Performance of short-lived perennial grasses grown with and without alfalfa at a semiarid location in southern Saskatchewan

Jefferson, P. G.; Zentner, R. P.; Selles, F.; Lemke, R.

doi:10.4141/p05-103

Cited by 6 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 13 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The significant decline of monoculture grass DMY after the second production year, under both the twocut and three-cut management systems, can probably be attributed to the depletion of soil N in the monoculture grass plots during the course of this study. This possible explanation of the better performance of grassÁalfalfa mixtures over monoculture grasses was also mentioned by Jefferson et al (2007). The increase in the proportion of alfalfa and consequent decrease in the proportion of the grass component in the simple, CM and VCM grassÁ alfalfa mixture plots (assessed only in the two-cut system) also could have been due to an inadequate supply of soil N for the grass component in the mixtures after the second production year.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 78%

“…Simple mixtures of two to four species may offer the best means to provide plant diversity and yet limit seedling competition (Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development 2005). Jefferson et al (2007), in a study done at Swift Current, Saskatchewan, Canada, a semiarid environment, concluded that three introduced grass species produced more forage when grown in mixture with alfalfa than as monoculture. A recent study done at Swift Current (dry-mixed grassland ecoregion) and Saskatoon (moist-mixed grassland ecoregion), Saskatchewan, has shown that western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii Rydb.)…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Forage yield of simple and complex grass–legume mixtures under two management strategies

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Foster, A., Vera, C. L., Malhi, S. S. and Clarke, F. R. 2014. Forage yield of simple and complex grass–legume mixtures under two management strategies. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 41–50. Limited information is available on the dry matter production, protein content and species composition of complex mixtures of introduced perennial forage crop species for hay and pasture in the moister regions of Saskatchewan. A field experiment was sown on 2008 May 27 at Melfort, Saskatchewan, Canada, on a thick Black Chernozem (Udic Boroll) silty clay soil, to compare the effects on dry matter yield (DMY), protein content and species composition of perennial forage crop monocultures and mixtures, under a two-cut and a three-cut management system, in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012. Eleven treatments consisted of monocultures of hybrid bromegrass (Bromus riparius Rehm.×Bromus inermis Leyss.), smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.), crested wheatgrass [Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn], intermediate wheatgrass [Agropyron intermedium (Host.) Beauv.] and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.); simple mixtures of each of these individual grass species with alfalfa; a more complex mixture of all these grass species and alfalfa, and a very complex mixture consisting of the complex mixture plus meadow bromegrass (Bromus riparius Rehm.), orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), tall fescue [Festuca arundinacea (Schreb.) Wimm.], timothy (Phleum pratense L.) and slender wheatgrass [Elymus trachycaulus (Link) Gould ex Shinners]. The alfalfa was inoculated with rhizobium, and no fertilizer was added to any treatment during the course of the study. The two-cut system yielded higher than the three-cut system in all years. In 2009, the first cutting year, all treatments, especially under the two-cut system, produced similar forage DMY, with monoculture grasses yielding as much as that of their mixture with alfalfa. In 2010, 2011 and 2012, however, monoculture alfalfa and grass–alfalfa treatments had higher DMY than the monoculture grasses. Monoculture alfalfa also showed superior DMY than most grass–alfalfa mixtures, especially during the last 2 yr of the study. In conclusion, the inclusion of alfalfa in forage mixtures, grown in unfertilized soil, significantly increased forage yield, especially after the first production year, and these grass–alfalfa mixtures yielded almost as much as monoculture alfalfa. Also, the inclusion of alfalfa significantly increased the forage protein content over the grass alone treatments. Hybrid bromegrass, grown alone or in mixture with alfalfa, yielded similar to the other grasses tested, while crested wheatgrass did not compete as well as other main grasses, grown alone or in mixture with alfalfa. In this study, the use of complex or very complex mixtures of introduced grasses with alfalfa did not increase DMY over the simple grass–alfalfa mixtures.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 78%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Forage yield of simple and complex grass–legume mixtures under two management strategies

et al. 2014

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Perennial forages contribute to enhanced soil health and pest suppression, both of which can provide benefits to subsequent crops (Entz et al 2002 and references therein;Olmstead and Brummer 2008;Meiss et al 2010). Moisture availability is a major determinant of forage-related benefits, since moisture depletion by perennial forages can reduce yield of subsequent crops in dry regions ; however, no-till establishment and termination of perennial forage stands can allow their successful integration in more arid regions of the prairies (Jefferson et al 2007). Water use by forages can be beneficial for dewatering soils in regions with excess moisture and for salinity management .…”

Section: Perennial Crops In Rotationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review: Redesigning Canadian prairie cropping systems for profitability, sustainability, and resilience

2015

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Thiessen Martens, J. R., Entz, M. H. and Wonneck, M. D. 2015. Review: Redesigning Canadian prairie cropping systems for profitability, sustainability, and resilience. Can. J. Plant Sci. 95: 1049Á1072. Redesign of agricultural systems according to ecological principles has been proposed for the development of sustainable systems. We review a wide variety of ecologically based crop production practices, including crop varieties and genetic diversity, crop selection and rotation, cover crops, annual polyculture, perennial forages, perennial grains, agroforestry systems, reducing tillage, use of animal manures and green manures, soil biological fertility, organic production systems, integrated cropÁlivestock systems, and purposeful design of farm landscapes (farmscaping), and discuss their potential role in enhancing the profitability, environmental sustainability, and resilience of Canadian prairie cropping systems. Farming systems that most closely mimic natural systems through appropriate integration of diverse components, within a context of supportive social and economic structures, appear to offer the greatest potential benefits, while creating a framework in which to place all other farming practices. Our understanding of ecological relationships within agricultural systems is currently lacking, and a major shift in research, education, and policy will be required to purposefully and proactively redesign Canadian prairie agricultural systems for long-term sustainability.

show abstract

“…However, the total DMY of SWG in mixture with 'Beaver' alfalfa (3.5 Mg ha −1 ) at Swift Current, SK, [38] on a non-saline soil was comparable with the yields obtained in the current study, and those of 'VNS' smooth brome in mixture with '55V48 alfalfa (5.1 Mg ha −1 ) in North Dakota, USA, [39] and of alfalfa + SBG mixture grown in the Mediterranean region of Turkey (2.6-3.3 Mg ha −1 ) [40] were higher and comparable, respectively.…”

Section: Stand Establishment Botanical Composition and Forage Yield O...mentioning

confidence: 96%

“…Ex Griseb], intermediate wheatgrass [Elytrigia intermedia (Host) Nevski], and slender wheatgrass [Elymus trachycaulus (Link.) Gould ex Shinners] were grown with alfalfa, the grasses produced similar forage yield and yield compensation by alfalfa grown with Dahurian wildrye and slender wheatgrass produced similar total forage yield [38].…”

Section: Stand Establishment Botanical Composition and Forage Yield O...mentioning

confidence: 97%

Evaluation of Alfalfa and Grass Species in Binary and Complex Mixtures on Performance under Soil Salinity Conditions

et al. 2022

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The effect of synergies between saline-tolerant grass and legume species grown in saline soil, on yield, quality, composition, persistence, and weed suppression was studied in 2019–2021 in a moderately saline soil located in the dark brown soil zone near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. ‘Halo’ alfalfa (ALF), a salt-tolerant cultivar of alfalfa, was seeded in binary mixtures with ‘Revenue’ slender wheatgrass (ALF-SWG), ‘Garrison’ creeping meadow foxtail (ALF-CMF), and ‘Radisson’ smooth bromegrass (ALF-SBG). A complex mixture (quaternary) with all three grasses was also included. Four replicated treatments (n = 4) were randomly allocated to 6.2 × 1.2 m plots in spring 2019. The binary mixtures had similar or slightly better stand establishment compared to the quaternary mixture over the two years (83.3 vs. 76.9%), the quaternary stand showed greater (p = 0.01) establishment in Yr 2 than in Yr 1 (85 vs. 68.8%). There was high weed infestation in all the stands, but ALF-SWG had less weed infestation (23.8 vs. 44.1%) than ALF-CMF, especially in Yr 2 (p = 0.05). There were no significant differences among mixtures in yield, nutritional composition, and nutrient uptake. The ALF-CMF and ALF-SWG binary mixtures had 9 to 23% greater mean total DMY than the other mixtures in the moderately saline soil. The cost of establishing forage mixtures on unproductive saline land can be up to 89% recovered after only two years. The results suggested that binary mixtures of ‘Halo’ alfalfa with ‘Revenue’ slender wheatgrass or ‘Garrison’ creeping meadow foxtail could be reasonable alternatives for adequate forage production and quality, high N-use efficiency, and ultimately livestock gain per hectare, as well as for controlling soil salinity and improving soil fertility in this saline area in the dark brown soil zone.

show abstract

Performance of short-lived perennial grasses grown with and without alfalfa at a semiarid location in southern Saskatchewan

Cited by 6 publications

References 13 publications

Forage yield of simple and complex grass–legume mixtures under two management strategies

Forage yield of simple and complex grass–legume mixtures under two management strategies

Review: Redesigning Canadian prairie cropping systems for profitability, sustainability, and resilience

Evaluation of Alfalfa and Grass Species in Binary and Complex Mixtures on Performance under Soil Salinity Conditions

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About