Dry matter yield and nutritive value of four alfalfa varieties associated with white clover, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue and orchard grass

José Luis Camacho García; José Guadalupe García-Muñiz

2003, Number 2

<< Back Next >>

Vet Mex 2003; 34 (2)

Dry matter yield and nutritive value of four alfalfa varieties associated with white clover, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue and orchard grass

Camacho GJL, García-Muñiz JG

Full text

How to cite this article

Language: English/Spanish
References: 24
Page: 149-177
PDF size: 222.53 Kb.

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to evaluate forage dry matter (DM) yield, the extent of nodulation, number of stems per crown of alfalfa plant, nutritive value and botanical composition of four alfalfa varieties (Cuf-101, Jupiter, Moapa and San Miguelito) associated with a grass-legume mixture composed of white clover, perennial ryegrass, orchard grass, and tall fescue during the year of establishment. A field of eight hectares was sown with the grass-legume mix and the four alfalfa varieties using a randomized complete block design. Total number of plants per square meter did not differ among the associations containing the four alfalfa varieties three weeks after emergence, and on average there were 635 plants per square meter. During the pasture’s establishing phase, legumes were the highest (P ‹ 0.005) contributors to the herbage mass (43.5%), followed by grasses (36%), and unsown species (20.5%). Number of nodules did not differ among alfalfa varieties five weeks after emergence, and on average there were 12.5 nodules per plant. Jupiter had more (P ‹ 0.05) stems per crown (35.4) than Cuf-101 (22.5). Moapa (32.4) and San Miguelito (26.0) varieties had intermediate values that did not differ from those of Cuf-101 and Jupiter. Plant height was the highest (P ‹ 0.001) in summer (54 cm) and the lowest in winter (33 cm). The botanical composition did not differ for the grass-legume associations, but significantly (P ‹ 0.05) changed with the season of the year. Grasses were more abundant in spring (28%) and summer (27.3%), and legumes in summer (68.9%), autumn (61.1%) and winter (61%), weeds in spring (32.1%), and dead herbage in autumn (18.3%) and winter (18.7%). There were no differences among alfalfa varieties in the leaf to steam ratios. Across varieties, however, the stem was the highest (P ‹ 0.05) contributor to the total plant mass with 58%. Pasture nutritive value did not differ among the associations containing the four alfalfa varieties. The performance of the associations containing the four alfalfa varieties during the first year of production was very similar. However, the association containing the Jupiter alfalfa variety yielded more (P ‹ 0.05) herbage DM per year (33.8 tons/ha) than the associations containing Cuf-101 (29.7 tons/ha), Moapa (30.6 tons/ha) or San Miguelito (29.3 tons/ha) varieties, which makes it a valuable material to use in mixed grass-legume pastures.

REFERENCES

Secretaría de Agricultura, Ganadería y Desarrollo Rural. Situación actual y perspectivas de la producción de leche de ganado bovino en México. México (DF): SAGAR, 2000.
2. McIlroy RJ. Introducción al cultivo de los pastos tropicales. México (DF): Limusa, 1973.
3. Gutiérrez OMA. Pastos y forrajes en Guatemala, su manejo y utilización, base de la producción animal. Guatemala: Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, Editorial E y G, 1996.
4. Duthil J. Producción de forrajes. 4a ed. Madrid, España: Mundiprensa, 1989.
5. FIRA. Pastoreo intensivo tecnificado de praderas tropicales. Boletín informativo Núm. 259. Volumen XXVI. Morelia, Michoacán: Fideicomisos Instituidos en Relación con la Agricultura, 1994.
6. García E. Modificaciones al sistema de clasificación climática de Köppen. Mexico (DF): Instituto de Geografía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, 1981.
7. Cachón AL, Horstein JA, Wendin WF, Marten GC. Los suelos del área de influencia de Chapingo. Rama de suelos. Chapingo, Estado de México: Escuela Nacional de Agricultura, 1976.
8. Schroeder JW. Interpreting forage analysis. North Dakota State University Extension Service, Fargo (ND). Disponible en: URL: http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extpubs/plantsci/hay/r1080w.htm 1994.
9. Caddel J, Allen E. Forage quality interpretations. Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension Service, Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, F-2117, Stillwater (OK). Disponible en: URL: http://www.agweb.okstate.edu/pearl/plantsoil/crops/f-2117.pdf 2000.
10. SAS®. User’s guide. Statistics. 8th ed. Cary (NC): SAS Institute Inc., 2000.
11. Littell RC, Milleken GA, Stroup WW, Wolfinger RD. SAS® system for mixed models, Cary (NC): SAS Institute Inc., 1996.
12. Neter J, Kutner MH, Natchtsheim CJ, Wasserman W. Applied linear statistical models. 4th ed. Chicago (ILL): Times Mirror Higher Education Group, 1996.
13. Snedecor GW, Cochran WG. Statistical methods, 5th ed. Ames (Io): Iowa State University Press, 1980.
14. Steel RGD, Torrie JH. Principles and procedures of statistics. A biometrical approach. 2nd ed. Singapore: Mcgraw-Hill, 1981.
15. Villa HD, Acosta PL. Establecimiento inicial de ocho variedades de alfalfa (Medicago sativa L) (tesis de licenciatura). Chapingo (Edo. de México) México: Departamento de Zootecnia. Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, 1997.
16. Díaz GD, Hernández PLJ. Comportamiento productivo de siete variedades de alfalfa asociadas con pasto ovillo (tesis de licenciatura). Chapingo (Edo. de México) México: Departamento de Zootecnia. Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, 1999.
17. Guerrero LME. Nodulación y simbiosis entre Rhizobium sp y algunas leguminosas (tesis de maestría). Chapingo (Edo. de México) México: Colegio de Postgraduados. Rama de Fitopatología. Escuela Nacional de Agricultura, 1963.
18. Moreno MJA, Molina GH. Rendimiento de forraje y proteína cruda de once variedades de alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) en San Mateo Tepetitlán, Hidalgo (tesis de licenciatura). Chapingo (Edo. de México) México: Departamento de Zootecnia. Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, 1994.
19. López GAG. Comportamiento inicial de seis variedades de alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) asociadas con pasto ovillo (Dactylis glomerata) (tesis de licenciatura). Chapingo (Edo. de México) México: Departamento de Zootecnia. Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, 1997.
20. Sánchez BR, Jiménez FM, Tenorio DG. Parametrización del sistema de producción de leche en pastoreo y su evaluación económica (tesis de licenciatura). Chapingo (Edo. de México) México: Departamento de Zootecnia. Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, 1996.
21. Sleugh B, Moore JK, George RJ, Brummer CE. Binary legumes-grass mixtures improve forage yield, quality, and seasonal distribution. Agronomy Journal 2000;92:24-29.
22. Álvarez FG, López OR. Rendimiento agronómico, digestibilidad (in vitro) y contenido de proteína cruda de nueve variedades de alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) en Nazareno, Etla, Oaxaca (tesis de licenciatura). Chapingo (Edo. de México) México: Departamento de Zootecnia. Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, 1992.
23. Coaché BO. Rendimiento de ocho variedades de alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) y sus componentes (tesis de licenciatura). Chapingo (Edo. de México) México: Departamento de Zootecnia. Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, 1998.
24. Grant R. Evaluating the feeding value of fibrous feeds for dairy cattle. Cooperative Extension Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska, Lincoln (NE). Disponible en: URL: http://www.ianr.unl.edu/pubs/Dairy/G1034.htm#MOFLEV 1996.