Welcome to Acta Prataculturae Sinica ! Today is Share:

Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2017, Vol. 26 ›› Issue (3): 161-174.DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2016141

• Orignal Article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Comprehensive evaluation of production performance and nutritional value of 20 alfalfa cultivars in two ecological areas of Gansu province

SUN Wan-Bin1, MA Hui-Ling1, *, HOU Xiang-Yang2, MU Huai-Bin2   

  1. 1.College of Pratacultural Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecosystem Ministry of Education, Pratacultural Engineering Laboratory of Gansu Province, Sino-U.S. Center for Grazingland Ecosystem Sustainability, Lanzhou 730070, China;
    2. Grassland Research Institute of CAAS, Hohhot 010010, China
  • Received:2016-03-30 Revised:2016-06-28 Online:2017-03-20 Published:2017-03-20

Abstract: Twenty alfalfa (Medicago sativa) varieties were used as research materials in Huangyang and Yongdeng. The hay yield, plant height, stem/leaf and fresh/dry ratios, crude protein, acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, crude ash and ether extract content of the early bloom alfalfa were measured in two consecutive years, and comprehensive evaluations were conducted using grey relational analysis. The results showed that the hay yields of M. sativa cv Alfaqueen was the highest in both Huangyang and Yongdeng at 8.15 and 7.78 t/ha respectively. In Huangyang, M. sativa cv Gannong No.4 showed the highest plant height (102.44 cm), while in Yongdeng M. sativa cv AC Caribou was the highest (96.44 cm). In Huangyang, M. sativa cv Longdong had the highest crude protein (18.08%), but in Yongdeng M. sativa cv Longzhong showed the most crude protein content (17.91%). M. sativa cv Alfaking had the lowest acid detergent fiber content in Huangyang (31.19%), while in Yongdeng and M. sativa cv Sun-god, M. sativa cv Pltao tied for the lowest scores (33.99%). In Huangyang, neutral detergent fiber content of M. sativa cv Alfaking was the lowest (39.08%), while M. sativa cv Polaris was the lowest in Yongdeng (42.96%). The evaluation results showed that M. sativa cv Alfaking, M. sativa cv Gannong No.4, M. sativa cv Longdong, and M. sativa cv Polaris performed excellently in the Huangyang, while M. sativa cv Pltao, M. sativa cv Alfaqueen, M. sativa cv Alfaking and M. sativa cv Polaris performed excellently in Yongdeng. The use of these varieties deserves extension in each of these areas.