Funded by the Municipal District of Greenview
Objective
Perennial forages seeded as straight grasses and legumes or in mixtures make a valuable contribution as feed for the beef cattle industry in Alberta. Over time, these perennial forage stands can decline because of the invasion of unpalatable and less productive species. Long-term studies on the persistence of perennial forage stands under Peace Region conditions are scarce. This trial seeks to monitor the longevity and forage yield of perennial forage stands set up as straight legumes or grasses or as mixtures over two production years.
Methods
The project was conducted at Mark Pellerin’s farm in DeBolt, AB. A total of 20 perennial straight grass varieties and 20 legume varieties, along with 15 commercial mixes (see Table 2), were seeded using a completely randomized block design with four replications. The small plots measured 8 m x 1.14 m and were planted on May 31, 2021.
Seeding was carried out using a 6-row Fabro Plot Drill equipped with disc-type openers on 23 cm (9") row spacing complete with side banding at a seeding depth of 0.5 - 1.0".
Plots were harvested for forage dry matter (DM) on July 12, 2022. For the second year, forage clippings were collected on July 18, 2023, to determine forage DM. The harvested biomass was weighed and a sub-sample was air-dried to assess forage dry matter. The dried forage samples were then submitted for various quality analyses.
In Field Observations
Higher precipitation and growing degree days (GDD) were experienced for 2023 compared to 2022, suggesting more favourable weather conditions for crop growth with notably sufficient warmth and precipitation patterns (Table 1).
Table 1: Weather data (April 1st - July 30th) taken from the nearest weather station
Parameter | 2022 | 2023 |
Precipitation (inches) | 7.1 | 12.5 |
Growing degree days (GDD) | 754 | 1029 |
Table 2: List of grass and legume species, varieties, and mixtures screened
Grass species/varieties | Legume species/varieties | Mixtures |
Rocky Mountain Fescue Cache Meadow Brome Meryn Festulolium Fleet Meadow Brome Timothy Tryguve Peak bromegrass Cowgirl Tall Fescue Savoury Tall Fescue Admiral Meadow Brome Comtail Timothy Hktor Festulolium SPG MBA Meadow Brome AC Saltlander GWG Palaton Reed Canary grass Greenleaf Pubescent Kirk CWG Richmond Timothy Fojtan Festelolium Milkway Tall Fescue AC Knowles Bromegrass Sucession Hybird Bromegrass Killerney Orchardgrass Blizzard Orchardgrass | 55Q27 Alfalfa Boost HG Alfalfa Peace Alfalfa PV Ultima Alfalfa Rugged Alfalfa Alfalfa Dalton B Beaver Alfalfa Halo Alfalfa AC Grazeland alfalfa Spredor 5 Alfalfa 54VQ52 Alfalfa AC YH Alfalfa Trueman Alfalfa Assalt Alfalfa Anik Alfalfa Algonquin Alfalfa Bull Birdsfoot Trefoil Veldt Cicer milkvetch AC Mountainview Sainfoin Glenview Sainfoin
| Cattlemans Forage Mixture Dry Forage Mixture Horsemans Forage Mixture Haygraze Forage Mixture Legumaster Mix Grass/Legume mix 33.3% each Grass Mix 20% each Legume Mix 20 % each Extreme Legume Mix Pasture Mix Golden Acres Saline Master Mix Bloat Free Legume Mix Same row mix (50 %) 40:60 Mix HayMix #1 Golden Acres
|
Results
Legumes
Results obtained for forage DM yields between legume species/varieties and over the two years (2022 and 2023) are shown in Figure 1. Forage DM yield varied significantly (p < 0.001) between legume species/varieties and also between years but there was a non-significant species/varieties x year interaction. With a non-significant interaction between species/varieties x year, yields across the two years can be averaged to understand better how each species/variety fared. As shown in Figure 1, all Alfalfa varieties out-yielded the other legumes (Birdsfoot Trefoil, Sainfoin and Cicer Milkvetch) species with the latter yielding the lowest (2580 lbs/ac) forage DM yield. Trueman Alfalfa, Rugged Alfalfa and AC Yellowhead Alfalfa varieties were the highest yielding Alfalfa varieties yielding over 7000 lbs/ac forage DM averaged over the two years. Yields in 2023 were consistently higher than in 2022 for almost all the species/varieties investigated here.
Grasses
Results obtained for forage DM yields between grass species/varieties and over the two years (2022 and 2023) are shown in Figure 2. Forage DM yield varied significantly between grass species/varieties and years with a significant species/varieties x year interaction. Unlike legumes above, significantly higher yields were obtained in 2022 compared to 2023 for most grass species/varieties. In 2022, the following grass varieties were the highest forage DM yielders: MBA Meadow Brome (5999 lbs/ac), AC Knowles Bromegrass (5635 lbs/ac) and Peak Bromegrass (4527 lbs/ac). In 2023, forage DM yields were all below the 3000 lbs/ac with AC Saltlander Green Wheat Grass (2705 lbs/ac), Succession Hybrid Bromegrass (2722 lbs/ac) and Admiral Meadow Bromegrass (2433 lbs/ac) being the highest yielding varieties for 2023.
Mixtures
Results obtained between mixtures and over the two years are shown in Figure 3. Significant differences existed between mixtures and also over the two years. Over the two years, the following mixtures produced consistently high (> 3000 lbs/ac) yields: Legumaster Mix, Haymix #1, and Legume Mix 20% each. A significant treatment x year interaction was obtained implying that mixtures performed differently over the two years but yields in 2022 were generally higher than those in 2023. Conclusion and Implications
This study examines forage dry matter (DM) yields from different perennial legumes, grass and mixtures over two production years (2022 and 2023). Alfalfa varieties consistently out yielded other legumes (Birdsfoot Trefoil, Sainfoin, Cicer Milkvetch) with highest yielding Alfalfa varieties, such as Trueman, Rugged and AC Yellowhead, all exceeding 7000 lbs/acre. Legume yields in 2023 were generally higher than in 2022 but the interaction between species/varieties and year was insignificant. For grasses, significant differences in yields were also observed between species/varieties and between years, with a significant interaction between species and year. Some grass varieties such as MBA Meadow Brome and AC Knowles Bromegrass produced high yields, both above 5000 lbs/acre, but in 2023 yields dropped below 3000 lbs/acre. Significant differences existed between mixture treatments and between years. Mixtures like Legumaster Mix and Haymix #1 yielded consistently above 3000 lbs/acre. Yields were generally higher in 2022 than in 2023, with a significant interaction between treatments and years. Higher temperatures during the critical growth stages possibly exacerbated stress on crops, especially grasses, leading to significantly lower yields compared to 2022. The consistently high yield of multiple Alfalfa species suggests they may be a more reliable forage crop compared to other legumes. The choice of variety (e.g., Trueman, Rugged, AC Yellowhead) can impact yield significantly. This study highlights notable year-to-year differences in yields, indicating that climatic conditions likely played a significant role. Legumes performed better in 2022 while grass species in 2023. We have received additional funding for this trial and will continue monitoring the forage yield and quality for the next 3 years.
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