CREEPING CLOVER (Trifolium repens L.): BIOLOGICAL FEATURES, ECONOMIC SIGNIFICANCE, VARIETIES AND METHODS OF SEED PRODUCTION WHEN GROWN IN GRASS MIXTURES WITH A CEREAL COMPONENT

Creeping clover (Trifolium repens L.) is one of the best crops for creating meadow and pasture agrophytocenoses of long-term use. The biological features of this crop, such as durability, good yield, resistance to grazing, high leafiness, along with good feed quality indicators, its high protein nutritional value, make it indispensable when creating pastures not only in Russia, but also abroad. Creeping clover is one of the main components of grass mixtures for improving pastures and developing fallow lands; it is also an excellent phyto-meliorative crop that restores soil fertility. The most important problem of creeping clover seed production is harvesting due to the short stature of pasture varieties. Therefore, it is recommended to grow creeping clover for seeds in a mixture of grass together with cereal components such as perennial ryegrass, reed fescue, meadow fescue, etc. Due to the use of biological nitrogen of the legume component, energy consumption for the production of 1 kg of cereal grass seeds is reduced by 20–30% in comparison with uncoverless single-species crops. In addition to clover seeds, growing in grass mixtures allows you to get high yields of grass seeds in the second year of use without the use of nitrogen fertilizers.

An innovative technical solution to the issue of conditioning forage grasses

Acceleration of wilting of forage grasses treated during mowing by the working bodies of dynamic conditioners installed on disc mowers is a prerequisite for improving the quality of forage, primarily in terms of the concentration of high-quality protein, vitamins and other biologically active substances, as well as energy. The main working body of modern conditioning devices is a horizontal shaft rotating at a speed of 18-29 m / s with hinged beaters of various configurations placed on its surface, which ensure grass dragging along the surface of corrugated decks, through combs, etc. [1]. Such devices significantly increase the weight of the mowers, which increases their cost by about 1/3, and the use of an additional drive of the conditioner shaft leads to operational difficulties. In this regard, the search for innovative technical solutions aimed at improving this situation is a very urgent task. The article describes the design and principle of operation of a rotary conditioner with a vertical axis of rotation developed in Federal Williams Research Center of Forage Production & Agroecology for the KR-2.1M mower of the “Agramak” company, the articulated beams of which are installed directly on its discs. The mower with an innovative conditioner was tested on a mixture of reed fescue with clover of the first cut and on tetraploid meadow fescue of the second. The yield of green mass, the composition of the herbage, its height and lodging, as well as the phase of development were determined in accordance with the guidelines for conducting field experiments with forage crops. The work of the mower was evaluated according to GOST 28722-90. The article presents data on the degree of damage to treated plants and the dynamics of the rate of their dehydration.

Evaluation of cereal forage grasses and forages from them according to the content of protein insoluble in acid detergent

The nitrogen content was determined in acid-detergent fiber (ADF) isolated from awnless rump, meadow fescue and meadow timothy, depending on the phase of their the same phases are for silage and haylage. Samples for analyzes were dried at a temperature of 60-65 ° C. As the grasses grew, an increase in the content of CDC in them was observed, which was also accompanied by an increase in ADF from the phase of entering the tube to flowering in timothy grass - from 1.18 to 1.36%, in meadow fescue - from 0.96 to 1.58 5%. When preserving grasses, an increase in the content of CDC is observed in all phases of their growth as compared to the original grass, but the mass fraction of ADF in the dry matter of silage and haylage was no more than in the original grass. If the technology of harvesting silage and haylage is observed, the level of thermal damage to these forages does not increase. With the growth of grasses from the vegetative phase to flowering, the content of SP in grasses and forages from them decreases, while the proportion of ADF in it increases. The inverse relationship between these indicators had correlation coefficients of 0.83, 0.88 and 0.92 for grasses, silage and haylage, respectively. The need to harvest them in earlier phases of growth is noted.

Evaluation of grass mixtures of a lawn type in the conditions of forest-steppe of the Middle Volga region

In 2019-2020, the quality of lawn-type grass mixtures based on creeping clover (Trifolium repens L.), meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis), pasture ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and meadow bluegrass (Poa pratensis) was evaluated in the conditions of the forest-steppe of the Middle Volga region (Penza region). The studied factors are the composition of the mixtures (creeping clover + bluegrass component), the seeding rates of the components (40 + 70 %; 55 + 55 %; 70 + 40 %) and the background of mineral nutrition (without fertilizers, P45K45, N30P45K45). The growing season during the years of research was characterized by arid conditions, the hydrothermal coefficient (HTC) for the period May-September in 2019 was 0.79, in 2020 - 0.76. On average, over two years of grass mixtures of creeping clover with meadow bluegrass at a seeding rate of 40 + 70 % and 70 + 40 % (from the seeding rate in pure form), creeping clover with meadow fescue with a seeding rate of 70 + 40 % components at all doses of mineral fertilizers had the highest comprehensive assessment of the quality of the lawn. The grass mixtures of creeping clover with meadow bluegrass (70 + 40 %) and creeping clover with meadow fescue (70 + 40 %) against the background of application of N30P45K45 had the maximum indicators in terms of herbage density (1425 and 1475 pcs/m2), which significantly exceeded the control and the variant with the introduction of Р45К45. In these variants, the highest indicators of projective cover (97.5 %) and a comprehensive assessment of "excellent" and "highest quality". According to weediness, the crops were estimated at 1 point (slightly weedy), per 1 m2 of annual and biennial weeds there were 24-27 pcs., rhizome weeds - less than 10 pcs. per 1 m2, the area of weed projective cover did not exceed 5 %.

Longevity of Plant Pathogens in Dry Agricultural Seeds During 30 Years of Storage

Plant diseases may survive and be spread by infected seeds. In this study we monitored the longevity of 14 seed-borne pathogens in 9 crop species commonly grown in the Nordic countries, in addition to a sample of sclerotia of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. The data from the first 30 years of a 100-year seed storage experiment located in a natural −3.5 °C environment (permafrost) in Svalbard, Norway, are presented. To date, the pathogens, tested by traditional seed health testing methods (freezing blotter, agar plates, growing on tests), have survived. Linear regression analyses showed that the seed infection percentages of Drechslera dictyoides in meadow fescue, Drechslera phlei in timothy, and Septoria nodorum in wheat were significantly reduced compared to the percentages at the start of the experiment (from 63% to 34%, from 70% to 65%, and from 15% to 1%, respectively), and that Phoma betae in beet had increased significantly (from 43% to 56%). No trends in the infection percentage were observed over the years in Drechslera spp. in barley (fluctuating between 30% and 64%) or in Alternaria brassicicola in cabbage (fluctuating between 82% and 99%), nor in pathogens with low seed infection percentages at the start of the experiment. A major part of the stored sclerotia was viable after 30 years. To avoid the spread of seed-borne diseases, it is recommended that gene banks implement routines that avoid the use of infected seeds.

321 Extrusion of Grass Silage Increase Intake and Milk Yield in Dairy Cows

This research evaluated effects of grass silage extrusion on dairy cow performance. A grass dominated (70% timothy, 26% meadow fescue, 3% red clover and 1% undefined) first cut ley was harvested on June 13, 2019, and 10 days later near Uppsala, Sweden (58°83′ N, 17°82′ E). Crops were wilted (45% DM for early cut, 50% DM for late cut), round baled and wrapped into plastic film for ensiling. At feeding out, bales were chopped in a TMR feeder, and a portion was processed in an extruder, where screws shear the material under pressure, for further particle size reduction and cell wall break up. Eight Swedish Red cows in two blocks (4 ruminally fistulated, 143 ± 38 DIM and 4 intact, 68 ± 10 DIM) were used in a Latin square design experiment with 4 periods of three weeks each and 4 treatments. The 2x2 factorial arrangement of treatments included silage from early or late harvest that was chopped or extruded. Silage was fed separately ad libitum and supplemented (daily amounts on an as fed basis) with 2 kg of soybean meal, a compound feed (6 kg for fistulated and 8 kg for intact cows), and 120 g of a mineral mix. Extrusion increased silage DMI (1.8 kg/d, P < 0.001) with greater effect at late harvest (P = 0.021 for interaction between processing and harvest) and milk yield (1.8 kg ECM/d, P = 0.004) with a tendency to greater effect at late harvest (P = 0.055). Extrusion depressed total tract OM digestibility (2.3 percentage points, P < 0.001), eating time (0.5 h/d, P = 0.014), rumination time (2.0 h/d, P < 0.001) and rumen pH (0.1 units, P = 0.008). Extrusion improves intake and milk production in dairy cows, despite depressed digestibility.

The yield of legume-gramineous ecosystems with various varieties of red clover on the Non-Chernozem drained lands

Изучение урожайности трёхкомпонентных бобово-злаковых травосмесей с различными сортами клевера лугового проводилось в Тверской области на опытном поле ВНИИ мелиорированных земель в 2018–2020 годах. Опыт заложен в 2018 году на осушаемой дерново-подзолистой почве. Изучались следующие сорта многолетних трав: клевер луговой (Trifolium pratense L.) Кретуновский, Грин, Шанс, Фаленский 86; люцерна изменчивая (× Medicago varia Mart.) Вега 87; тимофеевка луговая (Phleum pratense L.) ВИК 9 и овсяница луговая (Festuca pratensis L.) Сахаровская. В 2020 году наиболее высокими темпами роста обладали травостои второго года пользования с ранними сортами клевера лугового Кретуновский и Грин в смеси с тимофеевкой луговой сорта ВИК 9 — 67–70 см при густоте стеблестоя 495–852 шт./м2. Наиболее продуктивными на осушаемых землях показали себя смешанные травостои люцерны изменчивой, клевера лугового и тимофеевки луговой. Трёхкомпонентные агрофитоценозы укосного типа на основе сортов клевера лугового Кретуновский, Грин, Шанс, Фаленский 86, люцерны изменчивой и тимофеевки луговой сформировали урожай кормовой массы 35–39,7 т/га. Травосмесь тимофеевки луговой с раннеспелым сортом клевера Шанс сформировала два укоса с выходом сухой массы 9,5 т/га, овсяницы луговой — 9,0 т/га. Отмечено хорошее качество полученной растительной массы: содержание переваримого протеина составило 18,9–19,5 г/кг при энергетической питательности 1,09–1,26. В растительной массе травосмесей с овсяницей луговой содержание переваримого протеина было выше, чем в смесях с тимофеевкой луговой, на 1,1 г/кг корма в первом и на 2,41 г/кг корма во втором укосе. По содержанию кормовых единиц в 1 кг корма питательность кормовой массы в зависимости от состава исследуемых смесей была равноценна — 0,23–0,24. The investigation took place in the Tver region on the trial field of the All-Russian Research Institute of Reclaimed Lands in 2018–2020. The research tested the yield of trinary legume-gramineous ecosystems with various varieties of red clover. The field trial was carried out on the drained sod-podzolic soil in 2018. The following perennial grasses were studied: red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) “Kretunovskiy”, “Grin”, “Shans”, “Falenskiy 86”; bastard alfalfa (× Medicago varia Mart.) “Vega 87”; common timothy (Phleum pratense L.) “VIK 9”; and meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis L.) “Sakharovskaya”. Growth rates were the highest in the mixtures with short-season red clover varieties “Kretunovskiy”, “Grin”, and common timothy. In 2020, these variants reached height of 67–70 cm and density of 495–852 plants per m2 in the second year. Trinary ecosystems to be cut with bastard alfalfa, red clover “Kretunovskiy”, “Grin”, “Shans”, “Falenskiy 86”, and common timothy provided the maximum yield on the drained lands — 35–39.7 t ha-1. The mixture of common timothy with short-season red clover “Shans” formed 9.5 t ha-1 of dry mass per two cuts, meadow fescue — 9.0 t ha-1. The feed mass showed high quality: digestible protein content was 18.9–19.5 g/kg, energy nutrition was 1.09–1.26. Mixtures with meadow fescue exceeded the ones with common timothy in digestible protein content by 1.1 g/kg in the first cut and by 2.41 g/kg — in the second one. Different variants showed almost no variation in feed units per 1 kg of forage — 0.23–0.24.

ECONOMICALLY USEFUL SIGNS AND FEATURES CULTIVATION OF TETRAPLOID VARIETY MEADOW FESCUE 'BINARA'

Due to the presence of a complex of economically useful signs, meadow fescue is one of the most popular perennial grasses in the country's feed production. To increase the effectiveness of the use of meadow fescue, it is important to develop and introduce new highly productive varieties of this crop into produc-tion practice. In the Federal Williams Research Center of Forage Production and Agroecology a tetraploid variety of meadow fescue 'Binara' was created. The higher effect of economic use of induced tetraploid varieties is due to the increased buffering of their genotype due to a higher level of intra-population hete-rosis and homeostasis. The collection of green mass of the forage crop of the 'Binara' variety exceeds the standard by 20.6% (diploid variety), dry matter — by 58%. In terms of protein content, the 'Binara' varie-ty exceeds the standard by 1.4%, in terms of carbohydrates — by 4.0%, which provides an increase in the indicators of palatability, digestibility of feed, especially in aftergrass. The palatability of the dry matter of the feed is higher than standard by 8.4%, the digestibility is 4.4%. The seed yield is 650–800 kg/ha and can reach 1000 kg/ha. The weight of 1000 seeds in the 'Binara' variety is 3.7–4.5 g versus 2.0–2.6 g in diploid varieties. Plants are differ by the gigantism of some metameric organs (generative shoots, spike-lets, leaves of the middle tier, etc.). Winter hardiness and disease resistance are stable, disease prevalence is low.

Yield and Some Quality Properties of Binary Alfalfa-Grass Mixtures in Different Mixture Ratios

The aim of this investigation was to determine appropriate perennial grasses and their most suitable mixture ratios, which can be grown with alfalfa in binary mixtures. The research was conducted during 2009-2011 in Isparta (37.50 °N, 30.32 °E), located in the Western Mediterranean climate conditions. In the study, alfalfa was planted as a binary mixture with perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), meadow fescue (Festuca pratensis Huds.), and smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.) in a randomized block design with three replications. Sowing ratios of alfalfa in the mixtures varied 20, 30, and 40%, and grass species ratios were 80, 70, and 60%. In the study, significant differences were found among the applications regarding hay yield, crude protein content, crude protein yield, NDF, ADF, land equivalent ratio (LER), and grass ratio in the hay (GR). The highest hay yield was obtained from alfalfa + orchardgrass and alfalfa + smooth bromegrass binary mixtures (25.98 and 25.78 t ha-1, respectively). Alfalfa + perennial ryegrass and alfalfa + meadow fescue mixtures gave the highest crude protein contents as 14.93 and 14.80%, respectively. The highest LER values were observed on perennial ryegrass and smooth bromegrass binary mixtures, and the highest grass ratios were determined in orchardgrass and smooth bromegrass mixtures made with alfalfa. Increasing the alfalfa sowing ratio in the mixtures positively affected all quality characteristics such as crude protein, NDF, and ADF. It was concluded that orchardgrass and smooth bromegrass binary mixtures with alfalfa produced high yield and quality hay and that the mixture should contain 40% alfalfa and 60% grass.

Specific features of formation of grass-legume mixtures of the first and second year of life in the conditions of the European North of Russia

The studies were carried out in a field experiment in the north of the Arkhangelsk region. Under study were twocomponent grass stands of the first and second year of life, composed of cereal (meadow fescue, reed fescue) and legume grasses (meadow clover and blue alfalfa ). It has been established that in the climatic conditions of the Northern region the studied perennial grasses do not go through the full life cycle during the first year of life: meadow clover develops up to the root rosette phase, blue alfalfa – up to the branching phase, cereals ‒ to the tillering phase. In the first year, the yield is formed due to the legume component, especially meadow clover, which occupies 73 % of the structure. In the second year of life, cereal grasses increase their influence on the yield formation up to 93 %. The most productive variant in the second year was the “reed fescue + meadow clover” variant. With a higher ratio of the cereal component (67 %) in total for two mowings in comparison with the control variant "meadow fescue + meadow clover", the increase in dry matter yield was 2.81 t/ha (LSD05 = 1.46 t/ha), the output of exchange energy was 30.56 GJ/ha higher, crude protein yield increased by 0.22 t /ha. Agrophytocenoses of reed fescue and meadow clover in the first year of intensive use make it possible to obtain green fodder with the protein content in 1 kg of dry matter at the level of 114.28 g ‒ 153.33 g and sugars 133.54 g ‒ 154.65 g depending on the mowing. High loss of blue alfalfa in the grass stand is due to its weak winter hardiness and the effect of low spring temperatures during the period of the beginning of regrowth. Thus, in the conditions of the European North of Russia among legume-cereal grass stands during the first two years of life the grass mixture of meadow clover and reed fescue has been identified as perspective. There has been noted a potential for regulation the feed nutritional value (protein, sugars and fiber content) by means of grass mixture components selection.