THE CRITICAL FALL HARVEST PERIOD FOR ALFALFA IN INTERIOR BRITISH COLUMBIA

1986 ◽  
Vol 66 (3) ◽  
pp. 565-578 ◽  
Author(s):  
DARRYL G. STOUT

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) was grown under irrigation and harvested three times each year at Kamloops, British Columbia. The third cut was taken at five or six different times between 15 Aug. and 1 Nov. to identify the critical fall harvest period. Harvesting the third cut on 15 Aug. or 20 Aug. caused the most decrease in the yield of the first cut in the next year; thus the critical fall harvest period is from about 15 Aug. to 15 Sept. On average the total annual yield varied by only about 10% for the different times of third cut. When the third cutting was made on 15 Sept. or later, the average total yield varied by only about 6%. The winters of 3 of the 6 yr of the experiment were colder than normal. Thus, when yield is of prime concern, it is recommended that the timing of the third cut in interior B.C. be taken between 15 Sept. and 16 Oct.Key words: Alfalfa, cutting management, winter injury, yield, fall harvest period, Medicago sativa

1999 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Bélanger ◽  
T. Kunelius ◽  
D. McKenzie ◽  
Y. Papadopoulos ◽  
B. Thomas ◽  
...  

The existing recommendation to avoid harvesting alfalfa during a critical fall rest period, based on calendar dates, is under review in Canada and adjacent areas of the United States. The effect on yield and persistence of four fall cutting management treatments (based on cumulative growing degree-days between harvests) was investigated for two cultivars of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. 'Apica' and 'Oneida VR') at five sites in Atlantic Canada. The average seasonal DM yield for the five sites in the first production year was 1.6 to 2.3 t ha−1 greater with an additional harvest as compared with the two-harvest system (Truro, Nappan, Fredericton, and Charlottetown) and the one-harvest system in St. John's. Seasonal DM yield benefits were reduced over time; by the third production year, there was no increase in seasonal DM yield with an additional harvest. The seasonal DM yield increased with increasing the interval between the final harvest and the previous one. Taking an additional harvest resulted in higher winter plant mortality between the first and second production years in Truro and Nappan, and the third and fourth production years in St. John's. At the other two sites (Charlottetown and Fredericton), and for the first three production years in St. John's, winter plant mortality was unchanged with an additional harvest but regrowth potential in the following year was reduced. At the two sites that experienced a severe winter (Nappan and Truro), the cultivar Oneida VR was more adversely affected by the additional harvest than Apica. Our results indicate that in Atlantic Canada, taking an additional harvest increases the risk of winterkill. If an additional harvest is to be taken, increasing the interval between the final harvest and the previous one to at least 500 growing degree-days will decrease the risk of winterkill and might have a positive effect on next year's regrowth. Key words: Medicago sativa L., alfalfa, yield, persistence, harvest management, cultivar


1972 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 941-948 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. B. MacLEOD ◽  
H. T. KUNELIUS ◽  
F. W. CALDER

The effects of early summer and fall cutting managements on two alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cultivars were studied over a 3-year period. Removal of the first crop of Saranac and Narrangansett alfalfas at prebud stage, followed by two cuts at the early bloom stage before early September, and a late fall harvest on October 25, produced seasonal dry matter (DM) yields of 7.5–8.6 metric T/ha in the 1st year. Stand deterioration, however, was severe and by the 3rd year, practically all alfalfa had disappeared. Average percent crude protein (CP) in cut 1 was 17.7–21.9 and percent in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVD) 67.4–73.8. Removal of the first cut at bud stage with two subsequent harvests at the early bloom stage also allowed a total of three harvests before early September and resulted in seasonal DM yields of 8.6–8.8 in the 1st year. Although the survival of alfalfa was increased over the managements where cut 1 was at prebud stage, a considerable decrease of alfalfa was still observed in the 3rd year. Under this management, average CP in cut 1 was 15.8–16.3 and IVD 64.1–68.4. Harvesting the first crop at early to midbloom stage and the second crop at early bloom in early to mid-August, followed by third harvest in late October, resulted in good survival with seasonal DM yields of 6.1–10.6. Lower CP and IVD were recorded in cut 1 than in the more intensive managements. Under all managements, average CP in cuts 2 and 3 was 14.9–17.3 and 13.3–19.4, respectively. IVD was 54.5–60.7 in cut 2 and 56.0–64.4 in cut 3.


2020 ◽  
Vol 206 (5) ◽  
pp. 619-629 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meredith L. Mitchell ◽  
Stephen G. Clark ◽  
Kym L. Butler ◽  
Zhongnan Nie ◽  
Vivianne F. Burnett ◽  
...  

1970 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 583 ◽  
Author(s):  
GJ Leach

Lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) plants grown to two stages of maturity were cut at 2, 5, or 10 cm above the crown. In addition, the leaf on the stubble and on basal shoots was either removed or retained. The change in the number and size of the regrowth shoots growing from different heights above the crown, and the total yield of dry matter, were observed for 4 weeks after cutting. Nearly all the regrowth shoots arose from very near to the crown, either on the crown itself or from within the first 2 cm above it, so that cutting at higher levels increased shoot numbers only slightly. Also most of the shoots arising from near the crown resumed extension growth earlier, and therefore grew larger, than the shoots arising from higher positions. In general the growth of shoots from one stubble segment was not influenced by whether segments were still present above. Increasing the cutting height above 2 cm consequently produced little effect on the yield of dry matter 2 and 4 weeks after cutting. Retaining stubble leaf and basal shoot leaf increased the shoot yield 2 and 4 weeks later, because the basal shoots resuming growth first grew larger than those on plants from which leaves were removed. The effect of retaining leaves was independent of the stage of maturity when the plants were cut and of the cutting height.


1987 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 827-830 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. HANNA ◽  
H. C. HUANG

Barrier is the first Canadian cultivar of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) developed with resistance to verticillium wilt disease. It also has very good resistance to bacterial wilt. Barrier is adapted to the irrigated areas in Southern Alberta and British Columbia where these diseases are prevalent.Key words: Medicago sativa L., alfalfa, cultivar description, verticillium wilt, bacterial wilt


1973 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 773-777 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. H. HEINRICHS

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.


1967 ◽  
Vol 7 (28) ◽  
pp. 441 ◽  
Author(s):  
FH Kleinschmidt

The influence of nitrogen fertilizer and supplementary irrigation on pastures of green panic (Panicum maximum var. trichoglume K. Schum. Eyles), green panic plus Hunter River lucerne (Medicago sativa L.), and green panic plus Cooper glycine (Glycine javanica L.) was measured in an experiment at Lawes, south-eastern Queensland. The yield of green panic increased and the yield of the legumes decreased when nitrogen fertilizer was added at the rate of 50 or 200 lb an acre a year. Nitrogen fertilizer significantly increased the total dry matter and nitrogen yields from green panic and green panic plus glycine swards, but not from green panic plus lucerne swards. Lucerne was more productive than glycine. Inclusion of legumes in the sward increased the total yield of nitrogen. For plots without nitrogen fertilizer, lucerne increased the nitrogen yields by about 230 lb an acre a year, and glycine increased yields by about 60 lb an acre a year. Most of this extra nitrogen was harvested in the legume.


2020 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jamshaid Ahmad ◽  
Asif Iqbal ◽  
Athar Mahmood ◽  
Muhmmad Aamir Iqbal ◽  
Haroon Zaman Khan ◽  
...  

1988 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. R. BOWLEY ◽  
C. T. DOUGHERTY ◽  
N. L. TAYLOR ◽  
P. L. CORNELIUS

Yield components of five regrowth cycles, two in 1981 and three in 1982, of three red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) populations and three alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cultivars were compared in swards. Red clover left more stubble but produced less herbage and accumulated total yield (herbage, stubble and 10 cm depth root) at a slower rate than alfalfa during most regrowths. The percent leaf at flowering of red clover was similar to that of alfalfa. Maximum LAI declined during successive regrowths each year. Maximum crop growth rates were 30 and 34 g m−2 d−1 for red clover and alfalfa, respectively. Stem development (canopy height) followed patterns of accumulation of herbage yield. The initiation of stems was slower in red clover and stem populations were less than that of alfalfa. Selection for faster stem initiation rates, higher stem populations, and reduced partitioning of dry matter towards stem bases which would be left as stubble were suggested as ways of increasing the herbage yield of red clover.Key words: Trifolium pratense L., Medicago sativa L., yield components, growth analysis clover (red), alfalfa


1994 ◽  
Vol 74 (3) ◽  
pp. 451-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. W. Hall ◽  
W. Majak ◽  
D. G. Stout ◽  
K.-J. Cheng ◽  
B. P. Goplen ◽  
...  

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


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