High Forage Yield Research Articles

Changes in Clitoria ternatea Canopy Cover and its Relation to Forage Productivity under Leucaena leucocephala Alley Cropping and NPK Fertilization in Arid Agroforestry Systems of Saudi Arabia

Background: There is an increased need for intercropping practice in drylands to increase land-use efficiency. Canopy cover is a great tool to assess agricultural yield, as it is an indicator of plant health and productivity. Methods: The smartphone-based application Canopeo was used to measure the canopy cover (CC) of Clitoria under mixed intercropping with Leucaena and with four (4) fertilization levels (Control, 200 kg, 300 kg and 400 kg of NPK). Forage yield and (CC) were measured during six (6) consecutive harvests. Moreover, forage quality (NPK and protein) was analyzed. Result: The results revealed a high positive correlation between (CC) with crop yield and quality. Also, the application of fertilizers produced higher (CC) associated with higher yield and forage quality. The relatively low correlation of (CC) with yield in intercropping may be due to the high competition of the Leucaena tree. However, the whole intercropping system was positive (with an LER of 2.4), indicating better land-use efficiency. The results concluded that intercropping in drylands would result in better land use. While the application of NPK fertilizers will increase crop (CC), which in turn will reflect in higher forage yield and quality.

Estimation of aboveground biomass of Alfalfa using field robotics

Alfalfa is a high-yielding forage crop that is widely grown in the United States for grazing, hay and silage making. A proper maintenance of these grasslands is necessary to ensure optimum productivity and profits. The pre-harvest estimation of biomass yield helps in quantifying the profits and optimizing the forage allocation in advance. Most traditional methods of forage estimation are relatively laborious and time-consuming. Recent developments in contact and remote sensing technologies opened numerous paths for performing aboveground biomass estimation tasks with flexibility and easiness. This study focused on the development of crop height measurement systems for estimating the aboveground biomass yield of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Five different systems for measuring crop height were evaluated on their ability to estimate aboveground wet and dry biomass. The crop height measurement systems used in this study were Structure-from-Motion, Ultrasound Sensor and Ski, Inertial Measurement Unit and Ski, Inertial Measurement Units and Roller, and a Depth Camera. The results indicated that the system using the Inertial Measurement Unit sensor and ski (IMU-Ski) performed the best among ground-based methods (R2= 0.79; SeY= 3166 kg-wet/ha). The Structure-from-Motion (SfM) method using UAV also provided satisfactory results for biomass predictions (R2= 0.74; SeY= 2543 kg-wet/ha). The models based on IMU-Ski and UAV-based SfM methods were facilitated with vegetation coverage as an additional independent variable to evaluate their effect on biomass predictions. The results indicated that the vegetation coverage did not improve the predictions in any of these systems. Thus, the models based on only the crop height (IMU-Ski and UAV-SfM) were the recommended approaches for Alfalfa biomass estimations. The addition of data points for wide ranges of crop height and vegetation coverage is recommended for future studies to improve the results and ensure the adaptability of these systems in varying environmental conditions.

FORAGE YIELD AND QUALITY OF INTERCROPPED ANNUAL RYEGRASS WITH BERSEEM CLOVER SOWN AT DIFFERENT SEED MIXTURE RATIOS UNDER RAINFALL CONDITIONS OF MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE

This research was carried out under rainfall conditions of Mediterranean climate with the aim to study the effects of different seed mixture ratios on forage yield and quality characteristics of mixture. Annual ryegrass sown as pure produced higher green forage yield than berseem clover sown as pure and the mixtures. In the mixture of berseem clover at 20% seed rate and pure annual ryegrass, higher hay yields were determined compared to the other mixtures. As the seed rate of berseem clover decreased, the proportion of berseem clover in the mixture yield and the crude protein ratio of the herbage decreased linearly. In terms of total LER, BC80-AR20 and BC20-AR80 mixtures were the two most advantageous mixtures, while the aggressivity value of annual ryegrass showed a positive value and became the dominant species. Pure sown berseem clover had lower ADF, NDF and higher crude protein content than pure sown annual ryegrass and other mixtures tested. According to these results, it can be said that berseem clover can be included in the mixture at low seed rates for high forage yield under rainfall conditions, while berseem clover can be grown as pure for high forage quality.

Uji organoleptik, jamur, dan pH silase rumput pakchong yang diberi suplemen organik cair herbal

Pakchong grass is a high-yielding forage that has good quality and can be used as silage. The research aims to determine the physical quality, fungi, and pH of pakchong grass silage with the addition of herbal SOC. The variables observed were color, aroma, texture, taste, fungi, and pH. This research was carried out in Pulosari Village, Pangalengan District, Bandung Regency, West Java. This research used experimental methods and a Completely Randomized Design (CRD), consist of 4 treatments and 5 replications, namely: P1 = Pakchong grass + 1% herbal SOC, P2 = Pakchong grass + 3% herbal SOC, P3 = Pakchong grass + 5% herbal SOC, and P4 = Pakchong grass + 7% herbal SOC. The results showed that it had a significant effect on color, aroma, texture, taste, and fungi but had no significant effect on the pH of the silage. The higher the level of herbal SOC given, the more the quality decreases. The addition of 1% herbal SOC produced pakchong grass silage with the best physical, fungi, and pH qualities.

Growth and quality parameters of oat (Avena sativa L.) cultivars as influenced by different cutting management in irrigated subtropical conditions

An investigation was conducted at SKUAST, Jammu, during Rabi 2018-19 and 2019-20 to assess the effect of different cutting managements on the growth and quality of multicut oat cultivars. The experiment was laid out in a randomized block design with 14 treatments and three replications. A severe drop in plant height and number of tillers/m2 was observed in double cut management system at maturity. Higher fresh and dry weight was recorded at the second cut than at the first cut, resulting in a higher forage yield. However, in the case of quality parameters, no significant difference among the treatments was recorded on the cuttings. Fodder oats harvested at 60 days after sowing (DAS) recorded higher crude protein and lower acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and hemicellulose when compared to those harvested at 105 DAS. Thus, on the basis of two years of experimentation, it was concluded that a single cut provides superior quality fodder. However, if an additional cut is taken at 105 DAS, there is a slight reduction in the quality of fodder, but higher fresh and dry weights of fodder are obtained. However, single-cut treatments recorded superior plant height, number of tillers, grain as well as straw weight. Among cultivars, JHO-2000-4 stood out in both the cutting managements in almost all the parameters.

Effect of different Nitrogen Levels on Yield and Quality of Forage Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench cv. Abusabien)

The present study was conducted at the Experimental Farm of the Department of Crop Science, Faculty of Natural and Environmental Studies, University of Kordofan, Elobeid, Sudan. To evaluate the effect of different nitrogen fertilizer levels on growth, yield and quality of Sorghum forage (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench. cv Abusabien). The treatments consisted of four levels of nitrogen: control, 43, 86 and 120 kg N/ha (0N, 1N, 2N and 3N). The treatments were arranged in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with five replications. The parameters measured were: plant population, plant height (cm), number of leaves/plant, fresh weight (ton/ha), dry weight (ton/ha), crude protein (%) content, fat (%) content, fiber (%) content, ash (%) content and carbohydrates (%) content. the results revealed that there were significant differences among the treatments in most characters under study. Nitrogen fertilizer resulted in an increase in growth attributes as well as forage yield. Nitrogen fertilizer dose (120 kg N/ha) produced higher fresh and dry forage at harvest compared to the other treatments. Also the results showed that nitrogen fertilizer significantly increased the percentage (%) content of crude protein, fat, ash and carbohydrates while decreased fiber percentage (%) concentration compared to the control. The treatment 120 kg N/ha (3N) had highest values of protein (13.68), fat (2.04), ash (12.18) (%) content, while the lowest values (9.73, 1.32 and 10.07) % content respectively, were obtained in the control. Then, based on these findings we recommended that to obtain high growth, forage yield and quality from sorghum forage Abu-Sabeen, nitrogen at the level of (120 kg/ha ) should be applied.

PSIV-A-1 Comparing early and late spring grazing of cereal rye utilizing a high-density, short-duration grazing system

Abstract The objective of this study was to compare forage yield, nutritive value, grazing forage disappearance, in situ dry matter (DM) disappearance, and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) digestibility between late- and early-grazed cereal rye. Cover crop grazing time varies from year to year due to environmental and management conditions. Cereal rye is a high-yielding forage cover crop; however, rye matures quickly and subsequently declines in nutritive value. This experiment was conducted at Western Illinois University Kerr Farm, Macomb, IL. The late-grazed rye was planted October 9, 2020, while the early-grazed rye was planted November 8, 2022. Rye was planted at a rate of 90 kg/ha with a no-till drill following corn harvest. In yr 1, cereal rye was grazed and sampled during anthesis (mid to late May). In yr 2, cereal rye was grazed and sampled during the late boot stage (in mid to late April). A high-density, short-duration grazing system was used in both years. Cow-calf pairs (n = 58 pairs) grazed 0.40-ha plots for 24 h per plot. Plots were randomly sampled in four locations before and after grazing within a 0.40 m2 forage ring to determine forage nutritive value, height, and yield. All grass within the ring was clipped at approximately 12 cm to mimic grazing. Samples were analyzed at Rock River Laboratories (Watertown, WI) for crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF), and neutral detergent fiber digestibility (NDFD) at 12, 30, and 48 h. In situ DM disappearance was determined using ruminally cannulated beef heifers. Data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure of SAS 9.4. Early-grazed rye had a greater (P < 0.01) CP and less (P < 0.01) NDF and ADF than late-grazed rye. Accordingly, early-grazed rye had more than 50% greater (P < 0.01) DM disappearance at 24 and 48 h compared with late-grazed rye. Moreover, early-grazed rye had greater (P < 0.01) NDFD at 12, 30, and 48 h. However, late-grazed rye was 108 cm taller (P < 0.01) before grazing and remained 10 cm taller (P = 0.04) than early-grazed rye after grazing. Late-grazed rye yielded (P < 0.01) more DM than early-grazed rye, 3,873 vs. 1,079 kg/ha, respectively. After grazing, more DM (P < 0.01) remained on early-grazed rye plots than late-grazed rye plots, 496 vs. 2,445 kg/ha, respectively. Cows consumed 20% more DM (P = 0.04) of the early-grazed rye compared with late-grazed rye. Overall, an early-grazed rye cover crop was more digestible with a greater nutritive value and resulted in greater grazing consumption using a high-density, short-duration grazing system.

A Rye Cultivar “Charmgreen”, Early-heading, High Forage Yield Potential, and Resistance to Stresses

A Rye Cultivar “Charmgreen”, Early-heading, High Forage Yield Potential, and Resistance to Stresses

A Genome-Wide Association Study of Biomass Yield and Feed Quality in Buffel Grass (Cenchrus ciliaris L.)

The development of modern genomic tools has helped accelerate genetic gains in the breeding program of food crops. More recently, genomic resources have been developed for tropical forages, providing key resources for developing new climate-resilient high-yielding forage varieties. In this study, we present a genome-wide association study for biomass yield and feed quality traits in buffel grass (Cenchrus ciliaris L. aka Pennisetum ciliare L.). Genome-wide markers, generated using the DArTSeq platform and mapped onto the Setaria italica reference genome, were used for the genome-wide association study. The results revealed several markers associated with biomass yield and feed quality traits. A total of 78 marker–trait associations were identified with R2 values ranging from 0.138 to 0.236. The marker–trait associations were distributed across different chromosomes. Of these associations, the most marker–trait associations (23) were observed on Chr9, followed by Chr5 with 12. The fewest number of marker–trait associations were observed on Chr4 with 2. In terms of traits, 17 markers were associated with biomass yield, 24 with crude protein, 26 with TDN, 14 with ADF, 10 with NDF and 6 with DMI. A total of 20 of the identified markers were associated with at least two traits. The identified marker–trait associations provide a useful genomic resource for the future improvement and breeding of buffel grass.

Assessment of Nutritional Potential and Methane Mitigation Efficacy of Napier Grass Cultivars

Napier grass is cultivated as a high-yielding forage crop and widely utilized in the nutrition of grazing animals such as cattle and goats due to its rapid growth rate, expansive leaf surface, and ability to thrive even in low-quality soils, making it a valuable animal feed option. In this study, the chemical compositions, in vitro gas (GP) and methane (CH4) production, metabolizable energy (ME), organic matter digestibility (OMD), true digestible dry matter (TDDM), microbial protein (MP), partitioning factor (PF), microbial protein synthesis efficiency (MPSE, and relative feed values (RFV) of the grasses Packhong1 (Penisetum purpureum x Penisetum americanum), Chinese Pennisetum (Penisetum purpureum x Penisetum alopecurides), and Dwarf Elephant (Pennisetum purpureum cv. Mott) were investigated. Significant differences were found in the chemical contents of napier varieties used in the study (p

Performances of Some Perennial Legume and Grass Mixtures under Rainfed Conditions of a Continental Climate Region

Forage yield and the quality of the pastures in Turkey, especially in Central Anatolia, where the continental climate is dominant, are very low, and their vegetation is degraded to a great extent due to use without proper management practices. The inadequacy of the forage crop production in agricultural land and the low yield and quality of forage are among the main problems of husbandry. The present study aimed to determine perennial legume and grass mixtures with high forage yield and quality under rainfed conditions of the continental climate region in Turkey. The experimental design was randomized blocks with three replications. In the experiment, smooth brome (SB), intermediate wheatgrass (IW), alfalfa (A), sainfoin (S), and lesser burnet (LB) were sown as pure and mixed in different ratios. Two years averaged values of dry matter yield and crude protein, Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF), and Neutral Detergent Fiber (NDF) contents of dry matter varied between 2613 and 6268 kg ha-1;118 and 205 g kg-1; 249 and 424 g kg-1, 416 and 558 g kg-1, respectively. Higher dry matter yields were obtained from A+S+IW+SB, S+LB+IW+SB, A+LB+IW+SB, S+IW, and A+IW+SB mixtures. The pure sowings of the SB, IW, and LB gave lower dry matter yields than the mixtures. Crude protein contents of alfalfa and sainfoin were higher than other pure sowings and mixtures. The ADF and NDF contents of mixtures were higher than those of pure sown of alfalfa, sainfoin, and lesser burnet, they were lower than those of IW and SB. In terms of dry matter yield, crude protein yield, ADF and NDF content, A+S+IW+SB, A+LB+IW+SB, and S+LB+IW+SB mixtures were superior to other mixtures and pure sowings. Alfalfa may be predominant in mixtures over time, and animal health problems may occur under grazing conditions. Therefore, the mixtures of A+S+IW+SB and A+LB+IW+SB can be recommended for mowing, while the S+LB+IW+SB mixtures can be recommended for grazing.

Improved forage quality and biomass yield of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) by Arabidopsis QQS orphan gene

Improving the forage quality of alfalfa in terms of digestibility and crude content is essential for any alfalfa quality breeding programs. Arabidopsis thaliana orphan gene QQS (Qua-Quine Starch) has been shown to improve protein content and alter carbohydrate composition in different food crops. However, there are significant differences in agronomic traits and nutritional conditions between alfalfa and other food crops. To explore the biological function and molecular mechanisms of QQS in alfalfa, we generated QQS transgenic plants and their segregated population (T1 generation), and evaluated their performance under normal- and nitrogen-deficient conditions. Our findings indicate that QQS can significantly enhance the total nitrogen and crude protein content of alfalfa and increase nodule weight under low-nitrogen conditions. Furthermore, QQS transgenic lines also showed reduced levels of neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and lignin, improving forage digestibility. By RNA sequencing and RT-qPCR analysis, we found that QQS affected the expression of genes involved in carbon and nitrogen metabolism, lignin biosynthesis and amino acid biosynthesis and degradation pathways in alfalfa. In addition, QQS also improved alfalfa biomass yield by increasing branch number and plant height in both greenhouse and field conditions. Our results demonstrate that QQS as a useful molecular tool can improve alfalfa biomass yield and overall forage quality and could have significant implications for the alfalfa breeding industry in satisfying the constant demands for high-quality and high-yielding forage.

Participatory establishment of Cenchrus ciliaris forage grass among pastoralists in a semi-arid rangeland area of eastern Tanzania

In the semi-arid areas of Africa many pastorallsts move their livestock to find better grazing when forage is scarce during the dry season. However, the practice of forage cultivation can sustain fodder supply for effective livestock feeding during these times. This study was undertaken to (1) assess grazing land management, and perception among Maasai pastoralists, and 2) evaluate Cenchrus ciliaris L. (Buffel grass) establishment and biomass yield under four levels of fertilisation and three seedbeds in a semi-arid area of eastern Tanzania. The seedbeds were not tilled (NT), tilled flat (TF) and tilled sunken (SN) with manure applied at rates of 0, 5, 10 and 15 t ha–1. The 2m × 3m subplots were replicated three times per seedbed-manure treatment. Communal grazing land was perceived to be in poor condition by pastoralists due to the long time spent by their livestock in search of forage. Private forage reserves for dry-season feeding were present and could be used for forage cultivation. The TF, manure at 10 and 15 t ha–1 treatments had significantly higher (p < 0.001) C. ciliaris establishment rates (97%) and biomass than other treatments. The TF10 and TF15 t ha–1 treatments had biomass values of 9.8 and 10.1t OM ha–1, respectively, by Week 10. Pastoralists preferred the TF method because of its high forage yield and low cost. Cultivation of C. ciliaris is important for livestock production and it can be established on privately owned forage reserves.

Evaluation of Some Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) Genotypes by Principles Component Analysis

To improve sorghum productivity, farmers need high-yielding sorghum cultivars. A field experiment was conducted in the 2020 cropping season to determine the interaction effect of genotypes in Adana and Antalya locations in Turkey. Two lines plus three checks cultivars were evaluated at both locations in Turkey. The analysis of variance showed highly significant (P≤0.01) differences among the genotypes for all traits. The analyzed result indicates that the genotypes gave a higher yield in the Antalya location in terms of forage yield. The lowest forage yield was obtained from Line 2 and Line 1 with 4735.7 and 6212.9 kg da-1 in Adana, while the highest forage yield was recorded from all genotypes in Antalya. Moreover, forage yield and plant stalk ratio were positively and significantly associated with hay yield. The first two principal components (PC) accounted for 86.42% of the total genotypic variation.

INFLUENCES OF SOWING DATE AND HARVEST STAGE ON DRY MATTER YIELD AND FORAGE QUALITY OF QUINOA (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.)

Sowing dates and harvest stages are very important to obtained better forage yield and quality. The goal of the study was to ascertain how the quinoa growing conditions in Marmara will be affected by the sowing dates and harvest stages. In 2018 and 2019, the experiment was conducted in an experimental field in the Agricultural Application and Research Area of Bursa Uludag University's Agriculture Faculty. The field experiment was set up using three replicates of a split-plot randomized complete blocks design. Titicaca variety of quinoa was used as a plant material in the study. Four different sowing dates (15 April, 1 May, 15 May and 1 June) were considered in the main plot and three different harvest stages (beginning of flowering, full flowering and seed setting) in the sub-plot. In this study, plant height, dry matter yield, crude protein, crude protein yield, neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, the relative feed value, and macro and micro elements were examined. The two-year findings show that sowing on May 1 produced the maximum dry matter yield (2798 kg ha-1) and crude protein yield (584 kg ha-1). In terms of harvest stages, seed setting stage came to the fore in terms of high forage (4001 kg ha-1) and crude protein yield (746 kg ha-1).

Field and in-silico analysis of harvest index variability in maize silage.

Maize silage is a key component of feed rations in dairy systems due to its high forage and grain yield, water use efficiency, and energy content. However, maize silage nutritive value can be compromised by in-season changes during crop development due to changes in plant partitioning between grain and other biomass fractions. The partitioning to grain (harvest index, HI) is affected by the interactions between genotype (G) × environment (E) × management (M). Thus, modelling tools could assist in accurately predicting changes during the in-season crop partitioning and composition and, from these, the HI of maize silage. Our objectives were to (i) identify the main drivers of grain yield and HI variability, (ii) calibrate the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM) to estimate crop growth, development, and plant partitioning using detailed experimental field data, and (iii) explore the main sources of HI variance in a wide range of G × E × M combinations. Nitrogen (N) rates, sowing date, harvest date, plant density, irrigation rates, and genotype data were used from four field experiments to assess the main drivers of HI variability and to calibrate the maize crop module in APSIM. Then, the model was run for a complete range of G × E × M combinations across 50 years. Experimental data demonstrated that the main drivers of observed HI variability were genotype and water status. The model accurately simulated phenology [leaf number and canopy green cover; Concordance Correlation Coefficient (CCC)=0.79-0.97, and Root Mean Square Percentage Error (RMSPE)=13%] and crop growth (total aboveground biomass, grain + cob, leaf, and stover weight; CCC=0.86-0.94 and RMSPE=23-39%). In addition, for HI, CCC was high (0.78) with an RMSPE of 12%. The long-term scenario analysis exercise showed that genotype and N rate contributed to 44% and 36% of the HI variance. Our study demonstrated that APSIM is a suitable tool to estimate maize HI as one potential proxy of silage quality. The calibrated APSIM model can now be used to compare the inter-annual variability of HI for maize forage crops based on G × E × M interactions. Therefore, the model provides new knowledge to (potentially) improve maize silage nutritive value and aid genotype selection and harvest timing decision-making.

Irrigation Management Strategies to Enhance Forage Yield, Feed Value, and Water-Use Efficiency of Sorghum Cultivars.

Water scarcity is a major obstacle to forage crop production in arid and semi-arid regions. In order to improve food security in these areas, it is imperative to employ suitable irrigation management techniques and identify drought-tolerant cultivars. A 2-year field experiment (2019-2020) was conducted in a semi-arid region of Iran to assess the impact of different irrigation methods and water deficit stress on forage sorghum cultivars' yield, quality, and irrigation water-use efficiency (IWUE). The experiment involved two irrigation methods, i.e., drip (DRIP) and furrow (FURW), and three irrigation regimes supplied 100% (I100), 75% (I75), and 50% (I50) of the soil moisture deficit. In addition, two forage sorghum cultivars (hybrid Speedfeed and open-pollinated cultivar Pegah) were evaluated. This study revealed that the highest dry matter yield (27.24 Mg ha-1) was obtained under I100 × DRIP, whereas the maximum relative feed value (98.63%) was achieved under I50 × FURW. Using DRIP resulted in higher forage yield and IWUE compared to FURW, and the superiority of DRIP over FURW increased with the severity of the water deficit. The principal component analysis indicated that, as drought stress severity increased across all irrigation methods and cultivars, forage yield decreased, while quality increased. Plant height and leaf-to-stem ratio were found to be suitable indicators for comparing forage yield and quality, respectively, and they showed a negative correlation between the quality and quantity of forage. DRIP improved forage quality under I100 and I75, while FURW exhibited a better feed value under the I50 regime. Altogether, in order to achieve the best possible forage yield and quality while minimizing water usage, it is recommended to grow the Pegah cultivar and compensate for 75% of soil moisture deficiency using drip irrigation.

Graphical analysis of forage yield stability under high and low potential circumstances in 16 grass pea (Lathyrus sativus L.) genotype

Introducing grass pea genotypes with wide adaptability across diverse environments is important. Dry forage yield of 16 grass pea genotypes, tested in a RCBD design with three replicates across 4 locations over 3 seasons in Iran. The GGE biplot method based on SREG model facilitated a visual evaluation of the best genotypes. The first two principal components accounted for 77 % of the GE interaction and revealed six winning genotypes and four mega-environments. The average location coordinate (ALC) was used to examine both yield performance and stability and indicated IFLA-1913, IFLA-1961, IFLA-1812, and IFLA-2025 were the best genotypes. Based on the ideal-genotype approach, genotype G5 was better than all other genotypes and showed both high forage yield and stability across locations. According to G + GE sources of variations, the genotypes (IFLA-1913, IFLA-1961, IFLA-1812, and IFLA-2025) were the most suitable varieties for the grass pea-producing regions in semi-arid and rain-fed conditions. An ideal location should be both discriminating of the genotypes and representative of the average location, but we could not find such location in this research. Results confirmed that G5 (IFLA-1961) has high stability and high yield performance (4.92 t ha-1), and could introduce as favorable genotype for commercial variety release.

Changes in soil fertility and microbial communities following cultivation of native grassland in Horqin Sandy Land, China: a 60-year chronosequence

BackgroundGrassland conversion to cropland is a prevailing change of land use in traditionally nomadic areas, especially in the Mongolian Plateau. We investigated the effects of grassland conversion followed by continuous cultivation on soil properties and microbial community characteristics in Horqin Sandy Land, a typical agro-pastoral transition zone of Northern China. Soil samples were collected from the topsoil (upper 20 cm) across a 60-year cultivation chronosequence (5, 15, 25, 35 and 60 years) and unconverted native grassland. Soil physico-chemical properties were determined and high-throughput sequencing was used to assess microbial community diversity and composition.ResultsGrassland cultivation resulted in changes to soil properties in both the short and longer term. Initially, it significantly increased soil bulk density (BD), electrical conductivity (EC), soil total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (AP) and available potassium (AK) concentrations, while reducing soil water content (SWC) and soil organic carbon content (SOC). Over the next 35–55 years of continuous cultivation, the trend for most of these characteristics was of reversion towards values nearer to those of native grassland, except for SOC which remained highly depleted. Cultivation of grassland substantially altered soil microbial communities at phylum level but there was no significant difference in microbial α-diversity between native grassland and any cropland. However, soil bacterial and fungal community structures at phylum level in the croplands of all cultivation years were different from those in the native grasslands. Heatmaps further revealed that bacterial and fungal structures in cropland tended to become more similar to native grassland after 15 and 25 years of cultivation, respectively. Redundancy analysis indicated that SOC, EC and BD were primary determinants of microbial community composition and diversity.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that agricultural cultivation of grassland has considerable effects on soil fertility and microbial characteristics of Horqin Sandy Land. Intensive high-yield forage grass production is proposed as an alternative to avoid further native grassland reclamation, while meeting the grazing development needs in the ethnic minority settlements of eco-fragile regions.

The use of alternative irrigation and cropping systems in forage production may alleviate the water scarcity in semi-arid regions.

Strategies to enhance the efficient use of irrigation water require a major shift in irrigation and cropping systems. It was hypothesized that (i) replacing water-demanding crops such as corn silage with more drought-tolerant forages species, (ii) adoption of intercropping instead of monoculture, and (iii) use of alternative irrigation methods, may alleviate the water shortage in semi-arid regions, while producing high-quality forage. Adoption of drip irrigation (DRIP) and alternate furrow irrigation (AFI) reduced water consumption by 43% and 20%, respectively. Additionally, DRIP produced 11% more biomass than the conventional furrow irrigation. The intercropped ratio of 50% sorghum and 50% amaranth under DRIP maximized forage production and improved irrigation water-use efficiency (IWUE). Principal component analysis indicated that the DRIP increased the dry matter yield and IWUE, whereas the AFI improved the forage quality. The intercropped ratio of 75% sorghum and 25% amaranth demonstrated the highest yield stability and was considered superior cropping system regardless of the irrigation strategies. DRIP and AFI strategies were effective in reducing water consumption, with DRIP being the most water-efficient method. Intercropping sorghum and amaranth at a ratio of 50:50 under DRIP resulted in the highest forage yield and IWUE. While sole amaranth had the highest forage quality, intercropping sorghum and amaranth increased dry matter production with better forage quality than sorghum monoculture. Overall, the combination of DRIP and intercropping sorghum and amaranth at a ratio of 50:50 considered as a suitable strategy for improving forage yield and quality, as well as IWUE. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.