The impact of lignin downregulation on alfalfa yield, chemical composition, and <i>in vitro</i> gas production

Getachew, G.; Laca, Emilio A.; Putnam, Daniel H.; Witte, D. P.; McCaslin, Mark; Ortega, K. P.; DePeters, E.J.

doi:10.1002/jsfa.8942

Cited by 27 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…() reported an average L/S of .96 across six alfalfa cultivars grown at three locations in Minnesota. The lack of differences between reduced lignin and reference alfalfa cultivars in stem yield, leaf yield, and L/S in the present study supports recent research showing forage morphology and growth between these cultivars is similar (Getachew et al., ; Grev et al., ).…”

Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 91%

“…Stem and leaf NDF concentrations were comparable to reports from previous research evaluating alfalfa stem and leaf NDF concentrations across a number of cultivars and locations (Kalu & Fick, ; Lamb et al., , ; Marković et al., ; Sanderson & Wedin, ; Schnurr et al., ; Sheaffer et al., ). No prior studies have investigated NDF concentrations within stem and leaf fractions for reduced lignin alfalfa cultivars; however, total herbage NDF concentrations have been shown to be similar between reduced lignin and reference alfalfa cultivars (Getachew et al., , ; Grev et al., ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous studies investigating experimental lines for reduced lignin alfalfa have found a 4–29% decrease in stem lignin concentration compared to control lines (Guo et al., ; Marita et al., ; Reddy et al., ). Although ADL concentrations within leaf fractions for reduced lignin alfalfa cultivars have not yet been reported, reduced lignin alfalfa grown in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Idaho has shown a 6–24% decrease in total herbage ADL compared to reference alfalfa cultivars (Getachew et al., , ; Grev et al., ). These results demonstrate that this reduction in total herbage lignin is primarily a result of reductions in lignin within the stem fraction of the plant, rather than a change in leaf lignin content or a greater L/S for the reduced lignin cultivar.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Previous research investigating reduced lignin alfalfa cultivars has not reported NDFD within the leaf fraction of the forage. However, field studies have shown improvements in total herbage IVDMD (Getachew et al., , ) and NDFD (Getachew et al., ; Grev et al., ) for reduced lignin alfalfa compared to reference alfalfa cultivars. Increases in total herbage NDFD ranged from 8 to 18% in Minnesota (Grev et al., ) and 7 to 17% in Wisconsin (Getachew et al., ).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, field studies have shown improvements in total herbage IVDMD (Getachew et al., , ) and NDFD (Getachew et al., ; Grev et al., ) for reduced lignin alfalfa compared to reference alfalfa cultivars. Increases in total herbage NDFD ranged from 8 to 18% in Minnesota (Grev et al., ) and 7 to 17% in Wisconsin (Getachew et al., ). The present study confirms an improvement in NDFD for reduced lignin alfalfa and demonstrates that the improvement in total herbage NDFD is primarily a result of NDFD improvements within the stem fraction of the plant.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Stem and leaf forage nutritive value and morphology of reduced lignin alfalfa

Grev

Wells

Catalano³

et al. 2020

Agronomy Journal

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Reduced lignin alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) has the potential to improve alfalfa forage quality, yet forage morphology, biomass allocation, and stem and leaf forage nutritive value remains undetermined. The objectives of this study were to characterize changes in morphological development and forage nutritive value within stem and leaf fractions for reduced lignin alfalfa. Reduced lignin (‘54HVX41’) and reference (‘DKA43‐22RR’) alfalfa cultivars were sampled weekly from the mid‐vegetative stage through full flower during the seeding (2015) and first production (2016) year at two locations in Minnesota. Samples were staged to determine maturity, divided into stem and leaf fractions, weighed, and analyzed for forage nutritive value. Alfalfa cultivars were similar in stem and leaf yield, leaf to stem ratio (L/S), stem crude protein (CP), stem neutral detergent fiber (NDF), leaf CP, leaf NDF, leaf acid detergent lignin (ADL), and leaf NDF digestibility (NDFD). On average, reduced lignin alfalfa showed a 14% decrease in stem ADL and a 12% increase in stem NDFD compared to reference alfalfa. For both cultivars, increases in forage maturity increased stem and leaf yields and decreased L/S. Forage maturity also affected stem and leaf forage nutritive values; as maturity increased, NDF and ADL increased while CP and NDFD decreased. These results indicate that changes in forage nutritive value for reduced lignin alfalfa are largely a result of changes in ADL and NDFD within the stem fraction, and confirm that alfalfa forage nutritive value is negatively affected by forage maturity, particularly within the stem portion of the plant.

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Section: Resultssupporting

confidence: 91%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Stem and leaf forage nutritive value and morphology of reduced lignin alfalfa

Grev

Wells

Catalano³

et al. 2020

Agronomy Journal

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Exploring the impact of soil water variability and varietal diversity on alfalfa yield, nutritional quality, and farm profitability

Baral,

Jagadish,

Hein

et al. 2023

Grassland Research

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BackgroundDespite high nutritional and economic value, alfalfa yield has not been improved in the United States. Soil moisture critically influences alfalfa's yield and quality, affecting its physiological processes, nutrient uptake, and stand growth. Additionally, the maturity stage at harvest can significantly impact both hay yield and quality. Thus, this study aimed to assess the effect of different soil moisture levels and harvesting times on forage yield, nutritive value, and the overall profitability of commercially cultivated alfalfa.MethodsTwo conventional and three lower‐lignin alfalfa varieties were planted in a randomized complete block with split plot design under drought, rainfed, and irrigation conditions in 2020 in Manhattan, Kansas, USA. The dry matter yield (DMY) and forage nutritive value were evaluated at late bud, early flowering, and 7 days after early flowering stages, respectively.ResultsDMY varied with production year, soil water availability, and growth stages, with drought conditions causing a decline in DMY of 5% to 38% in the second production year. Water conditions and maturity stages influenced crude protein (CP) and in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD). Higher soil moisture and advancing maturity stages negatively impacted CP, IVDMD, and relative forage quality. The study revealed net profit margins of 62%, 64%, and 52% for drought‐prone, rainfed, and irrigated production, respectively.ConclusionsHarvest timing and irrigation practices were found to have substantial implications for forage yield and nutritive value of alfalfa. The yield‐quality trade‐off differed under drought and irrigation, with early harvesting leading to lower yields but higher protein content and digestibility. The study findings provide potential guidance for improving alfalfa hay yield, quality, and profitability.

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Structural and quantitative changes of saponins in fresh alfalfa compared to alfalfa silage

et al. 2018

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BACKGROUND: Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is an important legume used in animal feed. The primary objective of the present study was to analyze and trace the individual saponins in fresh and ensiled alfalfa of ten varieties, with the aim of evaluating the structural changes that saponins undergo during ensiling. A secondary objective was to examine whether any of the changes in saponin content were associated with changes in the basic nutrient composition of the ensiled alfalfa. RESULTS: The total saponin concentration increased when the fresh alfalfa was processed into silage. Three of the zanhic acid glycosides were degraded substantially, whereas the other two increased in all the tested varieties. Five of the seven medicagenic acid glycosides were not changed, whereas the remaining saponins completely disappeared. Finally, two glycosides of soyasapogenol B displayed an inverse relationship to each other. CONCLUSION: The nutrient content of fresh material and silages remained relatively constant, with some variations in the crude protein content of the selected alfalfa varieties. The total concentration of saponins increased two-to three-fold after ensilation over the levels present in fresh alfalfa material. The increases in saponin concentration showed a negative linear relationship between protein on a dry matter basis and saponin content. These findings are significant because no known published data have shown this transformation in the ensiling of alfalfa.

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The impact of lignin downregulation on alfalfa yield, chemical composition, and in vitro gas production

Cited by 27 publications

References 48 publications

Stem and leaf forage nutritive value and morphology of reduced lignin alfalfa

Stem and leaf forage nutritive value and morphology of reduced lignin alfalfa

Exploring the impact of soil water variability and varietal diversity on alfalfa yield, nutritional quality, and farm profitability

Structural and quantitative changes of saponins in fresh alfalfa compared to alfalfa silage

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