According to the three years average results, significant differences were determined for all parameters. Alfalfa genotypes viz., Cay-1, Cay-2, Keciborlu-1 and Keciborlu-3 were selected for alfalfa breeding program due to their superior yield and quality features.


2006 ◽  
Vol 46 (9) ◽  
pp. 1161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. G. Guo ◽  
H. X. Liu ◽  
F. P. Tian ◽  
Z. H. Zhang ◽  
S. M. Wang

A silicon (Si)-deficient top soil was used in a pot experiment to investigate the effect of Si application on the shoot and root morphology of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Silicon was applied to the alfalfa plants at 6 different rates (0, 0.025, 0.05, 0.10, 0.20, 0.30 g/kg), and each treatment was replicated 6 times. This study indicated that the Si content of roots and shoots increased significantly (P<0.05) with increasing Si concentration in the soil, and that the Si content of roots was greater than that of shoots. Plants treated with Si had increased leaf area, height, forage yield and shoots per plant during the reproductive period in comparison with controls. The application of Si also increased root volume, the number of secondary roots and root biomass. The effects of Si application were greater on roots than on shoots. The ratio of shoot to root dry weight was below 1.62 when Si was applied to plants and 1.91 without Si application. Overall, overcoming available Si deficiency resulted in a significant increase in shoot and root growth.


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