Growth, Forage Production, and Quality of <i>Medicago sativa</i> in the Northern Part of South Korea

Abstract

A three-year study was conducted in the Pyeongchang area, South Korea, to evaluate the growth and productivity of 26 alfalfa varieties and to select those with superior feed values. We employed a randomized block design with three replications. HybriForce-2410 presented the highest dry matter yield (28.87 t/ha) among the cultivars and the highest three-year average fresh matter yield (118.78 t/ha). The three-year average dry matter yield of Alfalfa-short (26.55 t/ha) and Shockwave BR (26.21 t/ha) were also significantly (p<0.05) higher than that of the other cultivars. The acid detergent fiber content of HybriForce-2410 was the lowest, although not significantly different from that of the other cultivars. Burgaltai had the lowest neutral detergent fiber content, whereas A Er Gang Jin had the highest. The crude protein (CP) content ranged from 16.90% to 21.33% at mowing during early flowering; Burgaltai had the highest CP among the cultivars. Digestibility differed significantly among the cultivars compared with other feed value items. Although Burgaltai presented the best feed value, HybriForce-2410 showed the best results for both productivity and feed value.