Harvest Date Effect on Forage Yield, Botanical Composition, and Nutritive Value of Novel Legume-Grass Mixtures

The potential for novel forage mixtures to address reduced herbage for late season grazing was investigated. Forage legumes, sainfoin (<i>Onobrychis viciifolia</i> Scop.) (SF) cvs. AC Mountainview, Shoshone, and Nova (MountainSF, ShoshoneSF, and NovaSF), cicer milkvetch (<i>Astraga...

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Main Authors: Samuel Peprah, Enkhjargal Darambazar, Bill Biligetu, Alan D. Iwaasa, Kathy Larson, Daalkhaijav Damiran, Herbert A. Lardner
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-10-01
Series:Agronomy
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/11/2184
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author Samuel Peprah
Enkhjargal Darambazar
Bill Biligetu
Alan D. Iwaasa
Kathy Larson
Daalkhaijav Damiran
Herbert A. Lardner
author_facet Samuel Peprah
Enkhjargal Darambazar
Bill Biligetu
Alan D. Iwaasa
Kathy Larson
Daalkhaijav Damiran
Herbert A. Lardner
author_sort Samuel Peprah
collection DOAJ
description The potential for novel forage mixtures to address reduced herbage for late season grazing was investigated. Forage legumes, sainfoin (<i>Onobrychis viciifolia</i> Scop.) (SF) cvs. AC Mountainview, Shoshone, and Nova (MountainSF, ShoshoneSF, and NovaSF), cicer milkvetch (<i>Astragalus cicer</i> L.) cv. AC Veldt (CMV), Canadian milkvetch (<i>Astragalus canadensis</i> L.) cv. Great Plains (CaMV), and alfalfa (<i>Medicago sativa</i> L.) cv. AC Yellowhead (ALF) were evaluated in binary mixtures with meadow bromegrass (<i>Bromus riparius</i> Rehm.) cv. Admiral (MBG), hybrid bromegrass (<i>B. riparius</i> × <i>B. inermis</i> Leyss.) cv. AC Success (HBG) and Russian wildrye [<i>Psathyrostachys junceus</i> (Fisch.) Nevski.] cv. Tom (RWR) for yield, botanical composition, and nutritive value on July and September harvest dates at Saskatoon and Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada from 2016 to 2018. Hybrid bromegrass-legume mixture produced 16–38% greater forage compared to RWR-legume (7.5 vs. 5.6 Mg ha<sup>−1</sup> in July and 6.1 vs. 5.1 Mg ha<sup>−1</sup> in September at Saskatoon, and 3.2 vs. 2.0 Mg ha<sup>−1</sup> in July at Swift Current). MountainSF and ALF had the greatest legume contribution to total yield at July harvest at Swift Current (67.7 ± 3.2%) and Saskatoon (62.1 ± 2.1%), respectively, while CaMV had lowest composition at Swift Current (20.2 ± 2.5%) and Saskatoon (12.6 ± 3.5%). The CMV and ALF-grass mixtures at Saskatoon and legume-RWR mixtures at both sites in July had greatest CP content. The July harvest had greatest yield, legume content and nutritive value compared to the September harvest at both sites. Study results suggest if yield is the objective, then either ALF or CMV with HBG may be considered. If nutritive value is the goal, any legume with RWR is an option. Finally, ALF or CMV in mixture with either HBG or RWR could be summer or fall stockpile forage in the Northern Great Plains of western Canada.
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spelling doaj.art-ab96da2b172c4039ab2cb5c5d75a5b9d2023-11-22T22:01:46ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952021-10-011111218410.3390/agronomy11112184Harvest Date Effect on Forage Yield, Botanical Composition, and Nutritive Value of Novel Legume-Grass MixturesSamuel Peprah0Enkhjargal Darambazar1Bill Biligetu2Alan D. Iwaasa3Kathy Larson4Daalkhaijav Damiran5Herbert A. Lardner6Department of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A8, CanadaDepartment of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A8, CanadaDepartment of Plant Sciences, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A8, CanadaAgriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Swift Current Research and Development Centre, Swift Current Saskatchewan, SK S9H 3X2, CanadaDepartment of Agricultural and Resource Economics, College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A8, CanadaDepartment of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A8, CanadaDepartment of Animal and Poultry Science, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5A8, CanadaThe potential for novel forage mixtures to address reduced herbage for late season grazing was investigated. Forage legumes, sainfoin (<i>Onobrychis viciifolia</i> Scop.) (SF) cvs. AC Mountainview, Shoshone, and Nova (MountainSF, ShoshoneSF, and NovaSF), cicer milkvetch (<i>Astragalus cicer</i> L.) cv. AC Veldt (CMV), Canadian milkvetch (<i>Astragalus canadensis</i> L.) cv. Great Plains (CaMV), and alfalfa (<i>Medicago sativa</i> L.) cv. AC Yellowhead (ALF) were evaluated in binary mixtures with meadow bromegrass (<i>Bromus riparius</i> Rehm.) cv. Admiral (MBG), hybrid bromegrass (<i>B. riparius</i> × <i>B. inermis</i> Leyss.) cv. AC Success (HBG) and Russian wildrye [<i>Psathyrostachys junceus</i> (Fisch.) Nevski.] cv. Tom (RWR) for yield, botanical composition, and nutritive value on July and September harvest dates at Saskatoon and Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada from 2016 to 2018. Hybrid bromegrass-legume mixture produced 16–38% greater forage compared to RWR-legume (7.5 vs. 5.6 Mg ha<sup>−1</sup> in July and 6.1 vs. 5.1 Mg ha<sup>−1</sup> in September at Saskatoon, and 3.2 vs. 2.0 Mg ha<sup>−1</sup> in July at Swift Current). MountainSF and ALF had the greatest legume contribution to total yield at July harvest at Swift Current (67.7 ± 3.2%) and Saskatoon (62.1 ± 2.1%), respectively, while CaMV had lowest composition at Swift Current (20.2 ± 2.5%) and Saskatoon (12.6 ± 3.5%). The CMV and ALF-grass mixtures at Saskatoon and legume-RWR mixtures at both sites in July had greatest CP content. The July harvest had greatest yield, legume content and nutritive value compared to the September harvest at both sites. Study results suggest if yield is the objective, then either ALF or CMV with HBG may be considered. If nutritive value is the goal, any legume with RWR is an option. Finally, ALF or CMV in mixture with either HBG or RWR could be summer or fall stockpile forage in the Northern Great Plains of western Canada.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/11/2184forage yieldmixturesnutritive valuebotanical composition
spellingShingle Samuel Peprah
Enkhjargal Darambazar
Bill Biligetu
Alan D. Iwaasa
Kathy Larson
Daalkhaijav Damiran
Herbert A. Lardner
Harvest Date Effect on Forage Yield, Botanical Composition, and Nutritive Value of Novel Legume-Grass Mixtures
Agronomy
forage yield
mixtures
nutritive value
botanical composition
title Harvest Date Effect on Forage Yield, Botanical Composition, and Nutritive Value of Novel Legume-Grass Mixtures
title_full Harvest Date Effect on Forage Yield, Botanical Composition, and Nutritive Value of Novel Legume-Grass Mixtures
title_fullStr Harvest Date Effect on Forage Yield, Botanical Composition, and Nutritive Value of Novel Legume-Grass Mixtures
title_full_unstemmed Harvest Date Effect on Forage Yield, Botanical Composition, and Nutritive Value of Novel Legume-Grass Mixtures
title_short Harvest Date Effect on Forage Yield, Botanical Composition, and Nutritive Value of Novel Legume-Grass Mixtures
title_sort harvest date effect on forage yield botanical composition and nutritive value of novel legume grass mixtures
topic forage yield
mixtures
nutritive value
botanical composition
url https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/11/11/2184
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