Theme 2-2: Forage Production and Utilization--Poster Sessions
Description
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) plays an important role within the integrated farming systems in Northwestern Loess Plateau of China, because of its traits on a high productivity, prolonged growing season, and excellent nutritive value. However, water use efficiency (WUE) is a crucial indicator for forage production under different water conditions in the semiarid regions. To explore the responses of alfalfa growth and water use to precipitation variability, we set precipitation shelters to manipulate precipitation scenario as 30% precipitation increased (P+30), normal precipitation (CK), and 30% precipitation decreased (P-30) with the measurement of dry matter yield and soil water content. An alfalfa variety Zhongmu No.1 was sown in autumn of 2018 and harvested at flowering. Soil water was sampled in the depth of 0-2.0 m by a soil auger in 2019. The results showed that the total biomass yield for three cuts among the precipitation treatments had significant difference (P< 0.05), with 12125.5, 11685.3, and 11167.2 kg ha-1 under treatment P+30, CK and P-30, respectively. The WUE of dry matter yield in P-30 treatment had the highest value, higher 25.5% and 10.3% than that in P+30 and CK treatment, respectively (P< 0.05). We conclude that increasing precipitation could not improve the WUE of alfalfa, which indicates the wide adaptability of alfalfa in variable rainfall conditions in semiarid region.
Included in
Increasing Precipitation Decreases Water Use Efficiency of Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in a Semiarid Region
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) plays an important role within the integrated farming systems in Northwestern Loess Plateau of China, because of its traits on a high productivity, prolonged growing season, and excellent nutritive value. However, water use efficiency (WUE) is a crucial indicator for forage production under different water conditions in the semiarid regions. To explore the responses of alfalfa growth and water use to precipitation variability, we set precipitation shelters to manipulate precipitation scenario as 30% precipitation increased (P+30), normal precipitation (CK), and 30% precipitation decreased (P-30) with the measurement of dry matter yield and soil water content. An alfalfa variety Zhongmu No.1 was sown in autumn of 2018 and harvested at flowering. Soil water was sampled in the depth of 0-2.0 m by a soil auger in 2019. The results showed that the total biomass yield for three cuts among the precipitation treatments had significant difference (P< 0.05), with 12125.5, 11685.3, and 11167.2 kg ha-1 under treatment P+30, CK and P-30, respectively. The WUE of dry matter yield in P-30 treatment had the highest value, higher 25.5% and 10.3% than that in P+30 and CK treatment, respectively (P< 0.05). We conclude that increasing precipitation could not improve the WUE of alfalfa, which indicates the wide adaptability of alfalfa in variable rainfall conditions in semiarid region.
