Silage Fermentation and In Vitro Degradation Characteristics of Orchardgrass and Alfalfa Intercrop Mixtures as Influenced by Forage Ratios and Nitrogen Fertilizing Levels

Zhulin Xue, Yanlu Wang, Hongjian Yang, Shoujiao Li and Yingjun Zhang
Additional contact information
Zhulin Xue: Key Laboratory of Grasslands Management and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Yanlu Wang: State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Hongjian Yang: State Key Laboratory of Animal Nutrition, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Shoujiao Li: Key Laboratory of Grasslands Management and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
Yingjun Zhang: Key Laboratory of Grasslands Management and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 3, 1-25

Abstract: Intercropping is a globally accepted method of forage production and its effect on silage quality depends not only on forage combination but also fertilization strategy. In the present study, field intercropping of orchardgrass ( Dactylis glomerata ) and alfalfa ( Medicago sativa ) at five seed ratios (100:0, 75:25: 50:50, 25:75, 0:100 in %, based on seed weight) was applied under three N fertilizing levels (0, 50, and 100 kg/ha), and harvested for silage making and in vitro rumen degradation. As a result of intercropping, the actual proportions (based on dry matter) of alfalfa in mixtures were much closer to seed proportion of alfalfa in field, except 75:25 orchardgrass-alfalfa intercrops with no fertilization. The actual proportions of alfalfa in mixtures decreased by 3–13% with the increase of N level. Increases of alfalfa proportion in mixtures increased silage quality, nutrients degradability and CH 4 emissions. Increasing N levels increased silage pH, concentration of butyric acid, and fiber fractions. In summary, inclusion of alfalfa at around 50% in orchardgrass-alfalfa silage mixtures were selected for favorable ensiling and higher forage use efficiency while also limiting CH 4 emissions, compared to monocultures. The silage quality and feeding values of mixtures were influenced more by forage ratios than by N levels.

Keywords: digestibility; forage; fermentation; ruminant (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/3/871/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/3/871/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:3:p:871-:d:312564

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().