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Chemical composition dynamics of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) at different

plant growth stages

Conference Paper · June 2012

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Chemical composition dynamics of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) at different
plant growth stages

Vintu V., Stavarache M., Samuil C. and Munteanu I.

University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Aleea M. Sadoveanu, 3,
700490 Iasi, Romania
Corresponding author: vvintu@uaiasi.ro

Abstract
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a valuable forage species because of its high yield and
nutritional value. The production and quality are influenced by the management, soil and
pedoclimatic conditions. An essential factor of alfalfa forage quality is the plant growth stage
at harvesting. Research was conducted in the forest steppe of NE Romania (47°05'–47°10'
N and 27°28'–27°33' E). We recorded the influence of fertilization and plant growth stage
at harvest on production of dry matter (DM) per hectare, the leaves/stems ratio and on com-
ponents of feed quality. The results showed that fertilization influenced positively the DM
production, with variations of the leaves/stems ratio, whereas the plant growth stage at
harvest influenced the feed chemical composition

Keywords: fertilization, plant growth stage, quality, Romania

Introduction
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is one of the most valuable forage plants due to its high
production and feed quality. The quantity-quality relationship is very important and is
influenced by climatic conditions and management. Among the elements of management
of alfalfa cultivation, fertilization and harvest time are two important links that affect its
production level and quality. Mineral or organic fertilization improves the productivity of
alfalfa, especially under soil conditions with low content of nutritive elements (Delgado
et al., 2001; Oliveira et al.; 2004). Stage of development at harvest determines the feed
value. The more the harvest time is delayed, the more the plants’ content in CP decreases
while NDF and ADF increase (Lamb et al., 2003; Tyrolová and Výborná, 2008; Rimi et
al., 2010). The leaves / stems ratio is an important quality indicator and is influenced by
the time of harvest. Leaves contain twice the amount of CP as the stems, which is why it
is desirable to have a high percentage of leaves in the harvest (Lamb et al., 2007; Petkova
and Panayotov, 2007).

Materials and methods

The research was performed in 2011, at the Research Station of the University of Agricul-
tural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Iasi in Romania. The soil is a cambic chernozem,
weakly degraded, characterized by pH of 6.73, clay 40.3 g kg–1, humus 2.32 g kg–1, total
nitrogen 0.164 g kg–1, PAl 18 mg kg–1, KAl 210 mg kg–1. The research followed the influence
of fertilization and harvest phenophase on plants height, the leaves/stems ratio, produc-
tion of dry matter (DM) per hectare and on feed value (CP – Crude Protein, NDF – Neutral
Detergent Fibre, ADF – Acid Detergent Fibre and RFV – Relative Feed Value) in alfalfa at
first cut in the second year of vegetation.
It was bi-factorial, 4×3 type experiment, aligned according to the method of subdivided
parcels, with the harvestable area of a 15 m2 plot (3 m × 5 m), in three replicates. The
studied factors were: A-fertilization with four treatments (a1-unfertilized, a2-N50P50, a3-N75P50

394 Grassland Science in Europe, Vol. 17

and a4-30 Mg ha–1 manure) and B-harvest period with three treatments (b1-early bud, b2-late
bud and b3-full bloom). The manure used had the following composition: 0.445 g kg–1 N,
0.09 g kg–1 P and 0.577 g kg–1 K. The leaves/stems ratio was determined by separating peti-
ole, leaves, buds and flowers from the stem; they were weighed separately and reported as
leaves/stems. The DM was determined by drying in drying oven at 105°C for 3 hours. The
nitrogen content was determined by the Kjeldahl method, NDF and ADF was determined
according to the Van Soest method.

Results and discussion

Fertilization had a positive influence on height of alfalfa plants on DM production for the
whole plant and stems. We found that DM production of leaves was influenced more by the
organic fertilization than by the other three variants of fertilization used. The factor with
the greatest influence on the productivity of lucerne was the time of harvest. During the
advancing of the vegetation period, the production of DM of the whole plant and stems
is constantly increasing. The DM production at leaves increases until the end of budding,
after which it diminishes. The results showed a decrease in the leaves/stems ratio at all
levels of fertilization, especially at the mineral fertilization with N75P50 with delayed harvest
(Table 1). In the field, this aspect is easy to see, the alfalfa plants from the mineral ferti-
lized variants being taller, with longer internodes and larger in diameter but with the same
number of leaves. These issues were highlighted by other authors, too (Lamb et al., 2003,
2007; Tyrolová and Výborná, 2008).

Table 1. Influence of fertilization and harvest phenophase on several productivity indicators of alfalfa
Dry matter produc-
Plant height Leaves/
Experimental plot tion (Mg ha–1)
(cm) stems ratio
Leaves Stems
b1 – early bud (control) 45 1.17 2.04 0.57
a1 – unfertilized b – late bud 66* 1.49* 2.86* 0.52º
(control) 2
b3 – full bloom 81* 1.63* 4.11* 0.40o
b1 – early bud 48* 1.54* 3.01* 0.51º
a2 – N50P50 b2 – late bud 71* 1.87* 4.05* 0.46º
b3 – full bloom 85* 1.69* 4.65* 0.36º
b1 – early bud 52* 1.51* 3.35* 0.45º
a3 – N75P50 b2 – late bud 75* 1.72* 4.64* 0.37º
b3 – full bloom 88* 1.65* 4.92* 0.33º
b – early bud 48* 1.69* 2.70* 0.63*
a4 – 30 Mg ha–1 b1 – late bud 72* 1.88* 4.02* 0.47º
manure 2
b3 – full bloom 84* 1.77* 4.52* 0.39º
LSD0.05 2 0.12 0.33 0.05

The content of crude protein in leaves and stems was not significantly affected by fertiliza-
tion, but was clearly negatively influenced by harvest, particularly in stems, with values
ranging from 17.8 to 11.7 g kg–1 (Table 2). Delayed harvest strongly increased NDF and
ADF in leaves and stems, while the RFV decreased, confirming the results from the litera-
ture (Lamb et al., 2007; Petkova and Panayotov, 2007). This results in a decrease in forage
value of alfalfa. The increased NDF content in leaves from 25.3 g kg–1 to 29.9 g kg–1 and
in stems from 60.0 g kg–1 to 75.9 g kg–1 resulted in a decrease in digestibility and consum-
ability of the forage.

Grassland – a European Resource? 395

 Table 2. Influence of fertilization and harvest phenophase on the quality
Leaves Stems Whole plant
Exp. plot CP NDF ADF CP NDF ADF CP NDF ADF RFV
g kg–1 DM g kg–1 DM g kg–1 DM
b1 32.4 25.3 20.3 17.4 60.0 53.1 24.3 47.5 42.3 110
a1 b2 32.5* 26.9* 21.1* 14.9º 64.9* 55.7* 21.3º 51.2* 44.6* 98º
b3 29.2º 28.1* 21.6* 11.7º 73.4* 60.1* 16.7º 60.9* 48.5* 78º
b1 32.3º 26.3* 21.2* 17.3º 61.1* 53.9* 24.2º 49.6* 44.3* 102º
a2 b2 32.3º 27.3* 21.3* 14.5º 65.4* 56.1* 20.8º 52.9* 46.2* 93º
b3 29.5º 29.3* 22.7* 11.8º 71.9* 58.4* 16.4º 63.1* 51.4* 72º
b1 32.5* 27.8* 22.1* 17.8* 60.5* 52.9º 23.2º 50.9* 45.5* 98º
a3 b2 32.4 28.4* 22.6* 14.6º 64.3* 54.9* 20.7º 54.9* 48.0* 87º
b3 29.6º 29.9* 23.5* 11.7º 74.0* 60.0* 15.9º 65.2* 52.8* 68º
b1 32.6* 26.6* 21.2* 17.2º 61.4* 54.4* 24.5* 48.1* 43.2* 107º
a4 b2 32.2º 27.2* 21.2* 14.6º 65.7* 56.6* 21.9º 51.8* 45.6* 96º
b3 29.4º 29.3* 22.9* 11.8º 75.9* 62.2* 16.8º 64.1* 51.7* 71º
LSD0.05 0.1 0,1 0.2 0.1 2 0.2 0.2 0.1 0.1 1
CP – crude protein; NDF – neutral detergent fibre; ADF – acid detergent fibre; RFV – Relative
Feed Value.

Conclusions
Fertilization and harvest time positively influenced the height of alfalfa plants, the produc-
tion of leaves, stems and whole plant, but negatively influenced the leaves/stems ratio by
a strong production of stems, compared to the leaves, which negatively influence the forage
quality. Delayed harvest has a negative effect on alfalfa forage quality by the decrease of
crude protein content and increase of NDF and ADF, particularly in stems, which resulted
in a decrease of RFV. Under the conditions studied, we recommend alfalfa to be harvested
at the beginning of bud-formation period, regardless the fertilization level, to ensure a good
quality of alfalfa forage.

References
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396 Grassland Science in Europe, Vol. 17

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