Abstract:
A field experiment was performed in 2011-2013 in Poland. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of different proportions of alfalfa (Medicago media Pers.) in mixtures with cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerate L.) on the yield and feed value of green fodder, crude protein (CP) content, water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC) and the WSC:CP ratio.The experimental factor was the proportion of alfalfa seeds in the mixture: 30%, 50% and 70%. Pure-sown cocksfoot and pure-sown alfalfa were the control treatments. The results of this study indicate that the proportion of alfalfa in the aboveground biomass of mixtures increased gradually in successive years. In the second and third year of full utilization, alfalfa was the predominant species in the analyzed mixtures, regardless of the proportion of sown seeds. During the growing season, the proportion of alfalfa was lowest in the first regrowth of sward. The tested mixtures were characterized by higher feed value than pure-sown components. Alfalfa as a component of mixtures with cocksfoot contributed to high and stable dry matter and crude protein yields, whereas cocksfoot significantly increased the content of water-soluble carbohydrates and improved the WSC:CP ratio. The mixture containing 70% alfalfa was characterized by the highest yield and the best feed value.