Effect of cutting frequency on forage yield and quality in NS alfalfa cultivars

Abstract

A field trial with four MS alfalfa cultivars was carried out in 2005 and 2006 at the Experiment Field of the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops in Novi Sad. The objective of the study was to determine yields and quality of dry matter in FIS alfalfa cultivars as affected by cutting frequency (harvesting frequency). In the more intensive system, plants were cut approximately at the start of flowering, three times in the year of planting and five times in the second year. In the less intensive system, alfalfa was cut twice in the first and four times in the second year (2006). In the plains of Serbia alfalfa can be cut four or five times a year with no reduction in either yield or stand persistence. The maximum yields and best dry matter quality can be obtained by cutting four or five times a year (Tab. 1 i 2) and planting cultivars with different dormancy (maturation periods). The most dormant ftS cultivar is Novosadanka H-ll and the least dormant (earliest-maturing) one NS Banat ZMS II (Tab. 2 and 5).

Cilj rada je bio da se kod NS sorti lucerke odredi nivo prinosa i kvalitet suve materije lucerke u zavisnosti od učestalosti košenja. Sorte lucerke su u intenzivnom sistemu iskorišćavanja košene približno u fazi početka cvetanja, odnosno tri puta u godini setve, a pet puta u drugoj godini života biljaka lucerke. U manje intenzivnom sistemu lucerka je košena dva puta u godini setve i četiri puta u drugoj (2006) godini. U ravničarskim predelima Srbije moguće je lucerku kositi četiri ili pet puta, bez smanjenja prinosa i trajnosti lucerišta. Maksimalan prinos i najbolji kvalitet suve materije može se postići alternativnom kosidbom četiri ili pet puta godišnje i setvom sorti različitog vremena stasavanja (dormantnosti). Najdormantnija NS sorta je Novosađanka H-11, a najmanje dormantna (najra nostasnija) NS Banat ZMS II.