Agronomic Yield, Digestibility, and Protein Content of Nine Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) Varieties in Central Valley Oaxaca Mexico

G. Álvarez Fuentes *

Instituto de Investigación de Zonas Desérticas, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí. Altair 200, Col del Llano, San Luis Potosí, S.L.P. 78377, México.

J. C. García López

Instituto de Investigación de Zonas Desérticas, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí. Altair 200, Col del Llano, San Luis Potosí, S.L.P. 78377, México.

J. A. Rendón Huerta

Coordinación Académica Región Altiplano Oeste, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí. Carretera Salinas-Santo Domingo # 200, Salinas de Hidalgo, S.L.P. 78600, México.

H. A. Lee Rangel

Facultad de Agronomía y Veterinaria, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, Carr. San Luis - Matehuala Km. 14.5, Ejido Palma de la Cruz, México. Soledad de Graciano Sánchez, S.L.P. 78321, México.

L. O. Negrete Sánchez

Instituto de Investigación de Zonas Desérticas, Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí. Altair 200, Col del Llano, San Luis Potosí, S.L.P. 78377, México.

R. López Ortiz

Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidad Autónoma Chapingo, Km. 38.5 Carr. México-Texcoco S/N San Diego, 56230 Texcoco de Mora, Estado de México.

*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.


Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the yield, digestibility, and protein content of nine varieties of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). The varieties of alfalfa were compared during a complete production cycle. A completely randomized design was used taking into account the season of the year as a block and the varieties as treatment, a Tukey test was used to evaluate differences between treatments. The highest dry matter (DM) production was in the summer, with Atlixco variety being the highest yield (1953.3 kg DM cut-1), the ratio leaf:stalk (L:S) was highest during the winter, with no differences (p>0.05) between varieties. The varieties with highest protein content (PC) was Caliverde and Valenciana (22.9 % PC) during the winter (p<0.05). The highest digestibility was in the summer and there were no differences between varieties. The higher amount of digestible dry matter (DDM) and PC were produced by Valenciana (1586.7 kg DDM cut-1 and 446.7 kg PC cut-1), UC-Cibola (1557.0 kg DDM cut-1 and 432.3 kg PC cut-1) and Atlixco (1549 kg DDM cut-1 and 441.1 kg PC cut-1). The highest dry matter production was during the summer and spring, the three most productive varieties were Valenciana, Atlixco and UC-Cibola, and therefore these are the most suitable varieties for the best quality forage production in the region of study.

Keywords: Alfalfa, yield, digestibility, protein content


How to Cite

Fuentes, G. Álvarez, J. C. García López, J. A. Rendón Huerta, H. A. Lee Rangel, L. O. Negrete Sánchez, and R. López Ortiz. 2024. “Agronomic Yield, Digestibility, and Protein Content of Nine Alfalfa (Medicago Sativa L.) Varieties in Central Valley Oaxaca Mexico”. Journal of Applied Life Sciences International 27 (3):74-82. https://doi.org/10.9734/jalsi/2024/v27i3648.


References

Peoples MB, Hauggaard-Nielsen H, Huguenin-Elie O, Jensen, ES, Justes E, Williams M. The contributions of legumes to reducing the environmental risk of agricultural production. In Agroecosystem diversity. Academic Press. 2019;123–143.

Gallego A, Hospido A, Moreira MT, Feijoo G. Environmental assessment of dehydrated alfalfa production in Spain. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 2011;55(11):1005-1012. Available:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2011.05.010

Wang X, Kristensen T, Mogensen L, Trydeman Knudsen M, Wang X. Greenhouse gas emissions and land use from confinement dairy farms in the Guanzhong plain of China – using a life cycle assessment approach. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2016;42(1):577-586. Available:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.11.099

Wang T, Wen-Hao Z. Priorities for the development of alfalfa pasture in northern China. Fundamental Research. 2023;3:225-228. Available:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fmre.2022.04.017

Yang P, Zhang P, Li B, Hu T. Effect of nodules on dehydration response in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Environmental and Experimental Botany. 2013;86:29-34. Available:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2011.05.012

Pérez BMT, Hernández A, Pérez J, Herrera JG, Bárcena R. Productive response and regrowth dynamics of perennial ryegrass at different cutting heights. Livestock Technique Mexico. 2002;40(3):251-263. Available:https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/613/61340307.pdf

Montes CFJ, Castro RR, Aguilar BG, Sandoval TS, Solís, OMM. Seasonal accumulation of aerial biomass of alfalfa Var. Oaxaca Creole (Medicago sativa L.). Mexican Journal of Livestock Sciences. 2016;7(4):539-552. Available:https://doi.org/10.22319/rmcp.v7i4.4281

Rojas AR, Hernández A, Joaquín S, Maldonado-Peralta M, Mendoza SI, Álvarez-Vázquez P, Joaquín-Torres BM. Productive behavior of five varieties of alfalfa. Mexican Journal of Agricultural Sciences. (2016);7(8):1855-1866. Available:https://cienciasagricolas.inifap.gob.mx/index.php/agricolas/article/view/97/90

Villegas Y, Hernandez A, Perez J, Lopez C, Herrera JG, Enriquez JF, Gomez A. Seasonal growth patterns of two alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) varieties. Livestock Technique in Mexico. 2004;42(2):145-158. Available:https://cienciaspecuarias.inifap.gob.mx/index.php/Pecuarias/article/view/1421/1416

Rivas MA, López C, Hernández A, Pérez J. Effect of three harvesting regimes on the productive behavior of five commercial varieties of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Pecu. Tech. Mex. 2005;43:79-92. Available:https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/613/61343110.pdf

Zaragoza EJ, Hernandez-Garay A, Perez J, Herrera JG, Osnaya F, Martinez P, Gonzalez SS, Quero A. Seasonal growth analysis of an associated alfalfa-grass Ovillo meadow. Livestock Technique Mexico. 2009;47(2):173-1. Available:https://www.redalyc.org/articulo.oa?id=61312116005

Kallenbach RL, Nelson CJ, Coutts JH. Yield, quality, and persistence of grazing‐and hay‐type alfalfa under three harvest frequencies. Agronomy Journal. 2002 Sep;94(5):1094-103.

Fick GW, Holt DA, Lugg DG. Environmental physiology and crop growth. Alfalfa and alfalfa improvement. 1988 Jan 1;29:163-94.

Abbas A, Mubeen M, Sohail MA, Solanki MK, Hussain B, Nosheen S, Kashyap BK, Zhou L, Fang X. Root rot a silent alfalfa killer in China: Distribution, fungal, and oomycete pathogens, impact of climatic factors and its management. Frontiers in Microbiology. 2022 Aug 11;13:961794.

García, E. Modifications to the koppen climate classification system. 4 (ed). National Autonomous University of Mexico. Mexico DF. 2004;217. Available:http://www.publicaciones.igg.unam.mx/index.php/ig/catalog/view/83/82/251-1

Vásquez-Rasgado PS, Rodríguez-Ortiz G. The soils of the central valleys of oaxaca. Mexican Magazine of Agroecosystems. 2018;5(2):156-167. Available:https://revistaremaeitvo.mx/index.php/remae/article/view/170/152

Association of Official Analytical Chemists, Official methods of analysis. 15th (Ed.). Washington, D. C. USA; 1990. Available:https://law.resource.org/pub/us/cfr/ibr/002/aoac.methods.1.1990.pdf

Mehrez AZ, Orskov EE. A study of the artificial fibre bag technique for determining the digestibility of feed in the rumen. J. Agric. Sci. 1977;88(3):645-655. Available:https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021859600037321

Weather Spark. The weather throughout the year anywhere in the world. Climate and average weather throughout the year in Oaxaca; 2018. Available:https://es.weatherspark.com/y/8535/Clima-promedio-en-Oaxaca-M%C3%A9xico-durante-todo-el-a%C3%B1o#Figures-ObservedWeather

SAS, Institute. SAS/STAT® 9.2. Use´s Guide Release. Cary, NC: SAS InstituteIcn. USA. Steel, Robert George Douglas; Torrie, James Hiram; Dickey, David A. Principles and Procedures of Statistics: A Biometrical Approach; 2009. ISBN 13: 9780070610286

Steel RGD, Torrie JH. Principles and procedures of statistics: A biometrical approach. Mc. Graw-Hill. Third Edition. USA. 1996;642.

Villegas AY, Hernández A, Martínez PA, Pérez PJ, Herrera HJG, López CC. Forage yield of alfalfa varieties in two cutting calendars. Rev. Fitotec. Mex. 2006;29:369-372. Available:https://revfitotecnia.mx/index.php/RFM/article/view/809/77017.

Rojas AR, Torres N, Joaquín S, Hernández A, Maldonado MA, Sánchez P. Yield components in Alfalfa varieties (Medicago sativa L.). Agroscience. 2017; 51(7):697-708. Available:https://agrociencia-colpos.org/index.php/agrociencia/article/view/1321/1321

Álvarez-Vázquez P, Hernández-Garay A, Mendoza-Pedroza SI, Rojas-García AR, Wilson-García CY, Alejos-de la Fuente JI. Production of ten varieties of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) after four years of being established. Agroscience. 2018; 52:841-851. Available:https://www.scielo.org.mx/pdf/agro/v52n6/2521-9766-agro-52-06-841-en.pdf

Rojas AR, Torres N, Maldonado MA, Herrera J, Sánchez P, Cruz A, et, al. Forage yield and its components in alfalfa varieties in the highlands of Mexico. Rev Mex Cienc Pecu. 2019;10(1): 239-253. Available:http://dx.doi.org/10.22319/rmcp.v10i1.4631

Urbano D, Dávila C. Evaluation of the yield and chemical composition of eleven varieties of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) under cutting in the high zone of the state of Mérida, Venezuela. Rev. Fac. Agron. (LIGHT). 2003; 20: 97-107. Available:http://ve.scielo.org/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0378-78182003000100010

Hernandez GA, Martinez HPA, Zaragoza EJ, Cowgirl HH, Osnaya GF, Joaquin TBM, Velasco ZME. Characterizing the forage yield of an alfalfa-egg meadow by varying grazing frequency and intensity. Mexican Phytotechnical Journal. 2012;35(3):259-2. Available:https://www.scielo.org.mx/pdf/rfm/v35n3/v35n3a9.pdf

Morales AJ, Jimenez VJL, Velasco VVA, Villegas AY, Enriquez VJR, Hernandez GA. Evaluation of 14 alfalfa varieties with fertiriego in the mixteca of Oaxaca. Livestock Technique in Mexico. 2006;44(3). Available:https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/613/61344301.pdf

Murphy-Bokern D, Stoddard FL, Watson CA. Legumes in cropping systems. CABI. Developing legume Cropping: Looking Forward. 2017;224. Available:https://www.cabidigitallibrary.org/doi/pdf/10.1079/9781780644981.0000

Sanchez-Gutierrez RA., Servin M, Gutierrez H, Serna A. Efficiency in water use of alfalfa varieties (Medicago sativa L.) with subsurface irrigation system. Rev Mex Pec Sci 2017;8(4):429-435 Available:http://dx.doi.org/10.22319/rmcp.v8i4.4255

Chocarro C, Lledó M, Fanlo R, Lloveras J. Effect of winter grazing on the protein contents of alfalfa spring regrowth. In: Delgado I. (ed.), Lloveras J. (ed.). Quality in lucerne and medics for animal production. Zaragoza: CIHEAM. 2001;253-255. Available:https://om.ciheam.org/om/pdf/a45/01600094.pdf

Chen JS, Tang FL, Zhu RF, Gao C, Di GL, Zhang YX. Effects of cutting frequency on alfalfa yield and yield components in Songnen Plain, Northeast China. Afr. J. Biotechnol. 2012;11:4782-4790. Available:https://doi.org/10.5897/AJB12.092

Zang T, Kang J, Gou W, Zhao Z, Xu Y, Yan X, Yang Q. Yield evaluation of twenty-eight alfalfa cultivars in Hebei Province of China. Journal of Integrative Agriculture. 2014;13(10):2260-2267. Available:https://doi.org/10.1016/S2095-3119(13)60576-6

Rafińska K, Pomastowski P, Wrona O, Górecki R, Buszewski B. Medicago sativa as a source of secondary metabolites for agriculture and pharmaceutical industry. Phytochemistry Letters. 2017 Jun 1;20:520-39. Available:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phytol.2016.12.006

Babiker SA, Khair MA, Tahir IS, Elhag F. Forage quality variations among some Sudan pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br] collection. Annual Research & Review in Biology. 2014 Oct 14;5(4):293-8. Available:http://www.sciencedomain.org/abstract.php?iid=239&id=9&aid=1471