Effects of seeding rate on plant number, production performance, and quality of alfalfa

doi:10.11686/cyxb2016313

Abstract

Abstract: To determine the effects of seeding rate on the quantity, production performance, and quality of different alfalfa varieties, we used a split-plot design with three seeding rates (15.0 kg/ha, 22.5 kg/ha, 30.0 kg/ha) as the main plot, and eight different fall-dormant alfalfa varieties as the subplots. The results showed that the wintering rate ranged from 85.53%-98.24%, and did not differ significantly among the three seeding rates for any of the alfalfa varieties. The dormant and semi-dormant alfalfa varieties had higher wintering rates than those of non-dormant alfalfa varieties. Therefore, dormant and semi-dormant alfalfa varieties should be cultivated in Henan Province. The seeding rate significantly affected the number of plants. As the seeding rate increased, the number of plants increased, especially in the first growing year (2011.10.5-2012.10.6). On the whole, as the number of cultivation years increased, the number of alfalfa plants decreased sharply at an early stage (2012), decreased slowly at the middle stage (2013), and stayed the same at the later stage (2014). The seeding rate did not affect the dry matter yield of alfalfa. In the first year, as the seeding rate increased, the dry matter yield of alfalfa increased slightly, but there was no significant difference among the three treatments. Over the three growing years, the dry matter yield was higher for the middle seeding rate (22.5 kg/ha) than for the other two seeding rates. The seeding rate affected alfalfa plant quality. The crude protein content, ether extract, and relative feed value increased with increasing seeding rate, and the neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber contents decreased. The dry matter yield and nutritive value differed among the alfalfa varieties, with the 'Concept' cultivar showing the best yield and quality. In conclusion, it is advisable to cultivate semi-fall dormant alfalfa varieties in Henan Province, and the sowing density should be 22.5-30.0 kg/ha. In practice, suitable varieties and seeding rates should be selected according to the intended purpose of the crop.

WANG Yan-Hua, WANG Cheng-Zhang, LI De-Feng, ZHENG Ai-Rong, QI Sheng-Li, LI Guan-Zhen. Effects of seeding rate on plant number, production performance, and quality of alfalfa[J]. Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 2017, 26(2): 123-135.

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