Effects of harvesting systems on yield, persistence, and nutritive value of alfalfa

1992 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 793-799 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Bélanger ◽  
J. E. Richards ◽  
R. E. McQueen
Keyword(s):  
Medicago Sativa ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Rest Period ◽  
Growth Period ◽  
Harvest Management ◽  
The Third ◽  
Stage Of Development ◽  
Potassium Fertilization ◽  
Harvesting Systems ◽  
Medicago Sativa L

The number of annual harvests and the interval between harvests affect DM yield, persistence, and nutritive value of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). The effects of harvesting alfalfa three times annually, with the intervals between harvests varied and with the third harvest taken prior to, during, or after the critical fall rest period, were investigated from 1985 to 1988 on a field of alfalfa established in 1984. Seven harvesting systems, comprising three harvests with varied regrowth intervals and a two-harvest system, were studied along with two rates of potassium fertilization. Harvesting alfalfa three times a year, with the third harvest taken during or after the critical fall rest period, produced the largest yields of DM, digestible DM, and crude protein. Dry matter yield was not reduced in three-harvest systems when the third harvest was taken during the critical fall rest period, provided there was an interval of approximately 500 growing degree-days between second and third harvests. Taking the first harvest at the early bud stage of development instead of the early bloom stage reduced annual DM yields. Increasing annual potassium fertilization from 200 to 400 kg K ha−1 did not affect DM yield or persistence under any harvesting system. Harvesting management of alfalfa in the fall should be based on the duration of the growth period between the second and third harvests instead of a critical fall rest period based on calendar dates.Key words: Medicago sativa L., yield, nutritive value, persistence, harvest management, K fertilization

Replacing synthetic N with clovers or alfalfa in bermudagrass pastures. 1. Herbage mass and pasture carrying capacity

2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 539 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Beck ◽  
T. Hess ◽  
D. Hubbell ◽  
M. S. Gadberry ◽  
J. Jennings ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medicago Sativa ◽  
Trifolium Repens ◽  
Carrying Capacity ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Cynodon Dactylon ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Fertilisation Rate ◽  
Medicago Sativa L ◽  
Trifolium Repens L

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of including alfalfa (ALF, Medicago sativa L.) or a combination of white (Trifolium repens L.) and red (Trifolium pretense L.) clovers (CLVR) inter-seeded into bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L. Pers.) on herbage nutritive value compared with monocultures of bermudagrass fertilised with 0 (0N), 56 (56N), or 112 (112N) kg nitrogen (N)/ha over four grazing seasons. In autumn, at the end of the fourth year and in the spring before the fifth grazing season, alfalfa and clover plants were killed and the carryover N benefit of CLVR or ALF was compared with N fertilisation rates during the fifth year. Across years, N fertilisation rate increased herbage mass and carrying capacity linearly; whereas herbage production from CLVR and ALF swards was equivalent to 56N, were greater than 0N and less than 112N. Herbage mass in CLVR and ALF swards was greater than fertilised bermudagrass swards in the spring and did not differ from fertilised bermudagrass in the early summer. In late summer herbage accumulation of CLVR and ALF swards appeared to decrease, limiting the herbage mass in the legume pastures compared with 56N and 112N. Carrying capacity of CLVR and ALF swards was greater than fertilised bermudagrass in the spring and early summer, but did not differ from fertilised swards in the late summer. The N benefit of including legumes in bermudagrass swards can alleviate the reliance on synthetic N fertilisation with little overall effect on pasture carrying capacity.

Establishment and productivity of cicer milkvetch (Astragalus cicer L.) in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) or alfalfa- hybrid bromegrass mixtures

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Allan Foster ◽  
Bill Biligetu
Keyword(s):  
Medicago Sativa ◽  
Aqueous Extract ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Forage Yield ◽  
Allelopathic Effect ◽  
Limited Information ◽  
Seeding Rate ◽  
Bromus Riparius ◽  
Medicago Sativa L ◽  
Astragalus Cicer

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.

scholarly journals Prediction of the chemical composition and nutritive value of lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) by Near Infrared Spectroscopy

2005 ◽  
Vol 4 (sup2) ◽  
pp. 141-143
Author(s):  
S. Colombini ◽  
M. Confalonieri ◽  
G. Borreani ◽  
E. Tabacco ◽  
P.G. Peiretti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Chemical Composition ◽  
Medicago Sativa ◽  
Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Medicago Sativa L

GENETIC VARIATION FOR FORAGE QUALITY OF ALFALFA STEMS

1987 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 1057-1067 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. R. BUXTON ◽  
G. C. MARTEN ◽  
J. S. HORNSTEIN
Keyword(s):  
Cell Wall ◽  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Medicago Sativa ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Growth Traits ◽  
Forage Quality ◽  
In Vitro Digestibility ◽  
Medicago Sativa L

When normally harvested for hay, the basal portion of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) stems is low in forage quality. This study was conducted to determine whether genetic variation for in vitro digestible dry matter (IVDDM) and crude protein (CP) concentration of stems of perennial Medicago spp. could be identified and whether morphological and chemical traits were associated with variation in these characteristics of stems. The lower six nodes and internodes of stems and total herbage from 64 Plant Introduction (PI) accessions and five cultivars of field-grown plants were harvested twice when most plants were at the early seed-pod stage of maturity. Several morphological and growth traits were measured, and both stems and total herbage were evaluated for IVDDM and CP concentration. Covariant analysis was used to adjust in IVDDM and CP concentration of stems for differences in plant maturity. Significant variation for IVDDM and CP concentration in stems existed among the cultivars and among the accessions. Some accessions had significantly higher stem IVDDM or CP concentration than control cultivars. The M. sativa accession, PI 440496, had the fourth highest stem IVDDM and third highest stem CP, with concentrations of 374 and 79 g kg−1, respectively. The number of ridges on stems (stem shape) was significantly correlated with stem IVDDM and CP concentration with average correlation coefficients of 0.30 and 0.35, respectively. Cell-wall concentration and lignin concentration per unit cell wall of stems were both negatively correlated with stem IVDDM and CP concentration. Selection for improved nutritive value of stems may have potential for improving the nutritive value of alfalfa herbage.Key words: Alfalfa, forage quality, crude protein, in vitro digestibility, Medicago sativa L.

WINTERHARDINESS OF ALFALFA CULTIVARS IN SOUTHERN SASKATCHEWAN

1973 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 773-777 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. H. HEINRICHS
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Medicago Sativa ◽  
Great Plains ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Northern Great Plains ◽  
Dry Land ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Medicago Sativa L

Winter injury occurring at Swift Current, Saskatchewan, was recorded in 17 tests during the period 1962–72. Cultivars developed in the Northern Great Plains Region of the USA and in Canada were generally more winter-hardy than cultivars developed in other regions of North America or in Europe. Cultivars classified as Medicago media Pers. were more winter-hardy than those classified as Medicago sativa L. Very few USA cultivars were more winter-hardy than Vernal, but most Canadian cultivars were. In nonhardy cultivars winter injury never occurred during the first winter, but it often occurred in the second winter and frequently in the third winter. There was considerably more winter injury among alfalfa cultivars on irrigated land than on dry land. Based on results from these tests, 50 cultivars and strains have been classified for relative winterhardiness under climatic conditions in southern Saskatchewan, Canada.

Bloat in cattle fed alfalfa selected for a low initial rate of digestion

1994 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 451-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. W. Hall ◽  
W. Majak ◽  
D. G. Stout ◽  
K.-J. Cheng ◽  
B. P. Goplen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Medicago Sativa ◽  
Protein Content ◽  
Key Words ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Initial Rate ◽  
Legume Species ◽  
The Third ◽  
Fourth Cycle ◽  
Medicago Sativa L

Investigations of legume species which do and do not cause bloat suggested that a bloat-safe alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) might be produced by reducing its initial rate of digestion. This study compared a third cycle alfalfa synthetic selected for a low initial rate of digestion (LIRD) with a control cultivar (Beaver). The occurrence of bloat was not significantly lower when cattle were fed cycle 3 LIRD than when fed Beaver in three grazing trials or in two of three feedlot trials. The deviation of the results in the third trial could not be explained by differences in dry matter or protein content. When grown under irrigation, the 4 h dry matter disappearance (DMD) of cycle 3 LIRD was 89% to 96% of that for Beaver. This reduction was much less than has been hypothesized to prevent bloat. Without irrigation the 4 h DMD of both cultivars were reduced by 1–3% while cycle 3 LIRD continued to have a lower DMD than Beaver. LIRD may provide some protection against bloat on dry rangelands though the response may be variable in years when moisture is well supplied. Studies with a fourth cycle LIRD selection will investigate this further. Key words: Legumes, Medicago sativa L., nylon bag, digestion

Yield, persistence, and nutritive value of autumn harvested tall fescue

2007 ◽  
Vol 87 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-75 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Drapeau ◽  
G. Bélanger ◽  
G. F. Tremblay ◽  
R. Michaud
Keyword(s):  
Tall Fescue ◽  
Nutritive Value ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Yield Potential ◽  
Soluble Carbohydrates ◽  
Harvest Management ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
The Third ◽  
Water Soluble Carbohydrates

Tall fescue, harvested or grazed in autumn, may be a potential source of forage but little is known of the effect of a fall harvest or grazing on yield and nutritive value of tall fescue in the mid-north of eastern Canada (˜ 1400 growing degree-days). Three tall fescue cultivars (Courtenay, Kokanee, and Montebello) were submitted to 10 harvest management treatments (two dates of second harvest and five dates of third harvest) over 3 production years in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region (QC). The cultivars Courtenay and Kokanee were more productive and persistent than Montebello. The annual DM yield decreased by an average of 15% between the first and the second production year and by an average of 35% between the first and the third production year; these decreases were greater (22 and 41%, respectively) when the third harvest was taken in early October. Increasing from 28 to 35 d the interval between the first and second harvests increased DM yield of the second harvest by more than 0.5 Mg ha-1, but caused a greater reduction in DM yield of the third harvest, primarily during the first 2 production years. Third-harvest DM yields of more than 4.0 Mg ha-1 were obtained in the first and second production years, while third-harvest DM yields varied from 2.5 to 3.0 Mg ha-1 in the third production year. With the delay of the third harvest in autumn, the concentration of crude protein decreased to 120 g kg-1 DM, the concentration of water-soluble carbohydrates increased to 150 g kg-1 DM, while that of acid detergent fibre changed very little. Tall fescue has a significant yield potential in late summer and early autumn in the mid-north of eastern Canada, primarily in the first 2 production years. However, harvesting or grazing tall fescue in the week preceding or following the first killing frost will reduce persistence and spring regrowth the following year. Key words: Lolium arundinaceum (Schreb.) S. J. Darbyshire, cutting management, cultivars, water-soluble carbohydrates

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