Long-term fodder productivity of lucerne-cereal agrophytocenoses

Abstract

Goal. To determine the feed productivity and chemical composition of plant biomass by growing lucerne and lucerne mixtures under the influence of lime and fertilizers. Methods. Field — for experimenting in the field, accounting for feed productivity; laboratory — for determining the indicators of the botanical and chemical composition of feed; mathematical statistical — for mathematical processing of research results based on analysis of variance. Results. The results of studies conducted in 2019–2024 are presented for 3 mowings, attention is focused on annual changes in species composition and feed productivity of lucerne-cereal fodder agrophytocenoses with various herbal components on dark-gray podzolized soils of the Right-Bank Forest-Steppe. During the years of research, agrophytocenoses were formed with a share of lucerne (Medicago sativa) at the level of 38–59%. Lucerne accumulated 160–220 kg / ha of symbiotically fixed nitrogen. Conclusions. Fodder productivity of agrophytocenoses with lucerne on average during the years of research was 8.29–10.91 t/ha of dry weight, which was 2.4–3.0 times higher compared to agrophytocenoses, which consisted only of cereal grasses. Stably high fodder productivity for many years was recorded on single-species lucerne agrophytocenose, and agrophytocenoses, which were formed from binary mixtures of lucerne with timothy grass (Phleum pretense), couch grass (Elytrigia intermedia), awnless bromegrass (Bromus inermis), and Loliolum orientale (Festuca orientalis) during pouring. The inclusion of Lucerne in cereals significantly improved the chemical composition of the feed, in particular with respect to the content of raw protein, protein, nitrogen-free extractive substances, and the digestibility of the dry mass of the feed.