Effects of irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer on alfalfa quality

doi:10.11686/cyxb2017491

Abstract

Abstract: The application of both nitrogen and irrigation have been shown to be beneficial to crop growth. A field experiment was carried out during 2015 in the Hexi Corridor to analyze the changeable characteristics of water use efficiency, quality and relatively feeding value of alfalfa under different irrigation regimes (W₁: 60% of conventional irrigation volumes; W₂: 80% of conventional irrigation; W₃: conventional irrigation) and nitrogen fertilizer levels (N₁: 0 kg·ha^-1; N₂: 40 kg·ha^-1; N₃: 80 kg·ha^-1; N₄: 120 kg·ha^-1). This study showed that the combination of different irrigation volumes and nitrogen fertilizer levels significantly affected the water use efficiency, crude protein content, neutral detergent fiber content and relatively feeding value of alfalfa but had no effect on aboveground biomass, crude fat content and crude ash content. Water use efficiency, crude protein content, neutral detergent fiber content and relatively feeding value of alfalfa all showed a downward trend (parabolic function) with increasing irrigation volumes and nitrogen fertilizer rate; the most beneficial combinations occurred in the W₂N₃, and W₂N₂ treatments which resulted in improved forage quality and relatively feeding value of alfalfa.

Key words: combination of irrigation volumes and nitrogen fertilizer levels, alfalfa, water use efficiency, quality, relatively feeding value

WEN Ya, ZHANG Jing, FENG Meng, GUO Zheng-gang. Effects of irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer on alfalfa quality[J]. Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 2018, 27(10): 76-83.

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