Effect of Cutting Height on Productivity and Forage Quality of Alfalfa in Alpine Area of Korea
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- Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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- v.41 no.3
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- pp.147-154
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- 2021
Cutting management has been identified as a critical factor in the alfalfa production systems because it has a significant impact on maximizing yield and maintaining the forage quality. The objective of this experiment was to determine the proper cutting height according to harvesting time for optimizing nutrient yield and forage nutritive quality of alfalfa grown in alpine regions of Korea. Alfalfa was sown at a seeding rate of 30 kg/ha in August 2018 and harvested at four cuttings in 2019 (3 May, 2 July, 11 September, and 13 October). Cutting heights were adjusted at 5, 15, and 25 cm above the soil surface. Alfalfa plant was tallest at the third cutting (109 cm), which was on average 35 cm taller than the first or second cutting. Relative feed value (RFV) remained unaffected by cutting height at the first harvest, but increased consistently in subsequent harvests as cutting height increased. Alfalfa collected at the first and fourth cuttings had the highest RFV (mean 152), which was on average 8 and 67 units higher than the second and third harvests, respectively. At each harvest, in vitro dry matter digestibility was highest in alfalfa cut at a 25-cm height. Dry matter (DM) production at each cutting height was highest in the first cutting, accounting for on average 36-37% of total annual DM production, and lowest in the fourth harvest, accounting for about 11-13% of the total DM yield. The total dry matter production (in four harvests) was 4,218 kg/ha higher when alfalfa was subjected to a cutting height of 5 cm rather than 25 cm. Cutting height had no effect on total crude protein yield, but from the first to fourth cutting, the protein yield followed a decreasing trend. Finally, there were visible declines in forage nutritive quality when alfalfa was cut at a shorter height. However, the magnitude of difference in total forage yield may outweigh the slight decline in forage quality when alfalfa is cut at a lower height. The findings of this study could help the alfalfa growers make better harvest management decisions.
The root-mat formation of infant rice seedlings (8- to 10-day-old) is sometime not enough for machine transplanting because of the too-short nursery period. This experiment was conducted to elucidate the effect of metalaxyl seed-soaking treatment in the mixed solution of metalaxyl, seed disinfectant and insectcides on the root-mat formation of infant rice seedling in machine transplanting. The rice seeds of Odaebyeo were soaked in the mixed solution of metalaxyl, prochloraz and insectcides. with the recommended concentrations for 24 hours at room temperature. Seeding rate was 220g per seed tray (30 x 60 x 3cm). Metalaxyl (25% wettable powder), a fungicide. was used in 1. 000 times dilution as a promoting substance on the root-mat formation. Generally, the metalaxyl-treated seeds markedly increased the root number and length, and rooting activity of infant rice seedlings as compared with the control, thus the root-mat formation was excellent. When the rice seeds were sterilized by the mixed solution of prochloraz and insectcides, metalaxyl could be used together for increasing root-mat rormation of infant rice seedlIngs due to no interaction among agro-chemicals used. Seedling damping-off and physiological seedling rot were also controled in the seedlings of metalaxy-treated seeds. The root-mat of metalxyl-treated seeds had higher hardness and tension than control in terms of physical properties.
This study was carried out to examine the effects of cornstarch-based absorbent polymer (CAP) on the growth of cool season turfgrasses in sand-based soil mixture. Kentucky bluegrass + perennial ryegrass mixtures seeded at May 18 in 2006 on sand-based soil mixture. Sand + peat (5%, v/v), sand + CAP
Cultivation of winter cover crops and its soil utilization for summer main crops in slope upland is very important at the respects of diminution of soil erosion and non-point pollution source. The effects of cover crop, hairy vetch as no-tillage or conventional tillage on prevention of soil erosion and reduction of chemical nitrogen fertilization were investigated in the slope upland with whiter clover living mulch (partial tillage) in Suwon for three years and with rye (conventional tillage) in Hongcheon for two years, respectively. In Suwon, amounts of soil lost by rainfall runoff decreased as much as 90% by hairy vetch-no tillage (HV-NT), white clover-partial tillage (WF-PT) together with the decrease of rainfall runoff compared to winter fallow with conventional tillage (WF-CT). In addition, amounts of weed also decreased as much as 80-90% by HV-NT and WF-PT. Corn yield decreased much at the plot of WF-PT mainly due to competition for soil water and nutrients between clover and corn at the early corn growth stage. On the contrary, corn yield increased by HV-NT compared to WF-CT regardless of weed control. In Hongcheon, amounts of soil eroded during winter season before corn seeding were reduced as much as 95% by cultivation of hairy vetch and rye compared to winter fallow. Amount of soil eroded during waxy corn growing season was reduced as much as 98% by HV-NT compared to WF-CT. Also, soil incorporation of hairy vetch and rye as green manure with conventional tillage at corn seeding time could reduce soil erosion as much as 70% compared to no soil cover with conventional tillage. Ear yields of waxy corn were increased 10% higher at hairy vetch green manure (HV-CT) without nitrogen fertilizer, 20% higher at HV-NT with standard nitrogen fertilizer, respectively than WF-CT. But ear yields of waxy corn were decreased by rye green manure (R-CT) and HV-NT at the condition of no nitrogen fertilizer. It was concluded that hairy vetch was better as winter cover crop to reduce both soil erosion and chemical nitrogen fertilizer simultaneously in slope upland than other cover crops.
Agriculture is a primary industry that influenced by the weather or meterological factors more than other industry. Global warming and worldwide climate changes, and unusual weather phenomena are fatal in agricultural industry and human life. Therefore, many previous studies have been made to find the relationship between weather and the productivity of agriculture. Meterological factors also influence on the distribution of agricultural product. For example, price of agricultural product is determined in the market, and also influenced by the weather of the market. However, there is only a few study was made to find this link. The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of meterological factors on the distribution of agricultural products, focusing on the distribution of chinese cabbages. Chinese cabbage is a main ingredient of Kimchi, and basic essential vegetable in Korean dinner table. However, the production of chinese cabbages is influenced by weather and very fluctuating so that the variation of its price is so unstable. Therefore, both consumers and farmers do not feel comfortable at the unstable price of chinese cabbages. In this study, we analyze the real transaction data of chinese cabbage in wholesale markets and meterological factors depending on the variety and geography. We collect and analyze data of meterological factors such as temperatures, humidity, cloudiness, rainfall, snowfall, wind speed, insolation, sunshine duration in producing and consuming region of chinese cabbages. The result of this study shows that the meterological factors such as temperature and humidity significantly influence on the volume and price of chinese cabbage transaction in wholesale market. Especially, the weather of consuming region has greater correlation effects on transaction than that of producing region in all types of chinese cabbages. Among the whole agricultural lifecycle of chinese cabbages, 'seeding - harvest - shipment - wholesale', meterological factors such as temperature and rainfall in shipment and wholesale period are significantly correlated with transaction volume and price of crops. Based on the result of correlation analysis, we make a regression analysis to verify the meterological factors' effects on the volume and price of chines cabbage transaction in wholesale market. The results of stepwise regression analysis are shown in