• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.2
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• pp.305-318
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• 2021

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is an important forage legume grown in Kansas, USA and its productivity with cool-season grasses however is unknown. The objective of this study was to determine the dry matter yield (DMY) and forage nutritive value of alfalfa-grass mixtures compared to those of alfalfa and grasses grown in monoculture with and without nitrogen fertilization. Three different alfalfa varieties were planted (reduced-lignin alfalfa, Roundup Ready, and conventional alfalfa) and two kinds of cool-season grasses (smooth brome, Bromus inermis Leyss, and tall fescue, Festuca arundinacea Schreb) were planted as a monoculture or in alfalfa-grass mixtures. Nitrogen fertilizer (urea) was applied at green-up at a rate of 56 kg/ha and after the second cutting at a rate of 56 kg/ha in 2016 and 2017, respectively. and control treatments received no nitrogen. DMY was significantly higher in monoculture alfalfa and alfalfa-grass mixtures than in grass monocultures. Between alfalfa monoculture and alfalfa-grass mixtures, no significant differences in DMY were found. For all treatments, nitrogen application significantly increased DMY compared to the control. In 2016 and 2017, the low-lignin alfalfa monoculture had the lowest acid detergent fiber (ADF) and the grass monocultures had the highest ADF. In 2016 and 2017, neutral detergent fiber (NDF) in smooth bromegrass and tall fescue was higher than in other species treatments. A low-lignin alfalfa monoculture had significantly lower NDF concentration compared to alfalfa-grass mixtures. When averaged over 2016 and 2017, relative feed value (RFV) was highest in low-lignin alfalfa and lowest in the grass monocultures. In both years, nitrogen fertilizer application did not affect nutritive values.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.758-765
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• 1999

Comparative studies of the effects of rates and frequency of application of dairy slurry on herbage yield and stand persistence of alfalfa and various forage grasses have not previously been conducted. The results being reported here are part of a larger study having a primary objective of comparing the effectiveness of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), various grasses and alfalfa-grass mixtures for utilizing nutrients from applied dairy slurry. The objectives of this part of the study were to evaluate the effects of various rates and frequencies of application of slurry on herbage yield and stand persistence of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.), and alfalfa-orchanrdgreass and alfalfa-reed canarygrass mixtures managed as a 4-cutting management system. A randomized complete block design with treatments in a split plot arrangement with four replicates was used. The main plots consisted of 9 fertility treatments: 7 slurry rate and time of application treatments, one inorganic fertilizer treatment, and an unfertilized control. The sub-plots consisted of the two grasses and two alfalfa-grass mixture mentioned above. Slurry was composed from stored solids scraped from the alleyways of a free-stall housing barn and water added to form a slurry having about 8% solids. Manure was pumped from a liquid spreader tank into 10.4 L garden water cans for manual application to the plots. Herbage yields within species were generally unaffected by various rates of application in the first production year. Herbage yields of grasses and alfalfa-grass mixtures the second year were generally not affected by frequency of application for the same rate of slurry applied. Slurry application resulted in greater herbage yield increases in grasses than alfalfa-grass mixtures in the 4-cutting management system. In general, herbage dry matter yields of grasses from the dairy slurry treatments equaled or exceeded yields from the inorganic fertilizer treatment. Stand ratings of grasses and alfalfa-grass mixtures were not changed by manure application rates. In this study, the highest rate of slurry ($967kg\;total\;N\;ha^{-1}$ in 1995 plus $2,014kg\;N\;ha^{-1}$ in 1996) was not detrimental to herbage yields or stand persistence of any of the species. It was concluded that applying dairy slurry to these cool-season grasses and alfalfa-grass mixtures managed in a 4-cutting system is an acceptable practice from the standpoint of herbage yield and satnd persistence and by doing so the utilization of inorganic fertilizers can be reduced.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.289-292
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• 1997

A grazing trial was carried out to determine the effects of different grass/legume pastures on forage production, legume proportion, nutritive value, and animal performance. The pasture mixtures were mainly orchardgrass (OG) + ladino clover (T1), OG + alfalfa (T2), perennial ryegrass + alfalfa (T3), and grass alone mainly OG (T4). The pastures were rotationally grazed 7 times with heifers which had an initial liveweight of about 243 kg in 1991 and 1992. The average plant height at each grazing was 32.4 cm. The annual dry matter yield ranged from 9.19 MT in T4 to 9.61 MT/ha in T3, but no significant difference among different mixture combinations was found. The proportion of ladino clover in T1 mixtures rapidly increased from 21% to 68% during the grazing season. However, the proportion of alfalfa in T2 and T3 ranged from 12% to 23%. The contents of crude protein and calcium, respectively, in the forages were highest in T1 (23.2%, 0.68%) and lowest in T4 (18.5%, 0.13%), while crude fiber content showed the opposite trends. Liveweight gain was greatest on T1 (1.073 kg) and lowest on T4 (643 kg). It was concluded that pasture mixtures containing legume (ladino clover) can increase forage nutritive value and animal performance.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.153-160
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• 1992

This experiment was conducted to investigate the adaptability of legume in different legume-grass mixtures according to altitude(600, 800, lOOOm a.s.1.) in the alpine area. The experimental plot was allocated as a split plot design with three replications. The main plots were sowing season(spring and fall) and subplots legume-grass mixture(alfa1fa-grass, red clover-grass and white clover-grass mixture). The results obtained are summarized as follows: 1. At 600m, in case of sowing alfalfa, red clover and white clover in fall. each legume of legume-grass mixtures was consistuted about 30% without between-year variation and then all legumes at fall sowing could grow. 2. At 800m, in case of sowing white clover in spring this species was consistuted about 14.7 % at the last cutting without severe between-year variation. 3. At 1000m, only white clover sown in spring like at 800m was somewhat maintained without severe between-year variation. 4. Percentage and DM yield of legume considerably decreased with the rise of altitude and alfalfa couldn't grow more than 800m.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.12 no.5
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• pp.766-771
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• 1999

The first paper of this series compared the effects of rates and frequencies of application of dairy slurry on herbage yields and stand persistence of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.), and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)-grass mixtures managed as a 4-cutting system. This paper compares the effects of rates and frequencies of application of dairy slurry on herbage yield and stand persistence of alfalfa, orchardgrass, tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), and alfalfa-orchardgrass mixture managed as a 5-cutting system. The results presented here are part of a larger study having a primary objective of comparing alfalfa, various grasses, and alfalfa-grass mixtures for utilizing nutrients from dairy slurry applied to established stands. A randomized complete block design with treatments in a split plot arrangement with four replicates was used. The main plots consisted of 9 fertility treatments: 7 slurry rate and frequency of application treatments, one inorganic fertilizer treatment, and an unfertilized control. The sub-plots were the forage species. Manure used for the study was composed from stored solids scraped from the alleyways of a free-stall dairy barn. Water was added to from a slurry having about 8 % solids. Slurry was pumped from the liquid spreader tank into 10.4 L garden watering cans for manual application to the plots. Herbage yields of alfalfa, tall fescue, and alfalfa-orchardgrass were generally not affected by slurry application rates and were not significantly different from the inorganic fertilizer treatment. Tall fescue significantly outyielded all other forage species at all manure and the inorganic fertilizer treatments in the second year when rainfall during the growing season was unusually high. Grasses generally had a greater response to manure applications than alfalfa and alfalfa-orchardgrass. Increasing rates of manure did not increase herbage yields of alfalfa and alfalfa-orchardgrass. Herbage yields within each species were not affected by frequency of application of the same total rate. Stand ratings of alfalfa, orcahrdgrass and alfalfa-orchardgrass were significantly lower for the very high manure application rate compared to the control treatment. Based upon the results of this study, multiple annual applications of slurry manure can be made onto these species at rates up to $1,700kg\;total\;N\;ha^{-1}\;yr^{-1}$ without detrimental effects on herbage yield and stand persistence.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.73-79
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• 1995

A simple conservation technique baled silage making of selected froage materials was discussed in Suwon and in Muan county during 1991 - 1992. Eleven species of forage crops and pasture grasses(maize. sorghum, pearl millet, barnyardgrass, rye, barley, spring oat, Italian ryegrass, orchardgrass, alfalfa and grass-legume pasture mixtures) were harvested at different growth stage from young plant to maturity and baled in a self constructed square baling chamber, and wrapped in a 0.05mm thick polyethylene plastic film. Each bales measured by 90cm long, 60cm wide and 50cm height and weighted between 15~20kg in dry matter basis. physio-molphologcal characteristics of the plants, leaf weight ratio(LWR), leaf area ratio(LAR), stalk ratio (SR), stalk hardness(SH) and other growth parameters, were analysed and were used as a parameter to evaluate the suitability of materials for baling. Italian ryegrass including orchardgrass, alfalfa and pasture mixtures produced high quality baled silage. Silage quality point(F1ieg-point) of Italian ryegrass was improved from 63 point in crushed custom silage to 75 piont in baled silage. Meterial of grass-legume pasture mixtures showed 55 point in crushed silage and 67 point in baled silage. Fodder rye, barley, spring oat and barnyardgrass were also evaluated as a good materials for baled silage making. On the other hand, meize including sorghum and peral millet were evaluated as a not suitable materals for baling due to its high value of SR and SH. Quality of maize was excellent with 88 point in clushed silage and medium with 47 point in baled silage making.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.344-350
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• 2011

Kura clover (Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb.) is a potentially useful perennial legume because of its excellent nutritive value and persistence under environmental extremes. However, information about forage quality of kura clover - grass mixtures adapted to the North-Central USA is limited. Objectives of this research were to determine forage nutritional value of kura clover-grass mixtures under different harvest frequency and cutting height regimes. 'Rhizo' kura clover was grown alone and in binary mixtures with 'Park' Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.), 'Comet' orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), and 'Badger' smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.) at the Arlington Agricultural Research Station located near Madison, WI. Three harvest frequencies ($3{\times}$, $4{\times}$, or $5{\times}$ annually) and two cutting heights (4- or 10-cm) were imposed on each binary mixture and on kura clover grown alone. Higher nutritive value was observed in the binary mixtures with more frequent harvest and lower cutting height. Averaged over 3 years and all harvest frequency and cutting height treatments, the nutritive value of the Kentucky bluegrass and smooth bromegrass mixtures was superior to that of the orchardgrass mixture ($410\;g\;kg^{-1}$ NDF and $194\;g\;kg^{-1}$ CP in the Kentucky bluegrass mixture; $405\;g\;kg^{-1}$ NDF and $188\;g\;kg^{-1}$ CP in the smooth bromegrass mixture; $435\;g\;kg^{-1}$ NDF and $175\;g\;kg^{-1}$ CP in the orchardgrass mixture). All of the mixtures and harvest management systems evaluated in this study produced forage with quality equivalent to "grade one" alfalfa hay and suitable for highproducing livestock, even though the highest quality was observed in the Kentucky bluegrass mixture with $5{\times}$ harvesting at the shorter cutting height.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.630-635
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• 2000

Previous research has not evaluated the effects of various rates and frequencies of manure application and frequencies of cutting on yield and stand persistence of cool-season grasses and alfalfa-grass mixtures. The primary objective of this study was to compare the effects of cutting management systems on herbage yield and stand persistence of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) and an alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)-orchardgrass mixture from various rates and frequencies of dairy slurry application. A randomized complete block design with treatments in a sub-subplot arrangement with four replicates was used. The main plot consisted of 2 cutting management systems (4 and 5 annual cuttings). The subplots were 9 fertility treatments: 7 slurry rate and frequency of application treatments, one inorganic fertilizer treatment, and an unfertilized control. The split-split-plots were the two forage species: orchardgrass and alfalfa-orchardgrass mixture. The study was initiated after 1st cutting in 1995. Cumulative yields of the 2nd and subsequent cuttings of both orchardgrass and alfalfa-orchardgrass in 1995 were higher for the 5-cutting system than the 4-cutting system. The 1995 growing season was abnormally dry. In 1996, an abnormally wet year, the reverse was true, total herbage yields being higher for the 4-cutting system than the 5-cutting system. Species response to fertility rate/frequency treatments was different in both years. Higher application rates early in the season and carryover of nutrients from late season applications the previous year appear to be responsible for the yield increases of those fertility treatments having significant yield differences between the cutting management systems. The stand ratings of orchardgrass were not affected by cutting management. In the spring of 1997, however, the stand ratings of alfalfa-orchardgrass in the 4-cutting management system were significantly greater than the 5-cutting management system. The very high manure application rate significantly reduced the stand ratings of alfalfa-orchardgrass in the 5-cutting system.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.183-189
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• 1996

The productivity and utilization of four different grasdlegume pastures for grazing management were examined. The pasture mixtures used in this study were orchardgrass + ladino clover (Tl), orchardgrass + alfalfa (T2), perennial ryegrass + alfalfa (T3), and orchardgrass (T4, without legumes) respectively. The pastures were mtationally grazed 7 times with growing cow which had an initial weight of ca 243kg. The gmwth of pasture plants, dry matter (DM) yield, DM distribution, daily DM production, and pasture utilization were investigated at the NLRI, in Suwon, from April to October in 1991 and 1992. The average plant height at each grazing was 32-33m. The average DM content was 17.8%, wil the lowest in TI (16.4%) and highest in T3 and T4 (18.4%). The annual DM production were 9,609 kg (T3), 9,420 kg (Tl), 9,402 kg (T2), and 9,194 kgha (T4) in that order, but no significant differences were found in forage yield between treatments. Most of forage DM was produced in spring season, particularly in May. The daily DM production was highest in May (81.9kg), and lowest in August (33.0kg/ha). The average efficiency of pasture utilization was about 79%, with the lowest in TI (77%), and highest level of utilization was observed in T4 (82%). In this experiment, production and utilization of each pastures were observed similarly. However, the forage nutritive value, botanical composition, and animal performance as affected by different pasture mixtures for suitable grazing management are needed to ascertain.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.198-206
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• 1995

Baled silage making(BS) of selected forage crops was discussed during 1991-1993, to determine the best cutting time of the plants for BS production, BS yields and silage quality. Seven species of forage crops and pasture grasses(rye, barley, spring oat, Italian ryegrass, orchardgrass, alfalfa and grass-legume pasture mixtures) were harvested at different stage of growth from young plant to physiological maturity, and baled in a self constructed square baling chamber. Each bales, measured 90cm length, 60cm width and 50cm height, were wrapped with 0.05mrn thick polyethylene plastic film, and stored in stack silo. Each bales were weighed between 15-20 kg in dry matter basis. The effects of pre wilting and formic acid addition on the silage quality of young plant materials, which contained high water concentration, was also evaluated during the experiment. Rye plant including of barley and spring oat were evaluated as a good materials for baled silage making. Fodder rye produced high quality BS with a value of silage quality point 84(Flieg's point) when the plant harvested at stage of greatest dry matter accumulation by 12.64 tonha. The best quality BS of barley was obtained at stage of hard dough to yellow stage by 11.9 ton/ha dry matter yield and 81 point silage quality. Italian ryegrass and pasture grasses including of orchardgrass, alfalfa and grass-legume pasture mixtures procuced also high quality bale silage by harvesting at stage of late blooming. However pre witting operation and formic acid addition was required for BS production of grass materials because of high water contents. Water contents of Italian ryegrass and other pasture species ranged 18.9%(Italian) to 20.8%(alfalfa). Silage quality point of Italian BS harvested at late blooing was increased from 72 to 88 by 1/2-one day pre wilting and 0.3% formic acid treatment. Silage quality of young plant materials of rye and other forage crops, barley and spring oat were also improved markedly through the pre wilting treatment and formic acid addition.