Yield, Yield Components, and Forage Nutritive Value of Alfalfa as Affected by Seeding Rate under Irrigated Conditions

Lloveras, J.; Chocarro, C.; Freixes, Oscar; Arqué, Ezequiel; Moreno, A.H.; Santiveri, Francisca

doi:10.2134/agrojnl2006.0333

Cited by 14 publications

(34 citation statements)

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“…For comparison, the N after-effect of a preceding maize crop centered around 110 kg N ha −1 . Even higher DM yields were reported by Lloveras et al (2008) for irrigated lucerne under Mediterranean conditions; they found a range from 16 to 21 t ha −1 averaged for three years. These data show the high potential of a legume crop for N fixation and DM production under favorable growing conditions.…”

Section: Arable Cropping Systemsmentioning

confidence: 68%

Nitrogen, sustainable agriculture and food security. A review

Spiertz

2010

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

290

148

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-The impact of modern agriculture on natural resources has become a major global concern. Population growth and expanding demand for agricultural products constantly increase the pressure on land and water resources. A major point of concern for many intensively managed agricultural systems with high external inputs is the low resource-use efficiency, especially for nitrogen. A high input combined with a low efficiency ultimately results in environmental problems such as soil degradation, eutrophication, pollution of groundwater, and emission of ammonia and greenhouse gases. Evidently, there is a need for a transition of current agricultural systems into highly resource-use efficient systems that are profitable, but at the same time ecologically safe and socially acceptable. Here, opportunities to improve nitrogenuse efficiency in cropping and farming systems are analyzed and discussed. In the past and present, increased productivity of the major plant production systems has been derived from genetic improvement, and from greater use of external inputs such as energy, fertilizers, pesticides and irrigation water. Aiming at improving resource-use efficiencies, in high-input systems the focus should be on more yield with less fertilizer N. In low-input systems additional use of N fertilizer may be required to increase yield level and yield stability. Developing production systems that meet the goals of sustainable agriculture requires research on different scales, from single crops to diverse cropping and farming systems. It is concluded that N supply should match N demand in time and space, not only for single crops but for a crop rotation as an integrated system, in order to achieve a higher agronomic N-use efficiency. A combination of quantitative systems research, development of best practices and legislation will be needed to develop more environmentally-friendly agricultural systems. The growing complexity of managing N in sustainable agricultural systems calls for problem-oriented, interdisciplinary research. productivity / nitrogen-use efficiency / cropping systems / biodiversity / land use / environment

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Section: Arable Cropping Systemsmentioning

confidence: 68%

Nitrogen, sustainable agriculture and food security. A review

Spiertz

2010

Agron. Sustain. Dev.

290

148

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“…The stand densities at the end of the experiments were 70, 45 and 33 plants per m 2 for row spacing of 20, 40 and 60 cm respectively. The reduction in stand density from the initial 412 plants per m 2 to the final values was normal for the area (Lloveras et al ., ). These results revealed significant differences in final stand densities according to initial row spacing.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…The greater shoot numbers and reduced row spacing observed in our trials were, in our opinion, probably a result of plant competition. As the same amount of seed was used for all row distances, the seed was probably better distributed with closer row distances and plant mortality was lower because of the reduced number of seeds per unit length (Lloveras et al ., ). In 2006, the numbers of plants per m at the beginning of the year were 14, 14 and 22 plants m −1 , respectively, for row spacings of 20, 40 and 60 cm.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Three different row distances were compared: 20 cm (which is the normal distance in the region for forage production), 40 and 60 cm. The crop was sown at a rate of 25 kg ha −1 (23 kg ha −1 of pure live seed), which is considered appropriate for combined forage and seed production, although lower rates gave similar forage yields (Lloveras et al ., ).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 97%

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The effect of row spacing on alfalfa seed and forage production under irrigated Mediterranean agricultural conditions

Chocarro

Lloveras

2014

Grass and Forage Science

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We evaluated the effect of row spacing on seed and forage yields in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) using combined seed and forage production plots, in an irrigated Mediterranean agricultural environment. We compared three row distances (20, 40 and 60 cm) in two cultivars at a seed rate of 25 kg ha À1 over a period of 4 years. We measured the seed yield and yield components as well as forage production. The 4-year average revealed an overall clean seed yield of 367 kg ha À1 declining over time, without significant differences in row distances. The number of shoots per square metre differed significantly as a function of row spacing, with averages of 357, 226 and 172 shoots m À2 for row widths of 20, 40 and 60 cm respectively. The row spacing did not affect the number of racemes per shoot (23Á1), the number of pods per raceme (7Á2), the number of seeds per pod (6Á5) or the thousand seed weight (1Á667 g). The average forage production was 20Á1, 18Á5 and 17Á9 Mg DM ha À1 for row distances of 20, 40 and 60 cm, respectively, with higher yields associated with smaller row distances. Our data demonstrate that row spacing >20 cm does not confer any advantage to the production of alfalfa seed under irrigated Mediterranean agricultural conditions and that close spacing can significantly increase forage yields in the same environment.

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“…In this region, alfalfa crops are usually grown for periods of at least 3 years, receive 5 to 7 cuts per year, and yield from 11 to 23 Mg ha -1 of dry matter per year, depending on such factors as cultivar, stand age and the method of irrigation, etc. (Delgado et al, 2005;Lloveras et al, 2008). In the area studied, a good alfalfa stand includes about 400 plants m -2 at emergence and is ploughed when the visual plant density falls to below 50 plants m -2 (Delgado et al, 2005).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Short communication. Nitrogen content of residual alfalfa taproots under irrigation

Cela

Santiveri

Lloveras

2013

Span. j. agric. res.

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The decomposition of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) residues can provide significant amounts of N to subsequent crops, but most of the data on this subject has been obtained from 1-2 year old alfalfa stands. The objective of this study was to determine the biomass of alfalfa taproots and their N content in irrigated alfalfa stands that are more than 2 years old. Twenty-two commercial irrigated alfalfa fields were evaluated in the Ebro Valley (Northeast Spain) from 2006 to 2010. The taproot biomass in the arable layer (0 to 30 cm depth) ranged from 1.8 to 10.1 Mg ha-1 and averaged 4.8 Mg ha-1. In contrast, the N concentration in alfalfa taproots was constant among fields and averaged 24.6 g N kg-1. The total amount of N contained in alfalfa taproots (0-30 cm depth) ranged from 47 to 96 kg N ha-1 in 55% of the fields, ranged from 97 to 200 kg N ha-1 in 22% of the fields, and exceeded 200 kg N ha-1 in 23% of the fields. The N content of the irrigated alfalfa taproots studied here is in the upper range previously reported in other areas, mainly with younger alfalfa stands. Based on the current finding, a classification of the quality of irrigated alfalfa stands is proposed to improve the estimates of the residual-N effects of alfalfa on subsequent crops.

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Yield, Yield Components, and Forage Nutritive Value of Alfalfa as Affected by Seeding Rate under Irrigated Conditions

Cited by 14 publications

References 0 publications

Nitrogen, sustainable agriculture and food security. A review

Nitrogen, sustainable agriculture and food security. A review

The effect of row spacing on alfalfa seed and forage production under irrigated Mediterranean agricultural conditions

Short communication. Nitrogen content of residual alfalfa taproots under irrigation

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