Hay Crop Research Articles

Feeder and Live Cattle Markets Face Mixed Signals as Fall Approaches

As the cattle market reopened following Labor Day, feeder and live cattle futures weakened to contract low levels of resistance. The October feeder cattle contract ended on a down note at approximately $230, as the market continues to grapple with whether prices will rise this fall amid uncertainty over how many heifers will go through sale barns. A significant factor contributing to current market conditions is the deterioration of pasture conditions, which has led to expectations that some feeder cattle will be brought to market earlier. However, this impact is tempered by a large hay crop and the availability of cheap feed, both of which are already being priced into the market.

Influence of Pasture Stocking Method on Surface Runoff and Nutrient Loss in the US Upper Midwest

Grazing and hay forage crops reduce erosion compared to annual crops, but few studies have compared soil and nutrient loss among grazing systems compared to a control. We evaluated runoff water quality and nutrient loss among three grazing systems and a hay crop production field with manure application (control) using a paired watershed design. Four edge-of-field sites at a research farm in central Wisconsin were managed as hay during calibration (2013–2018) followed by a grazing treatment phase (2018–2020). Grazing treatments of different stocking methods included continuous stocking (CS), primary paddock stocking (PPS), and adaptive multi-paddock stocking (AMPS). Runoff, sediment, nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) loads were monitored year-round. Grazing increased average runoff volume by as much as 1.7-fold depending on stocking method and tended to decrease event mean N and P concentrations. CS had larger mean sediment (2.0-fold), total N (1.9-fold), and total P loads (1.2-fold) compared to the control and had the lowest average pasture forage mass. AMPS had lower N and P loss as a percentage of that applied from manure application/livestock excretion (1.3 and 1.6%, respectively) compared to the control (2.5 and 2.1%), PPS (2.5 and 2.6%), and CS (3.2 and 3.0%). Stocking method had a marked impact on nutrient loss in runoff from these systems, suggesting water quality models should account for pasture management, but nutrient losses from all perennial forage systems were small relative to previous data from annual cropping systems.

PSII-4 Effects of Rye or Triticale with or without Crimson Clover on Forage Yield and Quality, and Gestating Beef Female Performance

Abstract The objective was to evaluate the effects of rye or triticale with or without crimson clover on forage yield and quality, and gestating beef female performance. In experiment 1, four cover crop treatments (trt) were randomly assigned to plot (0.49 ha/plot; 6 plots/trt) in a 2×2 factorial design. Treatments included cereal rye or triticale with or without crimson clover. Plots were seeded mid-September (rye or triticale: 101 kg/ha; crimson clover inclusion: 84 kg/ha cereal and 9 kg/ha legume). Treatments were mechanically harvested for haylage at the end of May. Plot yield was determined by total forage mass collection. Prior to ensiling, samples (12/plot) were composited within plot to evaluate forage quality. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS 9.4. Forage yield was greater (P < 0.01) with inclusion of crimson clover than without (3,208 vs. 2,654 kg/ha, respectively). Forage yield was not different (P = 0.17) between cereal type. Crimson clover inclusion reduced dry matter (P < 0.01). Between cereal types, rye had greater (P < 0.01) DM than triticale. Crimson clover inclusion increased CP (P < 0.01; 9.6% vs 8.6%, respectively). Neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber were greater (P < 0.01) in rye compared with triticale. In experiment 2, spring-calving cows and heifers (n = 105; BW = 633 ± 100 kg; gestation = 198 ± 17 days) were randomly assigned to 1 of 5 treatment diets in a 42-day feeding trial to determine feed value of cover crops. Four diets were based on cover crops (60% inclusion) from experiment one with an additional control diet (CON; 85% alfalfa hay and 15% modified wet distillers grains). All treatments were limit fed (11.3 BW∙animal-1∙d-1/). Body weights (BW) and body condition scores (BCS) were assessed at trial initiation and conclusion. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS 9.4. Female final BW and BW change were greater (P < 0.01) in cover crop treatments compared with CON. Body weight change did not differ (P ≥ 0.21) between cereal type or with inclusion of crimson clover. Initial BCS was not different (P ≥ 0.47); however, final BCS was greater (P < 0.01) in cover crop treatments compared with CON. Crimson clover inclusion increased (P = 0.02) BCS change. In summary, inclusion of crimson clover increased forage yield, CP, and female BCS. Although rye cover crops had decreased quality prior to ensiling, there were no differences in cow performance compared with triticale. Substituting cover crops for alfalfa hay resulted in increased cow BW and BCS, suggesting the cover crops evaluated have greater feed value than alfalfa hay.

A Machine Learning Approach for the Estimation of Alfalfa Hay Crop Yield in Northern Nevada

Increasing pressure over water resources in the western U.S. is currently forcing alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) producers to adopt water-saving irrigation techniques. Crop yield forecasting tools can be used to develop smart irrigation scheduling methods that can be used to estimate the future effects of a given irrigation amount applied during a current irrigation event on yield. In this work, a linear model and a random forest model were used to estimate the yield of irrigated alfalfa crops in northern Nevada. It was found that water (rain + irrigation), the occurrence of extreme temperatures, and wind have a greater effect on crop yield. Other variables that accounted for the photoperiod and the dormant period were also included in the model and are also important. The linear model had the best performance with an R2 of 0.854. On the other hand, the R2 value for the random forest was 0.793. The linear model showed a good response to water variability; therefore, it is a good model to consider for use as an irrigation decision support system. However, unlike the linear model, the random forest model can capture non-linear relationships occurring between the crop, water, and the atmosphere, and its results may be enhanced by including more data for its training.

Corn in postcut crops

In agrotechnologies postcut crops of intermediate cultures are placed after harvesting annual grasses for green mass, and stubble crops after harvesting early grain crops. Annual herbs at the April sowing dates reach mowing maturity and are harvested for green mass in the third decade of June – the first decade of July. However, after harvesting the main crop of the crop rotation, there are still about 70–90 days left until the end of the growing season, which is quite enough to obtain a full-fledged harvest in the hay crops, and thereby increase the index of arable land use [1; 6]. In this regard in 2020–2022 in the foothill zone of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (the Baksansky district), the scientific research was carried out on the irrigated Ciscaucasian chernozems (according to B.A. Dospekhov “Methodology of field experience”) in order to study the elements of improving the technology of growing corn in hay crops, providing a reduction in energy costs and optimization of the main parameters of soil fertility. Recently, agricultural production has been operating in the conditions of a resource deficit and an increasingly complex structure of economic relations and an ever-increasing problem of soil and water conservation. The dominance of economic mechanisms fundamentally changes many generally accepted ideas and approaches in the field of agricultural land use. The overall objective is to maximize crop production per unit of input. As a result of the research, it has been found that the cultivation of corn for grain by cutting, after winter rapeseed by chisel processing to a depth of 28–30 cm and the application of fertilizers at a dose of N120P90, contributes to the stabilization of the agrophysical properties of the soil and the optimization of the energy balance

Registration of ‘Giant’ forage cowpea

Abstract‘Giant’ (Reg. no. CV‐348, PI 701902) is a southern root‐knot nematode (Meloidgyne incognita race 3 and race 4)–resistant forage cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] developed by Texas A&M AgriLife Research at Overton, TX. Giant is intended for use as a warm‐season cover crop, a forage and hay crop, and supplemental browse for white‐tailed deer. Giant is an indeterminate, forage type cowpea that produces biomass from May through September in northeast Texas but also flowers 25 days earlier than ‘Iron & Clay’ cowpea, allowing seed production in northeast Texas before the first average frost date. Single nucleotide polymorphism analysis confirmed the variety mix Iron & Clay as the parental source population for Giant. Forage production of Giant at Overton, TX, in 2019 and 2020 was 5.3 and 6.0 Mg dry matter (DM) ha−1, respectively. Forage production of Giant in 2019 at Prairie and Starkville, MS, was 2.8 and 2.9 Mg DM ha−1, respectively. Protein content of Giant in 2019 at Prairie and Starkville was 21.1 and 21.2%, respectively. Forage production of Giant in 2019 at Chillicothe, TX and Lockett, TX, was 2.6 and 3.6 Mg DM ha−1, respectively. Top growth nitrogen (N) yield of Giant in 2019 at Chillicothe, TX, and Lockett, TX, was 67 and 65 kg N ha−1, respectively. Based on very low nematode reproduction, Giant is rated resistant and partially resistant to southern root‐knot nematode race 3 and race 4, respectively.

The occurrence of a flagship raptor species in intensive agroecosystems is associated with more diverse farmland bird communities: Opportunities for market-based conservation

Traditional livestock systems have supported farmland biodiversity for millennia. However, modern intensive husbandry is challenging wildlife persistence in agroecosystems. We assessed the multiscale determinants of the species richness of breeding bird communities, as well as the occurrence of a flagship raptor species, the lesser kestrel Falco naumanni, in an intensive agroecosystem mostly dedicated to the production of the world-renowned Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. We relied on three avian community richness metrics reflecting a gradient of increasing association with farmed landscapes, i.e. the overall breeding bird species richness, the richness of farmland species, and the richness of ground-nesters (i.e. species that mostly breed within crops) and tested their association with the landscape, agricultural, and pedological variables as well as with lesser kestrel occurrence. We showed that environmental variables determining overall richer avian assemblages did not coincide with those shaping farmland and ground-nesting species richness, thus challenging the potential effectiveness of conservation actions. However, such actions could be optimized by taking into account different spatial scales affecting different species groups. Indeed, landscape heterogeneity, semi-natural/marginal habitats, and a moderate cover of build-up areas enhanced overall species richness at a small spatial scale. At a broader scale, landscape heterogeneity enhanced farmland species richness, whereas fragmentation determined by urbanization negatively affected ground-nesters. Avian community richness metrics were maximized at an intermediate cover of three prevailing crops (winter, summer, and hay crops), increasing when they co-occurred, i.e., in the presence of crop rotation. Lesser kestrel occurrence was associated with richer assemblages of ground-nesting species because this raptor and ground-nesters showed analogous ecological requirements. These findings suggest that the lesser kestrel can be regarded as an ideal flagship for market-based conservation initiatives (e.g., tailored to the production of biodiversity-friendly agri-food products) in intensive agroecosystems since actions aimed at improving the foraging habitats of the species are likely to benefit co-occurring farmland birds of conservation interest.

Bioherbicidal potential of Rumex crispus infected with Didymella rumicicola

A new foliar disease was observed on a perennial weed Rumex crispus which grows extensively in orchards, pastures, hay crops, lawns and home gardens in Kashmir valley. Repeated Isolation of the pathogen from the infected leaves of Rumex crispus yielded the fungus which on the basis of Cultural and morphological characteristics showed a resemblance to Didymella sp. Pathogenicity was confirmed by the detached leaf technique as well as inoculating whole plants in pots. Precise confirmation of the identity of the pathogen was done by sequencing the reference genes using ITS1 and ITS4 markers and sequenced data was subjected to BLAST which showed 99.80 per cent similarity with Didymella rumicicola which was previously only reported in New Zealand on Rumex obtusifolius prior to this study. Host range, as well as bioherbicidal potential of this pathogen on hosts of five different families of cultivated crops along with Rumex plants, revealed that no disease incidence was found on host plant species of other families of cultivated crops, whereas,100% disease incidence and 80% severity were observed on Rumex crispus at 15 and 25 days after inoculation respectively. Physiological studies showed the newly isolated pathogen Didymella rumicicola showed the best radial growth on Potato dextrose agar at pH 6.5 and at a temperature of 25oC.

Dynamics of soluble soil organic matter in Mediterranean maize-based forage system under organic and mineral fertilization

In Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZ), the impact of animal effluent management on soil fertility is essential. A three-year study was carried out in a NVZ (Arborea, Central-western Sardinia, Italy), aiming to analyze the effect of different fertilization systems on soluble and total soil organic matter (SOM) within a silage maize-hay crop cropping system on sandy soil (Oxyaquic Xeropsamment). Four types of fertilization systems were compared: (i) cattle manure; (ii) cattle slurry; (iii) mineral; (iv) slurry + mineral. The water-extractable C and N content (WEC and WEN) from the topsoil (0–20 cm layer, the Ap1 horizon), the dissolved carbon (DC) and the dissolved nitrogen (DN) of the soil solution collected by disk lysimeters placed along the soil profiles, and the C content at the beginning and at the end of the experiment were determined.The seasonal dynamics of WEC in the topsoil seemed mainly associated with the timing of the fertilizer distribution. In the topsoil, WEC was larger under slurry than under mineral treatment. The DC was rather low in the deeper soil layers and did not show any variation due to the fluctuations of fertilizer distribution that were seemingly influenced by the groundwater table. The fertilization systems influenced the soil C inputs and, in turn, the SOM content. Manure promoted a higher C stock in the deeper soil layers among the organic fertilizers. However, the hay crop added with manure and slurry showed lower crop residues and, thus, C input than that added with mineral fertilizer. This result suggests that the management of these organic fertilizers should carefully consider their impact on the overall productivity of the studied cropping system in Mediterranean NVZ to avoid a potential limitation for soil C accumulation in the long term.

EFFECT OF VIRUS AND MYCOPLASMA DISEASES ON PRODUCTIVITY OF ALFALFA HAY CULTIVARS

Purpose: To evaluate the productivity of different alfalfa hay cultivars under the effect of local virus and mycoplasma diseases. Methodology: The study was conducted under center pivot irrigation system similar to TADCO mechanized alfalfa hay crop production. Results: Imported alfalfa hay cultivars were found infected with three virus and mycoplasma diseases: alfalfa enation virus, alfalfa mosaic virus and alfalfa witches' broom. Infections with these diseases lead to a severe reduction on the productivity of alfalfa hay cultivars in the third cropping season. Alfalfa enation virus was found to cause the most economic damage to the alfalfa hay crop, and the percentage yield reduction from this disease reached 17.6, 36.8% in the second and third seasons of cultivation respectively. Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The authors recommended to grow alfalfa hay cultivars with less susceptibility to virus diseases infections as we found variability in the productivity of the tested cultivars. The study also recommends to grow alfalfa hay cultivars under mechanized system for two seasons as we observed significant yield reduction in the third season due to high infestation with weeds and grasses which affected the hay quality. In the first field trial (1999 - 2002), productivity of alfalfa hay cultivars CUF 101 and Siriver reached above 30 M.T. /Ha under aphid-controlled conditions. In the second field trial (2002 - 2004), alfalfa hay productivity of the cultivars Fast Grow, SW 9500, Magic (SW 9301) and Super Supreme reached above 30 M.T./Ha in the first season 2003; and in the second season 2004, productivity of Magic, Fast Grow and Super Supreme reached above 26 M.T./Ha. Productivity over the two seasons 2003 and 2004 shown Fast Grow and Magic were the highest with 60.38, 59.85 M.T./Ha. respectively.

Кормова продуктивність люцерно-злакових агроценозів з різними злаковими компонентами

Goal. To select the best perennial grasses for lucerne-cereal mixtures on different agricultural backgrounds to increase their productive longevity to produce high-quality grass fodder. Methods. Field, laboratory, mathematical and statistical, computational and comparative. Results. The results are given of research (2019–2021) in the formation of forage productivity of lucerne, lucerne-cereal with various cereal components and cereal forage agro phytocoenoses on different backgrounds of fertilizers and liming on dark gray podzolic soils. The best forage agro phytocoenoses, change of their productivity under the influence of fertilizers and liming, distribution of yield on hay crops and features of increase of productivity at the formation of a crop of biomass in the 1st slope are established. Conclusions. The inclusion of lucerne in legume-cereal grass mixture, as well as its single-use for forage purposes, compared to cereals herbage on the background without mineral nitrogen on average for the first three years of life and use increased the productivity of sown grass from 3.24–3.31 to 7,92–10.34 t/ha of dry weight, from 2.37–2.58 to 6.91–9.99 t/ha of fodder units, or 1.4–3.8 times. The most productive were agro phytocoenoses formed based on single-species sowing of lucerne and its mixtures with late-ripening meadow timothy (Phleum pratense) and intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium), as well as medium-ripe awnless brome (Bromopsis inermis) and eastern fescue (Festuca orientalis), where the share of legume component (1%) was the largest. The introduction of 1.5 t/ha of lime into pre-sowing cultivation or P45K90 annually increased the productivity of lucerne and lucerne-cereal grasses by 5–9%, and with their combined use — by 12–14%. The best distribution of yield by slopes on different fertilizer backgrounds was characterized by lucerne and lucerne-cereal herbage with a share of 1st hay crop 45–50%, 2nd — 29–31%, and 3rd — 20–25%, and unevenness 23–28%. At the formation of the yield of the 1st hay crop, the increase in productivity of sown grasslands occurred before the flowering phase of the dominant components, the largest daily increases in dry weight (66–96 kg/ha), as well as net productivity of photosynthesis (2.58–3.52 g/m2 per day) achieved during the branching-budding phase of lucerne.

ПОВЫШЕНИЕ ПРОДУКТИВНОСТИ МОГОЛЕТНИХ ЗЛАКОВЫХ ТРАВ В СИСТЕМЕ БИОЛОГИЗАЦИИ ЗЕМЛЕДЕЛИЯ НЕЧЕРНОЗЕМНОЙ ЗОНЫ РОССИИ

. In studies on soddy-podzolic sandy loamy soil of the experimental field of All-Russian Research Institute of Organic Fertilizers and Peat - a branch of the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Insti-tution "Verkhnevolzhsky Federal Agrarian Scientific Center" during 2009-2013. the possibility of using nitrogen from annual leguminous plants for feeding perennial grasses (meadow timothy grass) by using them as cover crops has been established. They, by increasing the content of as-similable forms of nitrogen and other nutrients in the soil, had a positive effect on the develop-ment of grasses in the autumn and spring periods, the formation of their biomass during the grow-ing season, improving its quality, increasing the development of the root system of perennial grasses and the accumulation of nutrients in it. The effective effect of cover crops was traced for 4 years, the total increase in hay crop during this time amounted to more than 120 c/ha, the econom-ic effect was about 17 thousand rubles.

Review of Integrated Pest Management of Alfalfa Hay Crop: A Successful Example at TADCO

Alfalfa hay crop was grown at TADCO, mainly for dairy farms companies in Saudi Arabia on contract basis. This crop and due to the application of broad-spectrum contact insecticides lead to aphids’ outbreak during spring and autumn and worms’ outbreak during the summer month of each year leading to loss of hay quality and yield quantity. An Integrated Pest Management program was applied at TADCO in the period 2000 to 2010, and it succeeded to regulate the aphids and worms’ insects’ numbers on the alfalfa crop which resulted in a smaller number of sprays per season and lowered the cost of pest control over the years. This success was due to using selective insecticides which has little impact on the predators and parasites insects and allowed the company to produce high quality hay desired by the dairy farm companies and reduced the cost of production. Alfalfa was an ideal crop for applying integrated pest management program (IPM) as it is a perennial crop grown at each pivot for an average of two years, and this allowed the beneficial insects to stay on it and survive between the seasons feeding on insect pests. Keywords: IPM; Predators; Parasites; Alfalfa Hay; Selective Insecticides

Computational Systems Biology of Alfalfa - Bacterial Blight Host-Pathogen Interactions: Uncovering the Complex Molecular Networks for Developing Durable Disease Resistant Crop.

Medicago sativa (also known as alfalfa), a forage legume, is widely cultivated due to its high yield and high-value hay crop production. Infectious diseases are a major threat to the crops, owing to huge economic losses to the agriculture industry, worldwide. The protein-protein interactions (PPIs) between the pathogens and their hosts play a critical role in understanding the molecular basis of pathogenesis. Pseudomonas syringae pv. syringae ALF3 suppresses the plant’s innate immune response by secreting type III effector proteins into the host cell, causing bacterial stem blight in alfalfa. The alfalfa-P. syringae system has little information available for PPIs. Thus, to understand the infection mechanism, we elucidated the genome-scale host-pathogen interactions (HPIs) between alfalfa and P. syringae using two computational approaches: interolog-based and domain-based method. A total of ∼14 M putative PPIs were predicted between 50,629 alfalfa proteins and 2,932 P. syringae proteins by combining these approaches. Additionally, ∼0.7 M consensus PPIs were also predicted. The functional analysis revealed that P. syringae proteins are highly involved in nucleotide binding activity (GO:0000166), intracellular organelle (GO:0043229), and translation (GO:0006412) while alfalfa proteins are involved in cellular response to chemical stimulus (GO:0070887), oxidoreductase activity (GO:0016614), and Golgi apparatus (GO:0005794). According to subcellular localization predictions, most of the pathogen proteins targeted host proteins within the cytoplasm and nucleus. In addition, we discovered a slew of new virulence effectors in the predicted HPIs. The current research describes an integrated approach for deciphering genome-scale host-pathogen PPIs between alfalfa and P. syringae, allowing the researchers to better understand the pathogen’s infection mechanism and develop pathogen-resistant lines.

Establishing rhizoma peanut–bahiagrass mixtures

AbstractRhizoma peanut (RP;Arachis glabrataBenth.) is a perennial legume with ability to persist and spread in mixtures with C4grasses. Most RP establishment studies focus on its use as a monoculture hay crop, and more information is needed on establishment strategies for RP–grass mixtures. The objectives of this study were to compare techniques for establishing RP–grass mixtures and quantify their effects on RP shoot emergence, frequency of occurrence (percentage of quadrats containing RP shoots), percentage ground cover, and RP shoot and root‐rhizome biomass. Treatments were (a) RP planted in monoculture (MRP; control), (b) RP planted simultaneously with bahiagrass (Paspalum notatumFlügge; RP‐BG), or (c) RP strip planted into existing bahiagrass pasture following removal of bahiagrass sod strips (Strip). There was no treatment or sampling date effect on RP shoot density (29.5 shoots m–2) during 10 wk after spring planting. By October, RP ground cover was greater for Strip (43%) than MRP (32%) and for MRP than RP‐BG (18%), and Strip and MRP had greater RP frequency than RP‐BG (82, 72, and 58%, respectively). Strip and MRP (1.39 and 1.10 Mg ha–1, respectively) had greater year‐of‐planting RP shoot mass than RP‐BG (0.52 Mg ha–1), but root‐rhizome biomass was not affected by treatment. Measures of establishment success for Strip generally were equal or superior to MRP, and Strip is a viable option for establishing RP–grass mixtures. Weed competition reduced RP establishment success in RP‐BG relative to the other treatments because herbicides tolerated by both bahiagrass seedlings and emerging RP shoots are unavailable.

Control of meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria through a change of management from grazing to mowing at an English floodplain meadow.

Floodplain meadow grassland is a diverse habitat which has become increasingly rare throughout Europe. Meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria, is a characteristic species of its plant community, however it can become overly dominant in the sward resulting in detrimental effects on the community as a whole. High abundance can reduce both the diversity of the sward, by shading out low growing species, and the quality of the hay crop. An eight-year management trial (2011-2019) was undertaken at Fancott Woods and Meadows SSSI by the BCN Wildlife Trust and the Floodplain Meadows Partnership, to test whether it was possible to reduce the dominance of meadowsweet through an annual hay cut with aftermath grazing instead of grazing management only, across three blocks of experimental treatments. A secondary aim of the trial was to investigate whether a change in management could also increase the plant-species diversity. Three plots were cut in June and then aftermath grazed, compared to three control plots that were only grazed from July onwards. The study found that cover of meadowsweet decreased from 55% to 6% under the annual cut and aftermath grazing treatment compared to a decrease from 58% to 35% in the control (grazed only) areas. This was accompanied by an increase in plant-species diversity in the cut areas compared to control plots. The study concluded that annual cutting can be used to control coarse and dominant meadowsweet effectively, and that cutting followed by aftermath grazing in a floodplain meadow delivers greater botanical diversity compared to grazing alone.

Beef cattle feeding costs as impacted by hay yield and quality

AbstractReducing dependence onstored feed, particularly dry hay, is a major factor in beef cattle production systems in the southeastern United States. Increasing the nutritive value of the hay that is fed, however, can ultimately reduce total feed costs and boost profitability. A field trial was conducted in east‐central Mississippi evaluating several warm‐season perennial grass hay crops under varying N and harvest regimes in order to assess their ability to meet beef cow nutritional demands and to estimate total feed costs. Cultivars included ‘Argentine’ (ARG) and ‘Pensacola’ (PEN) bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flueggé), ‘Common’ (COM) and ‘Cheyenne II’ (CHE) bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.), and ‘Pete’ (PET) eastern gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides L.). Plots were assigned to an annual N treatment (0, 112, 224, 336, or 448 kg N ha−1 yr−1) and a harvest frequency (30, 40, 60, and 120 d). Argentine produced the greatest amount of forage mass (FM) at the 448 kg N ha−1 yr−1 rate (14,422 kg DM ha−1). Increasing N rates resulted in greater mean crude protein (CP) values, whereas harvest frequency had a greater impact on total digestible nutrients (TDN). Total feed costs were calculated based on field trial data and were combined with either soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] hulls (SH) or corn (Zea mays L.) gluten (CG) to match nutritional demand. The most economical feed costs were those where hay was fertilized (>224 kg N ha−1 yr−1) and harvested three or more times a year and was combined with CG.

Genome-Wide Association Studies Identifying Multiple Loci Associated With Alfalfa Forage Quality.

Autotetraploid alfalfa is a major hay crop planted all over the world due to its adaptation in different environments and high quality for animal feed. However, the genetic basis of alfalfa quality is not fully understood. In this study, a diverse panel of 200 alfalfa accessions were planted in field trials using augmented experimental design at three locations in 2018 and 2019. Thirty-four quality traits were evaluated by Near Infrared Reflectance Spectroscopy (NIRS). The plants were genotyped using a genotyping by sequencing (GBS) approach and over 46,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were obtained after variant calling and filtering. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified 28 SNP markers associated with 16 quality traits. Among them, most of the markers were associated with fiber digestibility and protein content. Phenotypic variations were analyzed from three locations and different sets of markers were identified by GWAS when using phenotypic data from different locations, indicating that alfalfa quality traits were also affected by environmental factors. Among different sets of markers identified by location, two markers were associated with nine traits of fiber digestibility. One marker associated with lignin content was identified consistently in multiple environments. Putative candidate genes underlying fiber-related loci were identified and they are involved in the lignin and cell wall biosynthesis. The DNA markers and associated genes identified in this study will be useful for the genetic improvement of forage quality in alfalfa after the validation of the markers.

Smart Agriculture on Computers and Handheld Devices

Technology plays an important role in development, even though it seems that technology has modified certain aspects of it in areas where development is challenging. Telecom has been successfully implemented all over the world. In a developing country like Pakistan, technology can be found in even the most remote villages. Nowadays, a mobile tower can be seen anywhere, and many people use mobile phones. With the help of Information and Communication Technology, this beautiful use of technology has helped growth of almost every profession. Saving crops from diseases has become a major concern for policymakers in the twenty-first century. Countries are also working to increase yields in order to satisfy rising domestic demand and generate exportable surpluses. Farmers fertilize a variety of crops for food, fiber, and hay for their livestock. The available resources are limited and cannot be increased. Different diseases, such as black stem rust of wheat, orange or leaf rust of wheat, fungicides, and others, cause damage to wheat, cotton, maize, and millet, resulting in a marginal to 100% loss in production. All major food crops, such as wheat, cotton, maize, and millet, are continuously attacked by unique diseases, making it difficult to enforce policies or procedures that would improve per-hectare production. There are several apps available for agricultural guidance, but ours is interesting in that it is written in Sindhi, while other apps are written in English. Sindh has a large population, and the female literacy rate was 43% last year, compared to 47% the year before. In contrast to 2012-19, male education in Sindh has decreased from 72% to 67%. So, if a person does not understand the language, how can he be properly guided? That is why we have developed an app in Sindhi

Cover Crop Management on the Southern High Plains: Impacts on Crop Productivity and Soil Water Depletion.

Simple SummaryAgriculture throughout the Southern High Plains of the United States relies on supplemental irrigation from the Ogallala Aquifer because of limited precipitation and high evapotranspiration rates. Unfortunately, extraction rates greatly exceed the recharge rate of the aquifer. This region is prone to soil erosion, so maintaining soil coverage is critical for protecting soil resources. Despite the many benefits of planting cover crops, producers do not readily plant winter crops in the Southern High Plains due to concerns of depleting soil water availability for subsequent summer crops. Based on the results of this experiment, producers can plant rye with a no-till drill to help maintain soil cover and produce high-quality winter forage for grazing livestock without threatening soil water supply for the summer crops; in this case, teff. Light irrigation (up to 25 mm per month) should be applied to supplement rainfall and ensure grazing if the producer is reliant upon the rye and does not have other forage available for contingency. Finally, timely termination of the cover crops is critical. Delayed termination of the cover crops was the biggest factor found to reduce the productivity of the teff.The imminent depletion of the Ogallala Aquifer demands innovative cropping alternatives. Even though the benefits of cover crops are well recognized, adoption has been slow in the Southern High Plains (SHP) of the United States because of concerns that cover crops withdraw soil water to the detriment of the summer crops. This small plot experiment tested the interacting effects—production, soil water depletion of the cover crops, and subsequent teff [Eragrostis tef (Zucc.) Trotter] summer hay crops—of irrigation and tillage management with five cover crop types to identify low-risk cover crop practices in the drought-prone SHP. Dryland rye (Secale cereale L.) produced modest forage biomass (>1000 kg ha−1), even in a dry year, but it was found that light irrigation should be used to ensure adequate forage supply (>1200 kg ha−1) if winter grazing is desired. No-till management and timely termination of the winter cover crops were crucial to reducing the negative impact of winter crops on summer teff production. The results indicated no detriment to soil water content that was attributable to planting no-till cover crops compared with the conventional practice of winter fallow. Therefore, producers could take advantage of the soil-conserving attributes of high-quality winter forage cover crops without experiencing significant soil water depletion.