The Benefit of Legumes in a Pasture

Michael D. PeelUSDA-ARS Forage and Range Research Lab.

Pasture WorkshopMay 13, 2005

Introduction

• Develop legumes primarily for range– Spreading & falcata (yellow flowered) alfalfa

Broad deep spreading crowns less likely to suffer injury during grazing traffic

Broad spreading crown

Rhizome spread as Rhizome spread as viewed by a wormviewed by a worm

Ideal plant type

Introduction• Develop legumes primarily for range

– Spreading & falcata (yellow flowered) alfalfa– Sainfoin– Cicer Milkvetch– Utah Sweetvetch– Globemallow– Small Burnet

• Legumes for irrigated pastures– Birdsfoot Trefoil– Kura Clover

Legume/Grass Study Nearing Completion• Utilizes a line-source irrigation system

1 2 3 4 55 4 3 2 1

Purpose of study

• Test multiple types of alfalfa, birdsfoot trefoil, and grasses in monocultures and in mixtures.

• Do they perform differently at high irrigation down to no irrigation.

Materials tested

• Alfalfa– Ladak– Spreader III– Amerigraze– P53V08– Diploid falcata

• Empire Birdsfoot Trefoil• Grasses

– Cache Meadowbrome– Martin Tallfescue– Perennial Ryegrass

Management• Fertility

– Sufficient P205 applied to supply legumes

– 20lbs/A nitrogen: establishment, fall & after harv. 1

• Average harvest dates: May 19th, June 25th, July 29th, Sept. 5th.

• Irrigation– WL1 23.6”– WL2 15.2”– WL3 13.2”– WL4 9.3”– WL5 4.8”

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

WL1 WL2 WL3 WL4 WL5

Water Level

Pro

duct

ion

(T/A

)`Meadow Brome

Tall Fescue

Perennial RG

Forage Production of meadow brome, tall fescue and perennial ryegrass, 2003-2004.

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

Harv.1 Harv.2 Harv.3 Harv.4

Harvest

Yie

ld (

T/A

) `

Meadow Brome

Tall Fescue

Perennial RG

Seasonal production of meadow brome, tall fescue and perennial RG, 2003-2004.

Forage production of alfalfa and birdsfoot trefoil at five levels of irrigation, 2003-2004.

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

WL1 WL2 WL3 WL4 WL5

Water Level

Pro

duct

ion (

T/A

) `

Alfalfa

Birdsfoot Trefoil

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

Harv.1 Harv.2 Harv.3 Harv.4

Harvest

Yie

ld (

t/A)

`Alfalfa

Birdsfoot Trefoil

Seasonal production of birdsfoot trefoil and alfalfa at water level one, 2003-2004.

Forage production of alfalfa, tall fescue and an alfalfa-tall fescue mixture, 2003-2004.

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

WL1 WL2 WL3 WL4 WL5

Water Level

Pro

duct

ion

(t/A

) `

Alfalfa

Tall Fescue

Alf/TF

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

Harv.1 Harv.2 Harv.3 Harv.4

Harvest Date

Yie

ld (

t/A)

`

Alfalfa

Tall Fescue

Alf/TF

Seasonal production of alfalfa, tall fescue and an alfalfa-tall fescue mixture, 2003-2004.

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

5

WL1 WL2 WL3 WL4 WL5

Water Level

Pro

duct

ion

(T/A

) `

Alfalfa

Meadow Brome

Alf/MB

Forage production of alfalfa, meadow brome and an alfalfa-meadow brome mixture, 2003-2004.

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

1.8

2

Harv.1 Harv.2 Harv.3 Harv.4

Harvest

Yie

ld (

T/A

) `

Alfalfa

Meadow Brome

Alf/MB

Seasonal production of alfalfa, meadow brome and an alfalfa-meadow brome mixture, 2003-2004.

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

WL1 WL2 WL3 WL4 WL5

Water Level

Pro

duct

ion

(T/A

) `

Diploid falcata

MB&TF

DF/TF&MB

Forage production of diploid falcata alfalfa, the average of tall fescue/meadow brome and the mean of the two falcata-grass mixtures, 2003-2004.

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

Harv.1 Harv.2 Harv.3 Harv.4

Harvest Date

Yie

ld (

Mg/

ha)

`Diploid falcata

MB&TF

DF/TF&MB

Seasonal production of diploid falcata alfalfa, the average of tall fescue/meadow brome and the mean of the two falcata-grass mixtures, 2003-2004.

Meadow brome/LadakMeadow brome/Ladak

Meadow brome/Diploid Meadow brome/Diploid falcatafalcataMeadow brome/Diploid Meadow brome/Diploid falcatafalcata

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

WL1 WL2 WL3 WL4 WL5

Water Level

Pro

duct

ion

(T/A

) `

Birdsfoot Trefoil

Meadow Brome

BFTF/MB

Forage production of birdsfoot trefoil, meadow brome and a birdsfoot trefoil-meadow brome mixture, 2003-2004.

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

1.6

Harv.1 Harv.2 Harv.3 Harv.4

Harvest

Yie

ld (

T/A

) `

Birdsfoot Trefoil

Meadow Brome

BFTF/MB

Seasonal production of birdsfoot trefoil, meadow brome and a birdsfoot trefoil-meadow brome mixture, 2003-2004.

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

4

4.5

WL1 WL2 WL3 WL4 WL5

Water Level

Pro

duct

ion

(T/A

) `

Birdsfoot Trefoil

Tall Fescue

BFTF/TF

Forage production of birdsfoot trefoil, tall fescue and a birdsfoot trefoil-tall fescue mixture, 2003-2004.

0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1

1.2

1.4

Harv.1 Harv.2 Harv.3 Harv.4

Harvest

Yie

ld (

T/A

) `

Birdsfoot Trefoil

Tall Fescue

BFTF/TF

Seasonal production of birdsfoot trefoil, tall fescue and a birdsfoot trefoil-tall fescue mixture, 2003-2004.

Summary

• The grass/alfalfa mixtures averaged 63 % higher production than the grass monocultures

• The grass/falcata mixtures averaged 47 % higher production than the grass monocultures

• The grass/trefoil mixtures averaged 33% higher production than the grass monocultures

– The largest benefit realized under irrigation

• I wouldn’t use perennial ryegrass

• The production distribution of trefoil vs alfalfa should be considered

Questions?Questions?