Forage Production Research Articles

Application of Irrigation Management and Water-Lifting Technologies to Enhance Fodder Productivity in Smallholder Farming Communities: A Case Study in Robit Bata, Ethiopia

Small-scale cultivation of irrigated fodder is emerging as a vital production system in mixed farming communities. Efficient water management plays a key role in enhancing forage production, especially in the face of changing climate. A field-scale experimental study was conducted in Robit Bata kebele, Ethiopia, with the following objectives: (1) to examine the effects of conventional farmers’ irrigation scheduling versus climate-based irrigation scheduling; and (2) to assess the influence of water-lifting technologies (manual pulley and solar Majipump) on dry matter yield (DMY), water productivity (WP), irrigation labor productivity (ILP), and water productivity in terms of crude protein and metabolizable energy (WP.CP and WP.ME) of Napier grass. The experiment used 10 farmers’ plots each with a size of 100 m2. Half of the plots were treated using farmers’ scheduling while the other half were treated using climate-based irrigation scheduling. Monitoring of irrigation water use and crop yield took place over two irrigation seasons from November 2020 to June 2021. Results showed there was an interaction effect of irrigation management (p = 0.019) and water-lifting technologies (p = 0.016) with season on DMY. The highest DMY occurred in the first irrigation season with climate-based scheduling and solar Majipump use. The interaction effect of irrigation management and season affected WP (p = 0.047). Climate-based scheduling had a higher WP in the first season, while farmers’ scheduling had a higher WP during the second season. On average, the solar Majipump outperformed the pulley, achieving 5 kg m−3 WP compared to the pulley’s 4 kg m−3 (p = 0.018). Emphasizing the seasonal impact, it is recommended to promote full irrigation (climate-based) in the first season for maximum yield and WP. Conversely, in the second season, advocating only deficit irrigation is advised due to water scarcity and sustainability concerns. Statistical parity in DMY and lower WP with full irrigation in the second season supports this recommendation, addressing the challenge of optimizing water use in the context of a changing climate and ensuring sustainable smallholder agriculture practices. Therefore, implementing appropriate irrigation management alongside efficient water-lifting technologies holds the potential to enhance fodder productivity and bolster smallholder farmers’ livelihoods. Future research should explore the comparative benefits of irrigated fodder versus other crops and the overall advantages of investing in irrigated fodder over vegetables.

Systems management strategies for increasing alfalfa use in warm‐humid regions

AbstractAlfalfa use (Medicago sativa L.; “lucerne”) in warm, humid regions of the world represents a potential area of expansion for the alfalfa industry. The objective of this review paper is to demonstrate how alfalfa forage breeding and systems research efforts have identified opportunities for increasing alfalfa contributions in these regions, along with potential pathways for seed industry and farming operations to increase adoption. Our review draws primarily on reports from the Southeast United States and Argentina. Significant technological advancements in plant screening and selection have identified alfalfa plant populations that are more adapted to the growing conditions experienced in these regions, which are often characterized by mild temperature, long growing seasons, and multiple other abiotic and biotic stressors. Management systems research conducted in the United States and Argentina has demonstrated the use of alfalfa for conserved forage, grazing, or dual‐purpose use in monoculture or mixtures with warm‐season grasses such as bermudagrass (Cynodon spp.). These trials report increased forage production, nutritive value, and ecosystem services of alfalfa–grass mixtures when compared with traditionally N‐fertilized warm‐season grass‐based systems. Grazing‐based alfalfa systems in Argentina have demonstrated methods for utilizing alfalfa as part of beef, dairy, and finishing systems. Some approaches for expanding alfalfa production in the region include targeted marketing efforts for adapted varieties and demonstrating alfalfa applications within existing farming frameworks. This includes educational programming efforts and on‐farm demonstrations to promote alfalfa use as a component of the livestock diets, integration into grass‐based systems, crop rotations, and wildlife use. Continued emphasis on a systems approach to alfalfa inclusion represents an opportunity for improved forage and livestock production in warm, humid regions of the world.

Enhancing irrigated forage crop production through water and nutrient management in the Ethiopian sub-humid highlands

IntroductionThe increasing pressure on land and water resources, fueled by high population growth and climate change, has profound implications for crop yield and quality. While studies thrive for various crops, a notable research gap exists in understanding the responses of forage crops to irrigation and nutrient management in developing countries. This study aims to address this gap by assessing the impact of irrigation and fertilizer application on forage production in the Ethiopian sub-humid highlands.MethodsThe experiment focused on four forage varieties, namely Napier grass (Cenchrus purpureus) cultivars, ILRI-16791, ILRI-16819, ILRI-16803, and Guinea grass (Megathyrsus maximus) ILRI-144 cultivated in experimental plots. Three irrigation levels designated as IR60 (60% of total available soil water), IR80 (80%), and IR100 (100%) were applied, along with three fertilizer rates: organic manure at 30 t ha−1, and Urea-N at 100 kg ha−1 and 300 kg ha−1. Agronomic data including growth performance, forage dry matter yield, and nutritional quality were collected during two trial years.Results and discussionAmong the various irrigation treatments, IR80 demonstrated the most favorable balance between forage yield, WUE, net benefit, and LWP. In addition, the highest DMY, WUE, net benefit, and LWP were obtained for UREA at the rate of 300 kg ha−1 while the lowest DMY and WUE were observed for UREA at the rate of 100 kg ha−1. Significant variations were observed among the four forage varieties, with Napier grass ILRI-16791 having the highest DMY (9.8 tons ha−1), WUE (39 kg ha−1 mm−1), LWP (0.28 USD m−3 for local cows, and 1.04 USD m−3 for crossbred cows), and net benefit (783 USD ha−1). For all forages combined, a 40 and 20% decrease in irrigation increased water use efficiency by 17 and 9.4%, respectively. These results indicate that a moderate level of deficient irrigation such as IR80 could be a viable water management strategy for irrigated forage, especially in water-scarce areas. The conserved water saved from the deficit irrigation can thus be used to irrigate additional land, contributing to a more sustainable and efficient water usage approach.

Full-length transcriptome and co-expression network analysis reveal molecular mechanisms of seed development in Elymus sibiricus

Abstract Grass seeds play a critical and fundamental role in grass breeding and production. Elymus sibiricus L. is a widespread Poaceae forage grass in northern Eurasia which is used for ecological restoration and forage production. Sucrose is the main source of substrate and energy required for starch synthesis in the seeds, so the hydrolysis of sucrose determines and influences starch synthesis and filling in the seeds, especially Poaceae. However, the process behind carbohydrate metabolism during E. sibiricus seed development remains unclear. This study addresses a significant gap in our understanding of the carbohydrate metabolism during seed development in E. sibiricus by employing full-length transcriptome sequencing across five developmental stages for the first time. Full-length transcriptome sequencing was performed on E. sibiricus seeds at five developmental stages (S5, S9, S15, S20, S25) to get better molecular insights. We identified 13,205 differentially expressed genes, with 7,471 up-regulated and 5,734 down-regulated. Through KEGG enrichment analysis, genes were enriched in ‘starch and sucrose metabolism’, ‘photosynthetic-related’ and ‘hormone signal transduction’ pathways. Gene ontology enrichment analysis showed that genes were enriched in the ‘beta-amylase activity’ term of molecular functions. In addition, top 21 transcription factor families were identified as involved in seed development. The homologous genes of ABSCISIC ACID-INSENSITIVE 3 (ABI3), NUCLEAR FACTOR-YB1 (NF-YB1), STARCH SYNTHASE I (SSI) were identified as candidate genes of seed development in E. sibiricus. Combined with physiological index, transcriptome analyses, weighted gene co-expression network analysis and real-time quantitative PCR, the mechanism of starch and sucrose content of seed development was revealed and ten hub genes were identified. Overall, this study provides the molecular bases to understand seed development and starch and sucrose metabolism at the different seed developmental stages in E. sibiricus.

Effects of intercropping and regulated deficit irrigation on the yield, water and land resource utilization, and economic benefits of forage maize in arid region of Northwest China

Intercropping has been widely recognized to have great advantages in terms of increasing yield, controlling pests and diseases, and saving land, particularly in developing countries. Regulated deficit irrigation reduces water consumption and improves water productivity (WP). However, it is unclear whether the combination of intercropping and deficit irrigation could improve crop yield and WP simultaneously. In this experiment, three planting modes, including forage maize (Zea mays L.) monoculture (M), lablab bean (Lablab purpureus L.) monoculture (L), and maize-lablab bean intercropping (ML) were used. Six irrigation modes were set for each planting mode, including severe water deficit (W1), late water deficit (W2), alternate water deficit (W3), late moderate water deficit (W4), early moderate water deficit (W5), and full irrigation (W6). Results showed that compared with M, the ML treatment significantly increased the fresh forage yield (9.8%–17.0%), hay yield (9.5%–13.1%), crude protein yield (22.9%–25.9%), and WP (7.8%–8.7%). The W5 treatment achieved similar fresh forage yield, hay yield, and crude protein yield as that of the W6 treatment but reduced irrigation water by 25% and increased the WP (21.9%–24.8%). Intercropping achieved a high-water equivalence ratio (WER;1.52–1.81) and land equivalence ratio (LER;1.56–1.84), indicating its advantages over monocultures. The W6 treatment had the lowest WER and LER, suggesting that excessive irrigation can reduce the efficiency of utilizing land and water resource in maze-based forage production. Among all treatments, ML–W5 achieved the highest net income and output to input ratio. Overall, intercropping of forage maize and lablab bean with moderate deficit irrigation at an early stage could be used as a high-yield and efficient forage production system in the arid areas of northwest China.

Tillage and Overseeding Pastures for Winter Forage Production in North Florida

The purpose of this publication is to provide guidance on preparing and planting annual cool-season forages on prepared seedbeds and overseeding annual cool-season forages on pastures in north Florida. Written by C. L. Mackowiak, J. C. B. Dubeux, S. George, D. L. Wright, A. R. Blount, and I. Small, and published by the UF/IFAS Agronomy Department, revised April 2024.

Differences of Maize Fodder Yield and Crop Attributes under Different Irrigation and Nutrient Management

Irrigation and nutrient management are two vital components of modern agriculture playing crucial roles in ensuring optimal plant growth, maximizing crop yields and sustaining agricultural productivity. A field trial was conducted to evaluate how irrigation and nutrient management affect the growth characteristics and dry fodder yield of maize. The experiment involved four irrigation levels viz. no irrigation (I0), one irrigation at 20 days after sowing (DAS) (I1), two irrigations at 20 and 40 DAS (I2) and three irrigations at 20, 40 and 60 DAS (I3) and four fertilizer levels viz. recommended dose of fertilizers (RDF) (275-125-80-125-8 kg ha-1 of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, gypsum and sulphur) (F1), poultry manure (PM) (5 t ha-1) (F2), 75% RDF + PM (2.5 t ha-1) (F3) and 50% RDF + PM (5 t ha-1) (F4). The study was conducted with a split-plot layout and included three replications. Research results demonstrated significant impacts of both irrigation and nutrient management on growth metrics and the production of dry forage. At harvest, the highest plant height (177.72 cm), number of leaves plant-1 (12.16) and chlorophyll content (47.15) were recorded with three irrigations at 20, 40 and 60 DAS fertilized with 75% RDF + PM @ 2.5 t ha-1 whereas the highest total dry matter (40.60 g) and dry fodder yield (4.51 t ha-1) was recorded with two irrigations at 20 and 40 DAS along with RDF. These results emphasize that maize can produce maximum dry fodder yield with two irrigations at 20 and 40 DAS along with RDF whereas three irrigations at 20, 40 and 60 DAS fertilized with 75% RDF + PM @ 2.5 t ha-1 obtained the superior growth traits of maize.

Effect of Gibberellic Acid and Mechanical Scarification on the Germination and Seedling Stages of Chenopodium quinoa Willd. under Salt Stress.

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is a facultative halophyte renowned for its importance in enhancing food security, and it supports forage production across diverse climatic regions. The objective of this study is to examine the impacts of multiple pre-treatment methods on C. quinoa seed (Titicaca cultivar) germination parameters, identify the optimum pre-treatment to diminish the consequence of salinity, and promote the productivity of this crop, especially in marginal environments. For this purpose, a spectrum of sodium chloride (NaCl) concentrations spanning from 0 to 500 mM and gibberellic acid (GA3) concentrations ranging from 0 to 300 ppm were tested, and mechanical scarification (MS) was carried out. The effect of a combination of these pretreatment NaCl/GA3 and NaCl/MS on the germination parameters of C. quinoa seed was also investigated. The results showed that the total germination, vigor index, and germination index decreased progressively with an increase in salinity. Hence, salinity exhibited a notable influence on most germination parameters. Moreover, seeds scarified with 500 mM of NaCl negatively affected all measured parameters. In contrast, gibberellic acid applied at 200 ppm was effective on most of the parameters measured, particularly under 100 mM of NaCl. These findings indicate that immersing seeds in gibberellic acid could mitigate the adverse impacts of salinity.

Conventional or organic cattle farming? Trade-offs between crop yield, livestock capacity, organic premiums, and government payments

CONTEXTAn important question for farmers is whether to run their farm conventionally or organically. This choice can significantly affect the farm's financial performance and its impact on the environment. OBJECTIVEThe primary objective of this study is to compare the profitability of conventional and organic cattle systems and investigate how it is associated with individual farm characteristics, like forage production capacity, forage quality, milk quota, animal housing capacity, and their relative presences. METHODWe employ a whole farm optimization model, customized for Norwegian cattle farming. The primary goal of this model is to maximize the gross margin by optimizing decisions related to land usage and animal inventory while adhering to a set of constraints. We systematically solve more than 200,000 model instances, with varying farm characteristics. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSThe results can be distilled to the following key points: If forage of good quality is readily available, but the livestock operation cannot be expanded due to animal housing and milk quota restrictions, organic may outcompete conventional farming. Otherwise, gross margin is maximized with conventional farming. These findings emphasize the crucial role of forage production capacity and quality in relation to available milk quota and infrastructure when considering the transition from conventional to organic farming. Extensive sensitivity analyses affirm the robustness of these conclusions. Regional regulatory factors, such as government farm payments, also play a significant role, and influence the optimal farming approach. Additionally, we show that increases in organic price premiums can markedly impact the competitiveness of organic farming, even in a system where government payments make out a significant part of the farm revenue. SIGNIFICANCEThe model can support farmers to make informed decisions about converting to organic or conventional farming. It can also be used by policymakers to determine the level of support required to make it worthwhile for different types of farms to convert. We also show that existing government payment schemes give rise to regional differences in the incentives for organic farming in Norway. To ensure equal incentives for organic farming across the country, the organic payments would have to be regionally adjusted, in line with the other already regionally dependent government payments. This insight may be of significant interest to policymakers and other stakeholders.

Reusing livestock farming wastewater for Tifton 85 irrigation: productivity, morphological, and bromatological indicators

The utilization of wastewater from livestock farming (WLF) represents a common agricultural practice, but the absence of research on its agronomic impacts hinders its sustainable implementation. This study assesses the reutilization of WLF combined with nitrogen fertilization on the morphological, bromatological, and productivity attributes of a Tifton 85 pasture during the winter season. The study involved the application of different types of water via sprinkler: (I) stream water; (II) mixture of WLF and stream water at a 1:1 ratio; and (III) undiluted WLF combined with mineral nitrogen fertilization (0 and 45 kg N ha-1) administered at the commencement of the regrowth period. Irrigation was applied on a weekly basis, totaling 2,440 m3 ha-1. At 106 days post-regrowth, parameters including forage productivity, height, leaf-stem ratio, leaf area index, nitrogen nutrition index, crude protein content, acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and mineral matter content were determined. Mineral fertilization at the prescribed dosage (45 kg N ha-1) did not have any discernible impact on the parameters under investigation. On average, the reuse of WLF raised the productivity from 2.50 to 5.12 t ha-1 and the Crude Protein from 12.35% to 14.58% compared to stream water. The reuse of WLF demonstrated superior outcomes (p < 0.01) in terms of pasture productivity, nutritional quality, and nitrogen accumulation compared to irrigation solely with stream water. The reuse of diluted WLF (1:1) without fertilization proved adequate to sustain Tifton 85 pastures during the winter season in the Brazilian Cerrado region. Keywords: Cynodon dactylon, forage, irrigated pasture.

Intercropping impacts growth in the forage cactus, but complementarity affords greater productivity, competitive ability, biological efficiency and economic return

CONTEXTSoil and climatic conditions limit forage production in semi-arid environments. Planting crops adapted to these elements, combined with management practices such as intercropping and irrigation, can ensure the sustainability of animal feed. OBJECTIVEThe aim of this study was to evaluate growth, forage productivity, soil water balance, water indices and the indices of biological efficiency, competitive ability, and economic return in a dense crop of forage cactus, grasses, and legumes under single and intercropping systems in a semi-arid environment. METHODSThe study was carried out from 2020 to 2022 in Serra Talhada, Pernambuco, Brazil. The plants used were the ‘Orelha de Elefante Mexicana’ (OEM) clone of the forage cactus, pigeon pea (‘crioula’), millet (‘Bulk-01’) and sorghum (‘SF15’). A randomised block design was adopted, with three repetitions, including single crops of the forage cactus, sorghum, millet and pigeon pea, as well as the cactus intercropped with pigeon pea, millet and sorghum. Biometrics and biomass were checked to determine morpho-physiological indices, phenology, cutting time, biological efficiency and competitive ability. The soil moisture was also monitored, and the soil water balance quantified. The water indices and economic return were then calculated. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONSGrowth rates and phenology were not affected by intercropping, only by the cutting time. During the first season, the single sorghum and cactus-pigeon pea system showed a variation in soil water storage of 26 mm, while during the second season, the single cactus stored 66.74 mm. The actual evapotranspiration ranged from 1109 in the cactus-millet system to 1152 mm in the single cactus and millet (1st season), and from 1510 in the single cactus to 1570 mm in the sorghum (2nd season). The cactus-sorghum system was the most productive, with 460.53 Mg FM ha−1 and 43.55 Mg DM ha−1 in season one, while in season two, the single cactus obtained 237.64 Mg FM ha−1 and 26.71 Mg DM ha−1. Intercropping promotes more productive stability and feed diversity, as well as greater biological efficiency, competitive ability and economic return. SIGNIFICANCEUnderstanding the changes that exist in a intercropping system is important, especially in semi-arid regions, since these have distinct characteristics that impact the development of crops. Thus, this work contributes comprehensively to resilient practices for the semi-arid, seeking to ensure the sustainability of the intercropping systems and understand the interrelationship between species from the management adopted.

FORAGE CHARACTERIZATION OF BUFFEL-GRASS (Cenchrus ciliare L.) IN SEMI-DRY TO SEMI-WARM CLIMATES IN ZACATECAS, MEXICO

Buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliare L.) is a species used for the production of forage that is characterized by its adequate adaptation to diverse environments. The aim was to evaluate the characteristics of forage and seeds from four materials and a variety of Buffel grass under rainfed conditions in the semi-dry and semi-warm weather of Zacatecas. The experiment was held in Huanusco, Zacatecas, Mexico, in a totally randomized block design with three replications. The materials were: M-42, M-45, M-66, M-S245, and the Titán variety as a control. For forage, two cuts were performed, considering the variables of plant height (PH), production of dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), and in vitro digestibility of dry matter (IVDDM). Seed characteristics were determined upon physiological maturity using the variables of seed yield (SY), number of spikes per plant (Sp/plt), caryopsides per spikelet (Car/sp), and area of caryopsides (Area/Car). The data were analyzed in SAS, and the means were compared using Lsmeans. For the variable PH, M-42 stood out with an average height of 97.3 cm. In the production of DM, M-42 and M-45 surpassed Titán (p < 0.05), with yields higher than 4.4 Mg ha-1. M-42 had the greatest CP content at 7.29 %, whereas M-45 and M-S245 had the highest IVDDM concentrations at 74.5 and 74.8 %, respectively. Regarding seed characteristics, M-42 surpassed Titán, with a SY of 295 kg ha-1. The study concluded that M-42 is the best option for grassland management in Zacatecas, Mexico, where the weather is semi-warm and semi-dry.

Effects of probiotic on growth and production of brown midrib sorghum mutant line (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) in ultisol

This study aims to observe the efficiency of probiotic inoculants on growth, soil fertility, and production of brown midrib (BMR) sorghum mutant lines. The experimental using a Randomized Block Design of four treatments and four blocks, P0: manure + (N, K, 0% P) + probiotic; P1: manure + (N, K, 50% P) + probiotic; P2: manure + (N, K, 75% P) + probiotic; P3: manure + (N, K, 100% P) without a probiotic (control). The dose of cow manure fertilizer is 10 tons/ha, and the doses of N, P, and K fertilizers are 120 kg/ha, 90 kg/ha, and 60 kg/ha, respectively, from urea, triple superphosphate (TSP), and potassium chloride (KCl). Parameters observed were plant morphology, biomass production, nutrient and fiber fraction content, and soil fertility. The treatment had no significant effect (P>0.05) on stem diameter, leaf length, and width, soil pH, fresh and DM production, the number of leaves, plant height, stem:leaf: panicle ratio, colony PSB, soil P-available, fiber and nutrient fractions of sorghum whole plant. The conclusion is that applying probiotics with lower phosphate fertilizer in sorghum cultivation produces growth, forage production, nutrition and fiber fraction content, and P-available and colony PSB, like 100% P fertilizer application. Probiotic bacteria could be applied as phosphate-solubilizing bacteria and reduce the application of P fertilizer on BMR sorghum in ultisol.

Large‐scale remote sensing analysis reveals an increasing coupling of grassland vitality to atmospheric water demand

AbstractGrasslands provide important ecosystem services to society, including biodiversity, water security, erosion control, and forage production. Grasslands are also vulnerable to droughts, rendering their future vitality under climate change uncertain. Yet, the grassland response to drought is not well understood, especially for heterogeneous Central European grasslands. We here fill this gap by quantifying the spatiotemporal sensitivity of grasslands to drought using a novel remote sensing dataset from Landsat/Sentinel‐2 paired with climate re‐analysis data. Specifically, we quantified annual grassland vitality at fine spatial scale and national extent (Germany) from 1985 to 2021. We analyzed grassland sensitivity to drought by testing for statistically robust links between grassland vitality and common drought indices. We furthermore explored the spatiotemporal variability of drought sensitivity for 12 grassland habitat types given their different biotic and abiotic features. Grassland vitality maps revealed a large‐scale reduction of grassland vitality during past droughts. The unprecedented drought of 2018–2019 stood out as the largest multi‐year vitality decline since the mid‐1980s. Grassland vitality was consistently coupled to drought (R2 = .09–.22) with Vapor Pressure Deficit explaining vitality best. This suggests that high atmospheric water demand, as observed during recent compounding drought and heatwave events, has major impacts on grassland vitality in Central Europe. We found a significant increase in drought sensitivity over time with highest sensitivities detected in periods of extremely high atmospheric water demand, suggesting that drought impacts on grasslands are becoming more severe with ongoing climate change. The spatial variability of grassland drought sensitivity was linked to different habitat types, with declining sensitivity from dry and mesic to wet habitats. Our study provides the first large‐scale, long‐term, and spatially explicit evidence of increasing drought sensitivities of Central European grasslands. With rising compound droughts and heatwaves under climate change, large‐scale grassland vitality loss, as in 2018–2019, will thus become more likely in the future.

Sustainable Agriculture: Empowering Youth Organization through The Modernization of Forage Technology in Desa Ganjarsari

RW 03 Desa Ganjarsari, Kecamatan Cikalong Wetan, Kabupaten Bandung Barat, Jawa Barat is an area that has a lot of potential for goat farming, particularly for youths who are involved in youth organizations and who also own agriculture businesses. Thus, the preparation and accessibility of conventional animal forage are the matter at hand. This empowerment program's purpose is to provide training in the production of complete fermented silage forage as a modern forage technology to promote sustainable agriculture among youths. The program is put into action using the discussion technique for planning, the learning-by-doing method for executing it out, both verbal and written evaluation methods, as well as the testing of products to determine the program's effectiveness. The outcomes include guidelines for making complete fermented silage, increased awareness of the youth organization, their ability to produce modern forage, and their willingness to act as change agents to modernize forage technology in order to achieve sustainable agriculture in the area as a whole. It has been proven as an improvement towards modern farm activities, since one of the parameters of modern farm activity is the ability to overcome low forage quality. Further development needs to be made, including the establishment of youth-based farm groups and discussions on the well-being of goats and stables.

Pemanfaatan Limbah Tepung Tulang Sebagai Pupuk Organik Terhadap Produktivitas Hidroponik Fodder Jagung

Abstract. Livestock productivity is influenced by three factors namely breed, feed and management. Animal feed costs on average reach 70% of production costs, so feed management must be done as well as possible. A common problem faced by farmers in Indonesia is limited land for planting forage, so an alternative is needed to fulfill forage by minimizing land use, namely one way with a hydroponic system. In recent years there has been increasing interest in using short growing duration feed cultivation technology known as fodder. Based on this, the purpose of this study was to determine the utilization of bone meal waste as organic fertilizer on productivity fodder corn. The materials in this study included corn seeds, bone meal and water. The method used is a field experiment using a Completely Randomized Design (CRD). The treatment in this study was the use of bone meal as organic fertilizer, where P0 (0%), P1 (5%), P2 (10%), and P3 (15%). Each treatment was repeated 4 times. The research variables included germination percentage, normal sprout percentage, fresh forage production, and dry matter production. The data obtained was analyzed using analysis of variance. Based on the results of statistical analysis, it was shown that the use of bone meal as organic fertilizer had a very significant (P<0.01) effect on germination percentage, normal sprout percentage, fresh forage production and dry matter production. Germination percentage, normal germination percentage, fresh forage production and dry matter production were highest in P2 treatment. The values of each variable in P2 are sequentially as follows: 97.75%, 91.35%, 709.60 grams and 140.93%. Based on the results, it can be concluded that the use of 10% cast flour as organic fertilizer gives the best value to the productivity of corn fodder hydroponically.

Перспективы селекции вики озимой мохнатой (Vicia villosa Roth.) в Нечерноземной зоне России

In the Non-Chernozem zone, winter vetch is the only legume component of winter grain crops for forage purposes. In spring, summer and autumn, it can be used for feeding animals, harvesting hay, silage, and haylage. However, due to the relatively low winter hardiness, it has not yet been widely used in the feed production of the Non-Chernozem zone. The average winter hardiness of most vetch varieties in the Moscow region is 57–65%. In Federal Williams Research Center of Forage Production and Agroecology has developed a strategy for creating winter vetch varieties with high winter hardiness, resistance to abiotic stresses, high yields in green mass and seeds. The work was based on the thesis that the external environment can be used as an effective selective background, allowing genotypes with low adaptive potential to stress factors to be excluded from the population during the replanting process. As a source material, it is recommended to use old-town, naturally formed populations belonging to the Central Russian ecological and geographical group by the method of intraspecific hybridization in combination with targeted artificial and natural selection in phytocenosis and provocative backgrounds, varieties of winter vetch Lugovskaya 2 and Lugovskaya 3 were created. Winter hardiness of these varieties reaches 90–92%, dry matter yield 52–79 centner/ha, seeds 9.1–10.5 centner/ha. The values of the Serpukhovskaya standard variety were 64%, 37 and 4.1 centner/ha, respectively. High winter hardiness and increased competitiveness in the phytocenosis of new varieties is provided mainly by the formation of shoots from underground and lower aboveground nodes.

A global meta-analysis on the effects of organic and inorganic fertilization on grasslands and croplands.

A central role for nature-based solution is to identify optimal management practices to address environmental challenges, including carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation. Inorganic fertilization increases plant aboveground biomass but often causes a tradeoff with plant diversity loss. It remains unclear, however, whether organic fertilization, as a potential nature-based solution, could alter this tradeoff by increasing aboveground biomass without plant diversity loss. Here we compile data from 537 experiments on organic and inorganic fertilization across grasslands and croplands worldwide to evaluate the responses of aboveground biomass, plant diversity, and soil organic carbon (SOC). Both organic and inorganic fertilization increase aboveground biomass by 56% and 42% relative to ambient, respectively. However, only inorganic fertilization decreases plant diversity, while organic fertilization increases plant diversity in grasslands with greater soil water content. Moreover, organic fertilization increases SOC in grasslands by 19% and 15% relative to ambient and inorganic fertilization, respectively. The positive effect of organic fertilization on SOC increases with increasing mean annual temperature in grasslands, a pattern not observed in croplands. Collectively, our findings highlight organic fertilization as a potential nature-based solution that can increase two ecosystem services of grasslands, forage production, and soil carbon storage, without a tradeoff in plant diversity loss.

Teff grass increases summer forage availability in the Rolling Plains of Texas

AbstractTeff [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] grass has gained popularity in the United States as an emergency summer forage for livestock due to its drought tolerance and rapid growth habit. An alternative forage would benefit Texas Rolling Plains growers due to the summer forage shortage caused by drought conditions. However, among the teff research conducted in the United States, there is great variability in the forage yields and nutritive values depending on the amount of nitrogen and available water. The objective of the study was to evaluate forage productivity and nutritive value of teff in the Texas Rolling Plains under irrigated and dryland conditions with two nitrogen rates and application timings. Nitrogen fertilizer treatments included single applications of either 50 or 100 lb a−1 applied at planting and a split application of either 50 or 100 lb a−1 applied both at planting and after the first harvest. No differences were observed among nitrogen rates and application methods in the irrigated trial (5286 lb a−1). The split application of 100 lb a−1 produced the greatest total yield in the dryland trial (3096 lb a−1) with no yield advantage of 100 lb N a−1 over 50 lb N a−1 at the first cutting. Forage nutritive values were similar to the warm‐season forage species utilized in the region. This study showed that teff can be an alternative forage species in the region. Future research will include planting dates, nitrogen application timing, cutting height, and the interaction of these factors on yield and nutritive values of teff.

Evaluation of marandu palisadegrass regrowth intervals in silvopastoral and monoculture systems

Silvopastoral systems (SPS) offer a sustainable alternative for animal production in tropical ecosystems. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of deferment days on herbage accumulation, plant-part composition, and canopy structural characteristics of Marandu palisadegrass (Urochloa brizantha Hochst. ex A. Rich.) in SPS with Eucalyptus urophylla and monoculture (MC). The experiment was conducted using a randomized block design, with each system individually allocated at the center of each plot in a 3 x 4 factorial arrangement, consisting of three systems: monoculture, and silvopastoral systems with tree row spacings of 12 m and 18 m, and tree intra-row spacing of 2 m, across four regrowth periods (60, 90, 120, and 150 days), each with three replications. Increasing deferment days reduced the proportion of green components in the forage, affecting tiller population density (TPD), leaf dry mass (LDM), and leaf/stem ratio. Maximum LDM production occurred at approximately 88 days with 0.63 Mg ha-1, while peak green dry mass (GDM) was at 94 days, reaching 1.11 Mg ha-1. Both dead material dry mass (DMDM) and total dry mass (TDM) increased linearly with regrowth periods, although TDM comprised about 47% dead forage. A regrowth period of 94 days from March is feasible for Marandu palisadegrass in SPS with 12 m and 18 m between tree rows, demonstrating that this spacing does not hinder forage production.