scholarly journals How Does Sowing Rate Affect Plant and Stem Density, Forage Yield, and Nutritive Value in Glyphosate-Tolerant Alfalfa?

Agronomy ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (9) ◽  
pp. 169 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marisol Berti ◽  
Dulan Samarappuli

The recommended sowing rate of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is about 10 kg pure live seed ha−1, but it is debated if increasing the sowing rate enhances forage yield and quality in the sowing year. This study was conducted to: (i) determine the optimal sowing rate to maximize forage yield; and (ii) determine the relationship between plant and stem density with forage yield and nutritive value. Experiments were conducted at three sites in North Dakota between 2013 and 2016. Six sowing rates [1, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 kg ha−1 pure live seed (PLS)] were evaluated. Results indicated that total forage yield in the sowing year was lower only with the lowest sowing rate. Maximum total forage yield in the sowing, first, second, and third production years was obtained with 73, 52, 37, and 36 plants m−2 and 575, 495, 435, and 427 stems m−2, respectively. In the sowing and first production year, both plant and stem density predicted forage yield similarly. In older stands, stem density predicted forage yield slightly better. Forage nutritive value was similar among sowing rates indicating an increase in sowing rate does not enhance forage nutritive value. In conclusion, increasing the sowing rate above the recommended rate (10 kg PLS ha−1) does not increase forage yield or quality.

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.


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.


2001 ◽  
Vol 81 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-111 ◽  
Author(s):  
M A Arafoui ◽  
R R Simard ◽  
G. Belanger ◽  
M R Laverdiere ◽  
R. Chabot

Mixed papermill residues (MPR) can improve soil quality, but their impact on forage yield and quality is not well documented. Three MPRwere applied to mixed grass-alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) sward in 1997 and 1998 at near 100, 200 and 400 kg N ha-1 and were compared to calcic ammonium nitrate (CAN) at 0, 50, 100 and 200 kg N ha-1 on a Bedford clay loam (Humic Gleysol). The MPR and CAN induced a significant linear increase in forage DM yield and relative yield (RY). The sward response to MPR addition in 1997 was related to the MPR C:NH4+ ratio. MPR and CAN increased the forage NDF concentration in 1998, but there was no effect in 1997. Nitrogen concentration in forage tissues was increased by MPR and CANinputs in 1997, but was decreased in 1998. In all treatments, NO3− tended to accumulate in forage tissues when the N nutrition index (INN) exceeded the optimum level. Forage nutritive value from the MPR was comparable to CAN.The results of this study suggest that MPR can be an efficient N source for grass-alfalfa swards on fine-textured soils. Key words: Acid detergent fiber, forage, grass, Medicago sativa L., mineral fertilizer, neutral detergent fiber, papermill residues


1997 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 595-599 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. G. Jefferson ◽  
H. W. Cutforth

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) yield in the first and second years after establishment is typically much greater than yield in subsequent years under dryland production systems in semiarid regions. Alfalfa is a deep-rooted perennial that uses soil water stored at soil depths below the reach of shallow-rooted cereals and grasses. Since alfalfa yield is positively related to evapotranspiration, this study was conducted to determine the relationship between historical alfalfa yield data and weather variables as affected by sward age. Rambler alfalfa yields collated by sward age during cultivar yield trials from 1951 to 1994 at Swift Current, Saskatchewan, were statistically related to monthly precipitation (April to August) and monthly pan evaporation (May to September) during the growing season, and to the fall and winter total precipitation (September to March). One-year-old swards yielded more than 3-, 4- or 5-yr-old swards. For 1- and 2-yr-old alfalfa swards, weather accounted for 50% and 47% of the yield variability, respectively. However, weather accounted for 85, 87 and 96%, respectively, for 3-, 4- and 5-yr-old swards. We hypothesize that soil water stored deep in the profile accounted for much of the remaining yield variability in one and two year old swards. Researchers must measure soil water use from soil depths to at least 3 m when assessing dryland alfalfa yields. Key words: Medicago sativa L., weather, modelling, forage yield


Weed Science ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 564-567 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis R. Cosgrove ◽  
Michael Barrett

The effects of weed control measures in established alfalfa (Medicago sativaL.) on forage yield and quality were investigated at three sites with varying alfalfa densities and weed populations. Herbicide treatments were 0.56 and 1.12 kg/ha metribuzin [4-amino-6-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-3-(methylthio)-1,2,4-triazin-5(4H)-one] applied in fall or spring, respectively, 1.68 kg/ha pronamide [3,5-dichloro (N-1,1-dimethyl-2-propynyl)benzamide] applied in fall, and combinations of these treatments. First-harvest forage yields (weeds plus alfalfa) were either reduced or unchanged by herbicide treatments. Total forage yield was not altered by the herbicide treatments, but first-harvest and total alfalfa yield as well as first-harvest forage protein content were increased by several treatments, depending on stand density and weed pressure. Little effect was observed on in vitro digestible dry matter or acid detergent fiber content.


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.


2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (3) ◽  
pp. 539 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Beck ◽  
T. Hess ◽  
D. Hubbell ◽  
M. S. Gadberry ◽  
J. Jennings ◽  
...  

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.


2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 47-53
Author(s):  
J. Hakl ◽  
R. Loučka ◽  
J. Jirmanová ◽  
V. Jambor

Abstract Maize genotype selection represents a practical tool influencing forage yield and quality. The main objective was to investigate the contribution of genotype, site, and year to variability of maize yield and quality in the environment of Central Europe. Totally 63 maize genotypes at 11 sites over a 7-year period were evaluated for dry matter yield (DMY), dry matter content (DM), starch, cob, neutral detergent fibre (NDF), in situ digestibility of stover NDF (NDFD), and organic matter (OMD). The genotype showed the highest variability from all factors where stover NDFD varied from 261 to 529 g kg-1 and stover OMD from 376 to 609 g kg-1. In contrast to the whole-plant, variability of stover traits was more closely related to NDF than the DM content. Under standardized plant DM, all tested factors were significant and allowed interpretation of 70 and 60% of total variation of yield and quality for stover and whole plant, respectively. The average contributions of genotype, site, and year were 30, 7, and 5%, respectively. For variability in plant productivity and nutritive value, the importance of maize genotype selection was more than two times higher than the contribution of environment.


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