Annual Forage Yield Research Articles

Aerenchyma tissue of Juncus effusus L.: a novel resource for sustainable natural cellulose foams

The demand for sustainable, low-cost, and high-performance natural cellulose foams with isotropic structures has increased greatly due to growing environmental awareness. However, the synthesis of current cellulose foams/aerogels requires substantial amounts of energy and chemicals, mainly due to the challenges posed by the poor solubility and processability of raw cellulose derived from biomass resources. Consequently, these challenges further highlight the advantages offered by the direct utilization of natural cellulose foams, considering their economic and environmental benefits. Previous studies on natural cellulose foams have predominantly focused on specific plant components such as phloem, xylem, vascular vessels, fruits, and seeds. In this study, we present an overlooked alternative: the aerenchyma tissue of aquatic or wetland plants. Specifically, we investigated on Juncus effusus L. (JE), a commonly found problematic wetland weed that is known for its high reproductive ability, causing a reduction in annual forage yield. The aerenchyma tissue of JE was discovered to possess a well-developed 3D interconnected hierarchical structure, exhibiting remarkable properties as a natural lignocellulosic foam. These properties include exceptional compressibility, hydrophobicity (water contact angle: 147°), lightweights (density: 0.017 g/cm3), and high porosity (98%). Through this study, we have introduced a novel natural cellulose foam and explored the utilization of biomass derived from wetland weed wastes.

Legume addition to alfalfa‐based mixtures improves the forage energy to protein ratio

AbstractAlfalfa (Medicago sativa L., AL)‐based forage mixtures are a major constituent of ruminant rations, and optimizing their energy‐to‐protein ratio has been identified as a way to improve N use efficiency. This study aimed to determine whether the energy‐to‐protein ratio could be improved by adding red clover (Trifolium pratense L., RC) or birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L., BT) at different seeding proportions, and/or one grass species [timothy, Phleum pratense L., or tall fescue, Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort] to AL. Annual forage yield, species proportion in botanical composition, and nutritive value of forage were measured at three sites in Canada for 2 post‐seeding years. The addition of RC or BT did not affect the annual forage yield but it increased the concentration of forage nonfiber carbohydrates (NFCs), particularly of soluble sugars, and decreased concentrations of crude protein (CP), nonprotein nitrogen (NPN), and rapidly degradable protein (PB1) of AL‐based mixtures. The addition of one percentage unit of RC or BT to forage botanical composition improved the NFC/CP ratio by 0.005, and the NFC/(NPN + PB1) ratio by 0.024. The addition of either grass species to AL mixtures also increased the two ratios, but it was related to a CP decrease with no increase in NFC concentrations. Adding RC or BT to AL‐based mixtures is therefore a valuable strategy to increase the forage energy to protein ratio.

Assessment of Alfalfa Populations for Forage Productivity and Seed Yield Potential under a Multi-Year Field Trial

Alfalfa is the most important forage legume in the production of voluminous fodder. Although not primarily produced for its seeds, the seed yield is still important for the recognition and commercial viability of the cultivars on the market. Creating a cultivar of superior yield and forage quality with satisfactory seed production is one of the biggest challenges for alfalfa breeders and seed producers. The objective of this study was to determine forage and seed yields of 19 newly developed alfalfa experimental populations (ABP 1–19) of the Agricultural Institute Osijek during a long-term research period (2014–2018) in different climatic conditions. Significant differences were found between ABPs and years for forage and seed yields. Three-year (2014–2016) average green mass yield ranged from 68.41 t ha–1 (ABP 6) to 78.05 t ha–1 (ABP 19) and dry matter yield from 13.73 t ha–1 (ABP 6) to 15.30 t ha–1 (ABP 18). The average two-year (2017–2018) seed yield varied from 150.78 kg ha−1 (ABP 9) to 335.35 kg ha−1 (ABP 7). Annual forage yield significantly increased from the year of establishment to the second and third growing seasons of alfalfa. The highest average annual yield of green mass (90.24 t ha−1) was achieved in 2015, dry matter yield (17.62 t ha−1) in 2016 and the seed yield (394.17 kg ha−1) in 2017. During the researched period there was a considerable decreasing trend in forage yield from the first to the last cut, except in the year of the alfalfa establishment. Several alfalfa populations (ABP 19, 8, 14) superior in all analyzed traits were identified, and they represent top performing materials with the potential for developing and releasing cultivars in the near future. Populations with high yields of green mass and dry matter (ABP 12, 18, 1) and seed yield (ABP 7, 4) were also detected and represent valuable genetic material to improve our alfalfa breeding program.

Effect of Oversowing and Fertilization on Species Composition, Yield and Nutritional Quality of Forages on a Permanent Wet Meadow

The improvement of forage production and nutrition quality on native grasslands through plant species oversowing and fertilization (legumes in particular, coupled with phosphorus fertilization) is known to have been widely adopted worldwide. Less is known about this practice on the wet grasslands of the French Atlantic littoral marshes. The purpose of this study, conducted over a 3-year period (2012-2014) on the Saint Laurent de la Prée research farm, was to investigate the effects on the yield and nutritional quality of forage hay on a permanent wet meadow, of oversowing with different plant species and fertilization. We found that the success of oversowing was influenced by species or mixtures, and depended on their ability to develop and persist in the cover. In general, oversowing tended to provide benefits in terms of the total annual forage yield in 2013, with a slight increase in forage quality in 2012 and 2013. Fertilization provided no real benefit in terms of forage quality. There was no persistence of introduced species in the sward, as in 2014 almost all of them disappeared. In the conditions of this study, the benefits of oversowing and fertilizer applications were limited and short-lived. These results are discussed in relation to the conservation value of these wet grasslands and the need to pursue research on agroecology for their biodiversity-oriented management.

Soil sampling depth and phosphorus extraction method for phosphorus in leguminous pastures

The current guidelines and recommendations for P fertilization in Uruguay can be improved by adjusting the sampling depth and analytical methods of testing soil P in pastures with different fertilization history. A set of field trials was conducted between 2008 and 2012 on 14 sites of Uruguay for the purpose of comparing two sampling depths and three methods for assessing P availability by their correlation with annual dry matter yield response. The trials had a randomized complete block design and were sown with Trifolium repens or Lotus corniculatus. Soil P availability was determined by sampling 0-7.5 and 0-15 cm depth using three analytical methods: Bray I, cationic resins, and citric acid. Rock phosphate and triple superphosphate were applied at five P rates. (0-240 kg kg P2O5 ha-1). Annual forage yield was recorded. Relative yield was calculated as measured yield/maximum yield observed within a block. The correlation between relative yield and soil P availability was studied using the modified arcsine-logarithm calibration curve (ALCC) and analyzing the resulting correlation coefficient, root-mean-square error (RMSE) of the soil P test, and RMSE of the relative yield. The 0-7.5 cm soil sampling depth did not show a better fit than the deeper sampling (0-15 cm), with the latter having less variation in soil P test values. When rock phosphate was used, the correlation coefficients were 0.50 for cationic resins, 0.53 for citric acid, and 0.38 for Bray I. When triple superphosphate was used, the correlation coefficients were 0.37 for cationic resins, 0.44 for citric acid and 0.43 for Bray I. For both P sources, the citric acid method with the sampling of 0-15 cm soil depth is the preferred soil P test method for management of P in leguminous pastures for the soils studied.

Forage yield and profitability of grain‐type intermediate wheatgrass under different harvest schedules

AbstractIntermediate wheatgrass [Thinopyrum intermedium (Host) Barkworth & Dewey] (IWG) is a perennial forage grass being domesticated to function as a perennial grain crop. Grain yield of improved, grain‐type IWG cultivars decline by the third year of production and managing aging stands for forage production presents economic opportunities. Limited research is available on the response of second‐ and third‐year grain‐type IWG to different forage harvest schedules. We measured forage yield and nutritive value of grain‐type IWG in the second and third year of production under nine forage harvest schedules varying in the timing of the first harvest (at boot, anthesis, or soft dough stage) and the number of fall harvests (none, one [Sept.], or two [Sept. and Nov.]). As timing of the first harvest was delayed and IWG maturity increased from boot to soft dough, yield increased from 2.4 to 3.7 Mg ha–1 and relative feed value decreased from 113 to 82. Yield at subsequent September and November harvests averaged 30% and 12% of the initial harvest yield, respectively. Total annual forage yield was not affected by the timing of the first harvest but was predictably greater for two or three harvests compared with one harvest; however, additional harvests in September and November decreased net returns. Grain‐type IWG stands harvested in the third year after peak grain production have potential to provide forage similar to common perennial cool season forage grasses. Tradeoffs between forage yield and nutritive value should be considered when selecting the timing of the initial spring forage harvest.

Including chicory and selecting white clover varieties as strategies to improve temporal stability of forage yield and quality in white-clover-based temporary grassland

Clover-based crop stands are gaining importance in temporary grasslands for intensive livestock production. However, knowledge of their optimal composition to achieve high temporal stability of forage provision is insufficient, particularly so for long cultivation periods. A five-year field trial was conducted to study the effect of adding a non-leguminous forb to clover-based crop stands and to evaluate the impact of the clover variety on inter- and intra-annual stability of forage yield and quality. At two contrasting sites, we cultivated eight white clover (Trifolium repens) populations in pure stands and in mixtures with perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and/or chicory (Cichorium intybus) under a four-cut system without fertilization and determined the seasonal and annual forage yield and quality. Temporal stability of forage provision differed between crop stand types, with marked differences between years and cropping sites. In the study years with lower than long-term precipitation, adding chicory enhanced temporal stability of forage yield as compared to white clover pure stands or clover-grass mixtures at least at the site with deep soil, and maintained or enhanced that of forage quality as compared to clover-grass mixtures. This was often reversed in the study years with higher than long-term precipitation. The white clover populations only slightly varied in temporal stability of forage provision, and did so independently of the crop stand type. Our findings highlight the potential but also constraints of including a non-leguminous forb in unfertilized mown clover-based crop stands, as well as of decisions on the clover variety, to improve temporal stability of forage provision.

Phenotypic Diversity and Productivity of Medicago sativa Subspecies from Drought-Prone Environments in Mediterranean Type Climates.

The phenotypic diversity and productivity of a diverse alfalfa (M. sativa subspp.) panel of cultivars, landraces and wild relatives with putative drought tolerance were evaluated in two Mediterranean environments (central Chile and Southern Australia). In Chile, 70 accessions were evaluated in rainfed conditions and in Australia 30 accessions under rainfed and irrigated conditions, during three growing seasons. Large phenotypic variation was observed among and within subspecies for NDVI, stem length, intercepted PAR and forage yield. Principal component analysis indicated that the first two principal components (PC) accounted for 84.2% of total variance; fall dormancy, taxa, and breeding status were closely related to the agronomical performance of alfalfa accessions. Forage yield varied largely among accessions across years and locations. A linear relationship was found between annual forage yield and annual water added to the experiments (R2 = 0.60, p < 0.001). The GxE analysis for forage yield allowed the detection of the highest yielding accessions for each of the two mega-environments identified. The accessions CTA002 and CTA003 showed greater forage yield in both Chile and Australia environments. It is concluded that new breeding lines derived from crosses between cultivated alfalfa (M. sativa subsp. sativa) and wild relatives belonging to the primary (M. sativa subsp. falcata) and tertiary (M. arborea) gene pool, achieve outstanding agronomical performance in drought-prone environments.

The Dynamics of Forage Yield of Different Fall Dormancy Rating Alfalfa Cultivars in a Semiarid Climate

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is one of the most important forage crops to farmers and ranchers in the USA. Plants potential yield quality and its persistence are some of the key traits breeders have targeted to improve crop productivity and adaptation. The objective of this study was to evaluate different sets of alfalfa cultivars under fall and spring plantings for forage yield stability. Field experiments were conducted under sprinkler irrigation at New Mexico State University’s Agricultural Science Center at Farmington to evaluate forage yield of 18, 18, 22, 24, 24, 22, and 22 selected alfalfa cultivars planted in fall 2001, spring 2004, fall 2005, fall 2007, fall 2009, spring 2012, and fall 2014, respectively. The selected alfalfa cultivars were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The long-term 2001–2018 average annual forage yield of fall planted alfalfa was 21.70 Mg/ha, while the average annual forage yield of the spring planted alfalfa was 19.14 Mg/ha. Forage yield was consistent throughout years with negligible variations. Moderately dormant (FD 5) alfalfa cultivars slightly yielded higher than semidormant (FD 6, 7) cultivars, which showed the lowest forage yield from all the experiments (include the FD grouping means across tests with the LSD). Overall, annual forage yield decreased with fall dormancy rate (FD) at the rate of 0.34 Mg ha−1/FDR. Dormant and moderately dormant alfalfa cultivars should be of first choice in northwestern New Mexico and regions with similar pedoclimatic conditions.

Climate Change Effects on Temperate Grassland and Its Implication for Forage Production: A Case Study from Northern Germany

The effects of climate change on agricultural ecosystems are increasing, and droughts affect many regions. Drought has substantial ecological, social, and economic consequences for the sustainability of agricultural land. Many regions of the northern hemisphere have not experienced a high frequency of meteorological droughts in the past. For understanding the implications of climate change on grassland, analysis of the long-term climate data provides key information relevant for improved grassland management strategies. Using weather data and grassland production data from a long-term permanent grassland site, our aims were (i) to detect the most important drought periods that affected the region and (ii) to assess whether climate changes and variability significantly affected forage production in the last decade. For this purpose, long-term daily weather data (1961–2019) and the standardized precipitation index (SPI), De Martonne index (IDM), water deficit (WD), dryness index (DI), yield anomaly index (YAI), and annual yield loss index (YL) were used to provide a scientific estimation. The results show that, despite a positive trend in DI and a negative trend in WD and precipitation, the time-series trends of precipitation, WD, and DI indices for 1961–2019 were not significant. Extreme dry conditions were also identified with SPI values less than −2. The measured annual forage yield (2007–2018) harvested in a four-cut silage system (with and without organic N-fertilization) showed a strong correlation with WD (R = 0.64; p ˂ 0. 05). The main yield losses were indicated for the years 2008 and 2018. The results of this study could provide a perspective for drought monitoring, as well as drought warning, in grassland in northwest Europe.

Optimizing forage production in double‐annual cropping systems under irrigated Mediterranean conditions

AbstractDouble‐annual cropping systems can increase the productivity of farmland and simultaneously confer environmental benefits, but the optimal combination of crops and cultivation strategies is likely to be region‐specific. For instance, because of the low precipitation and specially in the summer, in Mediterranean environments irrigation is usually needed to grow two crops within a year. In the present 3‐year study, a double‐annual cropping system for forage production (winter crops and maize) was evaluated under irrigated Mediterranean conditions. Eight winter varieties (including barley, Italian ryegrass, oats, oats plus vetch, triticale and wheat) were harvested in April or May. Maize was sown few days after each harvest time. The average forage yield of the winter crops harvested in April was 6.3 Mg/ha dry matter (DM), with an average crude protein (CP) content of 16.4% and a digestibility of 63.4%. The average yield was significantly higher for the crops harvested in May (10.0 Mg/ha DM) but with lower forage quality and digestibility (10.8% CP and 52.8%, respectively digestibility). Maize yields were higher (27.6 Mg/ha DM) in the May than in the April (25.1 Mg/ha DM) sowing date, while the forage quality was similar (7.1% CP, 64.5% digestibility). The total annual forage yield was 31.3 Mg/ha DM for April harvest/sowing date (weighted quality = 8.7% CP, 64.9% digestibility) and 37.6 Mg/ha DM for May harvest/sowing date (weighted quality = 8.2% CP, 60.5% digestibility). Therefore, under conditions of the present research in Mediterranean environments, the May harvest/sowing date was the most convenient strategy to produce forage in double‐annual cropping systems and specially the triticale–maize rotation.

Design of the rainfall index annual forage program

PurposeThe authors determine the effectiveness of the Rainfall Index Annual Forage Program (RIAFP) in offsetting yield risk of winter annual forage growers. The authors also evaluate the effectiveness in reducing risk of potential alternative weather indices.Design/methodology/approachThe RIAFP is designed to compensate forage producers when yield losses occur. Prior research found weak correlation between the rainfall index and actual winter annual forage yields. The authors use long-term small-plot variety trials of rye, ryegrass, wheat, triticale and oats with rainfall recorded on site and measure the correlation of the index with actual rainfall and actual yields. The alternative indices include frequency of precipitation events and of days with temperature below freezing.FindingsThe correlation between actual rainfall and the current RMA index was strongly positive as in previous research. Correlations between forage yields and monthly intervals of the current RMA index were mostly statistically insignificant, and many had an unexpected sign. All indices had some correlations that were inconsistent across time intervals and forage variety. The inconsistent signs suggest a nonlinear relationship with weather and forage yield, indicating that rainfall can be too much or too little. The number of days below freezing has the most potential of the three measures examined.Practical implicationsProducers should view the winter forage RIAFP as a risk-increasing income-transfer farm program. A product to reduce the risk for forage producers may need to use a crop growth simulation model or another approach that can capture the nonlinearity.Originality/valueConsiderably more data were considered than in past research. Past research did not consider alternative weather indices. The program should be continued if its goal is to serve as disguised income transfer, but it should be discontinued if its goal is to reduce risk.

Evaluation of Different Fall Dormancy-Rating Alfalfa Cultivars for Forage Yield in a Semiarid Environment

Alfalfa is one of the most important, nutritive, and high yielding forage legumes planted across the US. Fall dormancy in alfalfa influences forage yield characteristics and the plants persistence mostly under the cold and temperate climate. The objective of this study was to evaluate alfalfa cultivars with different fall dormancy-ratings for their forage yield at each cut and the annual forage yield. Two sets of 24 alfalfa cultivars were evaluated in a field experiment conducted at the Agricultural Science Center at Farmington, NM. The first set of 24 cultivars was planted late fall 2007 at seeding rate of 22.4 kg ha−1 and managed for the 2007–2011 period and the second set was planted late fall 2009 and managed during the 2009–2013 period. Average forage yield varied with years from 7.6 to 2.9 Mg ha−1, 6.8 to 4.3 Mg ha−1, 9.2 to 4.2 Mg ha−1, and 7.9 to 3.2 Mg ha−1 during the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th alfalfa cut, respectively. The results showed no statistical differences between the moderately dormant, dormant, and the non-dormant alfalfa cultivars while they showed higher forage yield than the very dormant and semi-dormant alfalfa cultivars. There was a decreasing trend in forage yield from the first cut to the fourth cut in each growing season. However, the very dormant cultivars showed the lowest forage yield. Alfalfa forage yield decreased from the cut 1 to the cut 4 which represented on average 33, 29, 22, and 16% of the annual yield. The semi-dormant cultivars obtained the lowest forage yield at the first and second cutting while there was no difference between the cultivars for the third and fourth harvests. Average forage yields per harvest were 5.7, 5.9, 6.0, 5.5, and 5.9 Mg ha−1 for the very dormant, dormant, moderately dormant, semi-dormant, and non-dormant alfalfa cultivars, respectively. Annual forage yield varied with alfalfa fall dormancy-ratings and ranged from 15.5 to 29.9 Mg ha−1 with the highest forage yield achieved during the third years of the production. The moderately dormant and the non-dormant cultivars showed the highest yield during the first harvest year while the very dormant cultivars and dormant cultivars had the lowest forage yield. Alfalfa cultivars with a fall dormancy range 4–5 may be considered for alfalfa production in northwest New Mexico however, the good agricultural practices (conservation tillage, fertilizer management based on soil residual available nutrient and crop requirement, recommended planting rate, weed and pest management, irrigation scheduling to match crop evapotranspiration) should be the most important to maximize alfalfa forage yield in the southwest US.

Estimating Annual Forage Yields with Plant Available Water and Growing Season Precipitation

Estimating Annual Forage Yields with Plant Available Water and Growing Season Precipitation

Influence of climate variability on the potential forage production of a mown permanent grassland in the French Massif Central

Climate Services (CS) provide support to decision makers across socio-economic sectors. In the agricultural sector, one of the most important CS applications is to provide timely and accurate yield forecasts based on climate prediction.In this study, the Pasture Simulation model (PaSim) was used to simulate, for the period 1959–2015, the forage production of a mown grassland system (Laqueuille, Massif Central of France) under different management conditions, with meteorological inputs extracted from the SAFRAN atmospheric database. The aim was to generate purely climate-dependent timeseries of optimal forage production, a variable that was maximized by brighter and warmer weather conditions at the grassland.A long-term increase was observed in simulated forage yield, with the 1995–2015 average being 29% higher than the 1959–1979 average. Such increase seems consistent with observed rising trends in temperature and CO2, and multi-decadal changes in incident solar radiation. At interannual timescales, sea surface temperature anomalies of the Mediterranean (MED), Tropical North Atlantic (TNA), equatorial Pacific (El Niño Southern Oscillation) and the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index were found robustly correlated with annual forage yield values. Relying only on climatic predictors, we developed a stepwise statistical multi-regression model with leave-one-out cross-validation. Under specific management conditions (e.g., three annual cuts) and from one to five months in advance, the generated model successfully provided a p-value<0.01 in correlation (t-test), a root mean square error percentage (%RMSE) of 14.6% and a 71.43% hit rate predicting above/below average years in terms of forage yield collection.This is the first modeling study on the possible role of large-scale oceanic–atmospheric teleconnections in driving forage production in Europe. As such, it provides a useful springboard to implement a grassland seasonal forecasting system in this continent.

Estimating Annual Forage Yields with Plant Available Water and Growing Season Precipitation

Estimating Annual Forage Yields with Plant Available Water and Growing Season Precipitation

Estimating Annual Forage Yields with Plant Available Water and Growing Season Precipitation

Estimating Annual Forage Yields with Plant Available Water and Growing Season Precipitation

Estimating Annual Forage Yields with Plant Available Water and Growing Season Precipitation

Estimating Annual Forage Yields with Plant Available Water and Growing Season Precipitation

Performance of legume–grass mixtures in the West Balkan region

ABSTRACTThree perennial legumes (alfalfa, red clover and birdsfoot trefoil) and four cool-season perennial grasses (orchardgrass, tall fescue, Italian ryegrass and red fescue) were grown in legume–grass combinations and in pure stands of individual species, at three locations in the West Balkan region (Novi Sad, Banja Luka and Pristina) in the period from 2012 to 2015. The study evaluated dry matter yield, legume–grass–weed proportion and forage quality. High annual forage yield of legume–grass mixtures can be obtained with proper selection of species and an appropriate legume–grass ratio. However, high and stable yield, particularly in the case of grasses, depends on the amount and schedule of precipitation as well as the cutting time. The mixtures and legume pure stands achieved better forage production both per cutting and on the annual basis and had better forage quality than grass pure stands.

Predicted Yield and Nutritive Value of an Alfalfa–Timothy Mixture under Climate Change and Elevated Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide

Climate change studies have often focused on individual forage species although legume‐grass mixtures are predominant on dairy farms in northern areas of North America. We assessed the effect of (i) future climate conditions (temperature and precipitation) and elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]), separately and together, on yield of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and timothy (Phleum pratense L.), grown alone or in mixture, and (ii) an adaptation strategy (timing and number of harvests) on future yield and nutritive value of an alfalfa–timothy mixture. Forage dry matter (DM) yield and nutritive value for two contrasting climate areas in eastern Canada were simulated with the Integrated Farm System Model over two future periods (2020–2049 and 2050–2079) using three climate models and two representative concentration pathways (RCP 4.5 and 8.5) of greenhouse gas emissions. Under projected future climate and without adaptation, annual forage yield of both species and the mixture increased in the colder area and decreased in the warmer area. In both areas, first‐cut yield increased due to faster growing degree‐day accumulation, while regrowth yield decreased due to greater water and temperature stresses. Under elevated [CO2], annual yield and the alfalfa percentage in the mixture increased. When combining climate change and elevated [CO2], yield increased, except with the more drastic scenario (RCP 8.5, 2050–2079) in the warmer area, and forage nutritive value was reduced. With adaptation, the mixture yield was increased from 5 to 35%, while nutritive value was generally maintained under all future scenarios, mostly because of additional cuts.Core Ideas In eastern Canada, colder areas will benefit the most from climate change. In future climate, water and temperature stresses will reduce forage summer regrowth. Elevated CO2 will result in a higher yield increase in alfalfa than in timothy. When adapting harvest timing and number, annual forage mixture yield will increase. When adapting harvest timing and number, forage nutritive value will be maintained.