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Agronomy
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Managing the Yield and Nutritive Value of Forage and Biomass...
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Managing the Yield and Nutritive Value of Forage and Biomass Crops

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Grassland and Pasture Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2024 | Viewed by 4813

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Marisol Berti

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Plant Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108, USA
Interests: forage; cover crops; bioenergy crops production
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forage crops are the bedrock of sustainable agriculture. Given the social, environmental, and economic importance of forage across the globe, the nutritive value of forage crops has enormous potential to improve food security and political stability. Forage plants are valuable because they support wild and domesticated herbivores and sustain the delivery of meat, milk, and other commodities. In addition, forages contribute to reducing green house emissions; increasing carbon sequestration; reducing soil erosion and nutrient loading into water sources; and increasing biodiversity, soil health, and resilience. Forage plants contain different quantities of fibre, lignin, minerals, and protein and vary in the proportion of their tissue that can be digested by herbivores. These nutritive components are important determinants of consumer growth rates, reproductive success, and consumer behavior. The Special Issue aims to highlight the significance of forage crops in cropping systems, current improvements, and some future directions to improve yield and nutritive value. Forage research has been much less invested in than other food crops, so forage crops have not reached their production potential.

In this Special Issue, research articles, reviews, and opinion papers addressing forage crops’ nutritive value and management, soil-plant interaction, and impact on the environment are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Marisol Berti
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Agronomy is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • forage nutritive value
  • forages management
  • soil-plant interaction
  • environmental impact
  • soil health

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 2470 KiB  
Article
Alfalfa Cultivation Patterns in the Yellow River Irrigation Area on Soil Water and Nitrogen Use Efficiency
by Qiang Lu, Guangping Qi, Minhua Yin, Yanxia Kang, Yanlin Ma, Qiong Jia, Jinghai Wang, Yuanbo Jiang, Chen Wang, Yalin Gao, Rongrong Tian, Feng Xiao, Xiaolong Chen and Rong Zhang
Agronomy 2024, 14(4), 874; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14040874 - 22 Apr 2024
Viewed by 488
Abstract
Establishing lucerne field is an efficient way to protect natural steppes, alleviate conflicts between meadows and livestock, and promote the development of animal husbandry. However, problems such as extensive field management, valuing yield over quality, and low resource utilization are endemic in production. [...] Read more.
Establishing lucerne field is an efficient way to protect natural steppes, alleviate conflicts between meadows and livestock, and promote the development of animal husbandry. However, problems such as extensive field management, valuing yield over quality, and low resource utilization are endemic in production. Exploring reasonable cultivation patterns can contribute to improving the current situation of artificial grassland production and promoting the high-quality development of husbandry and prataculture. Lucerne the field experiment was carried out in Jingtai, Gansu Province, China in 2021–2022; this study compared and analyzed the effects of three cultivation patterns—ridge tillage with plastic film mulching (PM), ridge tillage with biodegradable film mulching (BM), and traditional flat planting (FP)—on soil water, heat, and fertilizer, as well as lucerne growth, yield, quality, and water and nitrogen use efficiency. The results show that: (1) during the growth period of lucerne, PM and BM treatments augment the average moisture content of the soil layer of 0–120 cm by 31.19% and 24.03% compared to the FP treatment, respectively. In the soil layer of 0–40 cm, PM and BM treatments abate the soil moisture content of the ridges by an average of 19.29% and 7.89% compared to that in the ditches, respectively. In the soil layer of 40–120 cm, PM and BM treatments elevate the soil moisture content of the ridges by 4.40% and 4.65% on average compared to that in the ditches, respectively. The average soil temperature in a soil layer of 5–25 cm shows PM > BM > FP. In contrast with the FP treatment, PM and BM treatments increase the soil temperature of the ridges by an average of 1.87 °C and 0.96 °C and decrease that of the ditches by an average of 0.47 °C and 0.46 °C, respectively. After two years of planting, the three cultivation patterns all promote the soil nutrient content. Compared to the FP treatment, PM and BM treatments increase the organic matter content by 9.94% and 19.94%, respectively. (2) Ridge tillage with film mulching can evidently stimulate the growth of lucerne and enhance yield and quality. Compared to the FP treatment, PM and BM treatments enhance plant height by an average of 15.37% and 4.04%, stem diameter by an average of 34.14% and 14.58%, yield by an average of 21.20% and 14.77%, crude protein content by an average of 13.47% and 7.68%, and relative feed value by an average of 8.71% and 4.41%, respectively. (3) During the two-year growing period, the irrigation amount of lucerne was 508.60–615.30 mm, and the evapotranspiration was 563.70–761.80 mm. Compared to the FP treatment, PM and BM treatments hoist water use efficiency by an average of 43.50% and 17.56%, nitrogen partial factor productivity by an average of 21.20% and 15.22%, and net income by an average of 14.78% and 11.05%, respectively. In summary, in ridge tillage, both ordinary film mulching and biodegradable film mulching can create a favorable soil environment for lucerne growth and heighten production effect. The former has a better effect on advancing the lucerne production effect, and the latter exhibits superior performance in improving soil fertility. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Managing the Yield and Nutritive Value of Forage and Biomass Crops)
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15 pages, 2172 KiB  
Article
Quality Production of Sainfoin Swards Challenged by Global Change in Mountain Areas in the Western Mediterranean
by M.-Teresa Sebastià, Fatemeh Banagar, Noemí Palero, Mercedes Ibáñez and Josefina Plaixats
Agronomy 2024, 14(1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy14010006 - 19 Dec 2023
Viewed by 841
Abstract
Legume-based livestock forage systems are widespread and socially relevant agroecosystems that are essential for delivering high-quality forage. Therefore, it is critical to determine how climate change and management might affect the functioning of forage agroecosystems. The objective of this study was to explore [...] Read more.
Legume-based livestock forage systems are widespread and socially relevant agroecosystems that are essential for delivering high-quality forage. Therefore, it is critical to determine how climate change and management might affect the functioning of forage agroecosystems. The objective of this study was to explore the potential of sainfoin swards under different management regimes by combining results from an experiment on species diversity effects on yield developed under extreme climatic conditions and a survey of sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) swards and nutritive value in mountain regions in Catalonia, Western Mediterranean. Our results show that 12–59% of the variability in forage nutritive value parameters was accounted for by management. Young cattle-grazed swards showed higher nutrition quality that decreased faster than sheep-grazed or only mown swards. Mixing sainfoin with orchardgrass increased fiber content (e.g., +22% neutral detergent fiber) and decreased protein (−26%) and lignin (−11%) compared to sainfoin monocultures. However, under the extreme climatic conditions of the last three years, the only diversity effect found on yield was the identity of the species present. We propose that a combination of different sainfoin management regimes might be beneficial regionally for both quality forage production and overall biodiversity conservation, whereas traditional systems may be vulnerable to changing climatic conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Managing the Yield and Nutritive Value of Forage and Biomass Crops)
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20 pages, 2400 KiB  
Article
Ameliorating Forage Crop Resilience in Dry Steppe Zone Using Millet Growth Dynamics
by Almas Kurbanbayev, Meisam Zargar, Hristina Yancheva, Gani Stybayev, Nurlan Serekpayev, Aliya Baitelenova, Nurbolat Mukhanov, Adilbek Nogayev, Balzhan Akhylbekova and Mostafa Abdelkader
Agronomy 2023, 13(12), 3053; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13123053 - 13 Dec 2023
Viewed by 845
Abstract
Introducing new forage crops such as Japanese millet (Echinochloa frumentacea) and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is crucial for mitigating the impacts of climate change in the dry steppe zone, expanding forage crop options, and obtaining nutritious feed for the [...] Read more.
Introducing new forage crops such as Japanese millet (Echinochloa frumentacea) and pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum) is crucial for mitigating the impacts of climate change in the dry steppe zone, expanding forage crop options, and obtaining nutritious feed for the development of animal husbandry. The aim of this study was to assess the productivity and feed value of these crops. Field experiments were conducted in 2021 and 2022 to investigate the changes and variations in the yields and chemical compositions of Japanese millet and pearl millet when grown as sole crops or in mixed cropping in the dry steppe zone of northern Kazakhstan. Among the annual crops sown via sole cropping, the hay of the Japanese millet, sown in the third decade of May and harvested during full heading, was observed to have a higher content of raw protein and other nutrients than Sudanese grass hay, that is, the raw protein content was higher at 1.81%, the raw oil content at 0.12, and the raw ash content at 1.88%. In addition, among the mixtures of crops, the hay of the crop mixtures containing pearl millet, sown in the above period and harvested as hay during the milky stage, the full heading stage, and the formation of spikelets in the grain family stage, differed from the hay of Sudanese grass sown in the same period and collected during full heading in terms of the contents of raw protein and other nutrients and the low content of raw ash, that is, the content of raw protein was at 2.16%, raw oil at 0.39, raw ash at 0.95, without nitrogen extractives (WNEs) at 3.78, and starch at 0.11. The calcium content was higher by 0.08% and carotene by 0.11 mg/kg, and raw lentils were lower by 0.94%. The analysis of the results revealed that the variation in the crops’ phenological phases depended on the moisture availability and the sowing time. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Managing the Yield and Nutritive Value of Forage and Biomass Crops)
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18 pages, 2373 KiB  
Article
Intercropping Forage Sorghum with Sunnhemp at Different Seeding Rates to Improve Forage Production
by Haley M. Mosqueda, Brock C. Blaser, Susan A. O’Shaughnessy and Marty B. Rhoades
Agronomy 2023, 13(12), 3048; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13123048 - 13 Dec 2023
Viewed by 802
Abstract
Forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is well established in the Texas High Plains as a drought-tolerant forage that often requires additional feed to provide adequate protein for livestock. Intercropping sunnhemp (Crotalaria juncea L.), a legume, with forage sorghum, may increase [...] Read more.
Forage sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is well established in the Texas High Plains as a drought-tolerant forage that often requires additional feed to provide adequate protein for livestock. Intercropping sunnhemp (Crotalaria juncea L.), a legume, with forage sorghum, may increase crude protein. However, the optimal intercrop seeding ratio of sunnhemp to sorghum to improve crude protein content and maintain sufficient biomass is unknown. A two-year field experiment was conducted near Canyon, TX, USA, in 2020 and 2021 using sunnhemp intercropped at three seeding rates (16.8, 33.6, and 50.4 kg ha−1) with forage sorghum at four seeding rates (0, 2.8, 5.6, and 11.2 kg ha−1) under drip irrigation. This study was conducted to (1) evaluate growth potential for sunnhemp in a semiarid environment, (2) find a seeding ratio that can maintain forage sorghum dry matter production and improve forage quality, and (3) determine if a midseason harvest can be supported and further improve quality of the forage produced. Midseason, full-season, regrowth biomass, and forage quality were evaluated. Results indicated that a sunnhemp–forage-sorghum intercrop produced dry matter comparable to forage sorghum when sufficient heat units were obtained in the growing season. Forage with higher nutritive value was produced when the intercrop was harvested twice. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Managing the Yield and Nutritive Value of Forage and Biomass Crops)
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17 pages, 322 KiB  
Article
Performance and Economic Evaluation of Low-Lignin Alfalfa ‘Hi-Gest® 360’ in Saskatchewan Canada
by Daalkhaijav Damiran, Kathy Larson, Bill Biligetu, Jourdyn Sammons and Herbert Lardner
Agronomy 2022, 12(12), 3077; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy12123077 - 05 Dec 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1075
Abstract
A three-year (2018–2020) study was conducted in Lanigan (Thin Black soil zone) and Saskatoon (Dark Brown soil zone), SK Canada to compare low-lignin alfalfa (Medicago sativa) cv. Hi-Gest® 360 (HiGest) with alfalfa- cv. AC Grazeland (Grazeland) in monoculture and binary [...] Read more.
A three-year (2018–2020) study was conducted in Lanigan (Thin Black soil zone) and Saskatoon (Dark Brown soil zone), SK Canada to compare low-lignin alfalfa (Medicago sativa) cv. Hi-Gest® 360 (HiGest) with alfalfa- cv. AC Grazeland (Grazeland) in monoculture and binary mixtures with hybrid bromegrass (HBG; cv. AC Success) for forage yield, nutrient profile, and establishment costs. Field plots were seeded in August 2017. Stands were harvested at three maturity stages of alfalfa (1 = 10% bloom; 2 = 40% bloom; and 3 = 100% bloom). Compared to Grazeland, HiGest alfalfa yielded 25% less in Saskatoon in monoculture, but no difference was found in Lanigan. Averaged across two sites, HiGest had 8.6% less acid detergent lignin (6.51 vs. 5.95%) and 10.3% greater in vitro neutral detergent fiber digestibility (42.7 vs. 38.7% of neutral detergent fiber). In the binary mixtures, however, differences in yield and quality between the two alfalfas were negligible. The stand establishment costs averaged 300 Canadian dollar (CAD) ha−1, 205 CAD ha−1, 260 CAD ha−1, and 303 CAD ha−1 for HiGest, Grazeland, Grazeland-HBG, and HiGest-HBG, respectively. Hi-Gest® 360 alfalfa could provide higher digestible nutrients when it was used as a monoculture and could maintain quality better into later maturing stages. However, the higher seed price, and no actual advantage in mixtures may delay its adoption. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Managing the Yield and Nutritive Value of Forage and Biomass Crops)
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