Productivity of alfalfa varieties in the Lower Volga region

Abstract

To form effective agricultural production in the arid climatic conditions of the Lower Volga region, it is necessary to increase the yield of fodder crops and to introduce high-yielding, drought-resistant varieties of alfalfa. In pastures, the presence of plants that are sharply different in their feed properties makes grazing possible almost year round, although the forage quality is uneven. However, the grazable yields of pasture grasses and the peaks of their nutritional value are distributed very unevenly throughout the season. Accumulation of forage mass by the most valuable plant species is mostly finished by June. At present, it is necessary to obtain high yields of grasses, to provide livestock with sufficient quantities of high-value fodder, and to restore soil structure. During the summer, alfalfa crops are capable of providing enough green mass for haymaking and can be used for grazing. Successful solution of the problem largely depends on the selection of high-yielding varieties and on advanced technologies of fodder production, which reduce the influence of unfavorable environmental factors and increase the yields and their quality.