The influences of reseeding date and mowing prior to reseeding on establishment of alfalfa in Leymus chinensis meadows

doi:10.11686/cyxb2021443

Abstract

Abstract:

This research studied the effects of sowing date and cutting prior to sowing on establishment of the leguminous forage， alfalfa （Medicago sativa）， in a lightly degraded Leymus chinensis meadow and investigated the sowing date×cutting interaction. The factorial experiment comprised four sowing dates （May 1， June 1， July 1， August 1） and cutting treatment （cut or uncut） prior to sowing， and evaluated the establishment performance of alfalfa and the ecological mechanisms related to establishment. It was found that soil moisture during emergence of alfalfa was the greatest when sowing occurred on July 1， and clipping prior to sowing significantly decreased the plant height of L. chinensis during emergence and seedling growth of alfalfa. There was a significant sowing date×cutting interaction effect on alfalfa establishment. Clipping prior to sowing significantly increased the emergence percentage of alfalfa through reducing the plant height of L. chinensis and associated above-and below-ground competition， and the seasonal soil moisture change resulted in a 20% higher （P<0.05） alfalfa emergence rate when sowing occurred on July 1. With cutting， the number of surviving alfalfa seedlings and seedling survival rate were greatest （83 plants·m^-2 and 53%， respectively） when sowing occurred on July 1. For later sowing， owing to the shortened growing time， the development and overwintering survival rates of alfalfa seedlings were significantly reduced. Cutting prior to sowing significantly increased the overwintering rate of alfalfa seedlings through improving their development. In the cutting treatment， the number of overwintered alfalfa seedlings （22 plants·m^-2） when sowing was on July 1 was significantly higher than for other reseeding dates. In the second year， a botanical composition measurement showed that clipping prior to reseeding significantly increased the alfalfa biomass within the meadow， and the alfalfa biomass was significantly greater than in other treatments when sowing occurred on July 1 after cutting. Cutting prior to sowing also significantly increased the crude protein content of forage. Based on these research results， normal production practice should include cutting when alfalfa is sown into L. chinensis meadow. Combined with cutting， a sowing date around July 1 is the most favorable for the establishment of alfalfa.

Key words: grassland improvement, Medicago sativa, reseeding, soil moisture, competition

Qiang LI, Shan CONG, Cheng-zhen ZHAO, Ying-xin HUANG, Dao-wei ZHOU. The influences of reseeding date and mowing prior to reseeding on establishment of alfalfa in Leymus chinensis meadows[J]. Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 2022, 31(11): 94-104.

Figures/Tables 8

Fig.1 Mean monthly precipitation （mm） and air temperature （℃） during 2018-2019

Fig.2 Mean soil moisture during emergence and growth of alfalfa seedling under different sowing date and cutting managements

Fig.3 Mean height of L. chinensis during emergence and growth of alfalfa seedling under different sowing date and cutting managements

Fig.4 Emergence， survival and overwintering status of M. sativa under different sowing date and cutting managements

Fig.5 Aboveground biomass， root biomass and root soluble sugar and nitrogen concentrations of M. sativa seedling under different sowing date and cutting managements

Fig.6 Correlation between emergence rate， survival rate and soil water content and height of L. chinensis

Fig.7 Correlation between overwintering rate of M. sativa and its root biomass and root soluble sugar concentration

Fig.8 M. Sativa aboveground biomass， total aboveground biomass and crude protein concentration of forage in second year after reseeding under different sowing date and cutting managements

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