Adaptability, forage yield and nutritional quality of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) genotypes

Abstract

Livestocks fed with high-quality forage deliver better milk and meat, which could benefit the nutritional health of their keepers and consumers. Six alfalfa genotypes were assessed across four locations, Arba Minch, Areka Mante Dubo, Bonga and Hawassa Dilla, for adaptability, forage dry matter (DM) yield, crude protein (CP) concentration, nutrient composition and digestibility characteristics from August 2016 to January 2019. The genotypes were evaluated in a randomized complete block design with four replications. Plant height at forage harvest was significantly (P < 0.001) varied across the environment among genotypes. Nutrient components, such as neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber and lignin, hemicelluloses, in vitro DM digestibility and relative feed value, were significantly (P < 0.01) different for genotype variations. The highest mean DM yield was recorded for FGI-9001 followed by FGI-3054. The highest plant height was recorded for FGI-8091 (60.13 cm), while the shortest genotype was FGI-1011. CP yield was recorded above the threshold level for all genotypes in the test. Highest in vitro DM digestibility and relative feed value with the lowest neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and lignin and cellulose contents were recorded for FGI-9001. Tested alfalfa genotypes varied in terms of forage yield and nutritional quality at different locations. Thus, the result indicates the potential of genotypes, indicating the promotion to advanced varietal evaluation stages including animal test and release as better alternatives for use in the farming system in rain fed condition and irrigation.

Genetic Diversity, Analysis of Some Agro-Morphological and Quality Traits and Utilization of Plant Resources of Alfalfa

“…These results are in harmony with those reported by [ 32 ], that the investigated six alfalfa genotypes exhibited high total variability for plant height and forage yield. Some previous studies showed the broadest range of variation for some alfalfa cultivars in all morphological traits evaluated [ 33 , 34 ]. Generally, the alfalfa forage yield depends on plant height, and number of tillers.…”

A new automated approach for remote sensing recognition and yield estimation of cultivated alfalfa crop based on Sentinel-2 NDVI time-series data: A case study of Hexi Corridor, China

“…The 10-m alfalfa map was derived from the 10-m Sentinel-2 images, which may facilitate the mapping of smallholder alfalfa fields that are not achievable from MODIS or Landsat images due to their coarseness and lack of high spatial resolution. Moreover, we interpolated the Sentinel-2 data to obtain a complete time series data set, filling in the abnormal values affected by clouds and thereby improving the identification accuracy; (2). Using GEE platform to process large-scale remote sensing data, it overcome the problems of cloud cover and insufficient computing resources in traditional remote sensing methods, and enhanced the processing efficiency and quality of remote sensing data; (3).…”

“…Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is a forage species of global importance, owing to its high productivity, nutritional value, palatability and digestibility for livestock (1,2). It is widely cultivated in many regions and plays a vital role in ensuring ecological and food security.…”

Treatment with Supercritical CO2 Reduces Off-Flavour of White Alfalfa Protein Concentrate

“…In the last decades, alfalfa has been of increasing interest as a new source of protein for human consumption. This is due to its amino acid composition, which contains all essential amino acids and the high protein yield per acre of land [11][12][13]. Alfalfa is typically harvested 4-5 times per year and made into silage or transported directly to a biorefinery for protein extraction for animal feed.…”