FORAGE YIELD IN ALFALFA CULTIVARS AT TWO CUTTING SCHEDULES

Abstract

The objective of the study was to determine the annual and seasonal forage yield of four alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cultivars under two cutting schedules in the “Valles Centrales” of Oaxaca, México. In a completely randomized design with four replications, eight treatments in a split plot arrangement were compared, using varieties as main plot (‘Valenciana’, ‘Moapa’, ‘Oaxaca’ and ‘Tlacolula’), and schedules as subplot (severe with cuts every 28 d in Spring and Summer and every 42 d in Fall and Winter, and light with cuts every 35 and 49 d, respectively); all cuts were done at 4 cm height. Experimental plots (25 m²) were sown with 3 g of pure live seed m^-2, and irrigated every 15 d. The interaction cultivar x cutting schedule affected forage yield and leaf:stem ratio (P ≤ 0.05). In Fall, in both cutting schedules and in Summer and Winter only with the severe cutting schedule, cultivars ‘Oaxaca’ and ‘Tlacolula’ showed higher forage yield than ‘Moapa’ and ‘Valenciana’. A higher leaf:stem ratios throughout the year were found in ‘Moapa’ under the severe cutting schedule. Annual forage yield (2000 g MS m^-2/year) was similar among cultivars and cutting schedules, because the seasonal differences compensated each other.