The productivity and nutritive value of grass-legume mixtures
1994
Laidna, T. (Estonian Agricultural Univ., Tartu (Estonia). Inst. of Grassland Science and Botany) | Lillak, R. | Loid, H. | Selge, A. | Viiralt, R.
It is one of the main dilemmas in grassland husbandry: which source of nitrogen should be preferred- whether N of fertilizers (growing of grasses) or symbiotically fixed one (legumes sown pure or in a mixture with grasses). The present paper deals with an influence of different leguminous herbage species and cultivars on the production of dry matter and crude protein by grass-legume mixtures and on the chemical composition of dry matter as compared with the grasses sown pure and applied by different annual rates of mineral nitrogen. The paper summarizes the results of 13 experimental years: in 1979...1991 five field trials on Pseudopodzolic soils at Eerika Agronomical Experimental Station were carried out. On soils with a favourable water regime, it is recommended to enlarge the acreage under fodder galega, because it is a protein-rich forage crop, which has a good persistency and a relatively stable seed yield. Galega may be sown both in pure sowing and in mixtures with tall grasses. A complete replacement of bastard and yellow lucerne by fodder galega in Estonia is not justified. Lucerne, as a drought-resistant protein-rich crop, should be cultivated on the Rendzina of North Estonia and islands, and on the calcareous soils of moraine hills in South-East Estonia
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