Double-Cropping Systems Based on Maize, Sorghum, and Alfalfa: Impact of Annual Combination on Biomass and Nutritional Yield
Forage crops can be grown in mixed species cultivation to provide productivity and nutritional benefits. In a three-round field test, two double-cropping systems (DCSs) based on maize and sorghum as the summer forage crop and alfalfa as the preceding winter forage crop were compared. There were comp...
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2024-12-01
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| author | Zhongya Ji Yu Shi Liqiu Jiang Xiaoshan Wang Guanglong Zhu Guisheng Zhou |
| author_facet | Zhongya Ji Yu Shi Liqiu Jiang Xiaoshan Wang Guanglong Zhu Guisheng Zhou |
| author_sort | Zhongya Ji |
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| description | Forage crops can be grown in mixed species cultivation to provide productivity and nutritional benefits. In a three-round field test, two double-cropping systems (DCSs) based on maize and sorghum as the summer forage crop and alfalfa as the preceding winter forage crop were compared. There were comparisons of harvesting and growing time, nutritive value, as well as biomass and nutritional yields. The superiority of the M–A (alfalfa following a preceding crop of maize) was identified as compared with the S–A (alfalfa following a preceding crop of sorghum). Within the M–A, the maize Dongdan 60 (M1)–alfalfa WL525 (A) combination under the late sowing condition (D3) achieved the highest annual biomass production (fresh weight and dry weight). The maize/alfalfa combination achieved significantly higher nutritional yields compared to those of the sorghum/alfalfa combination. The highest yield of crude protein was obtained in the late sowing (D3) condition for the maize Dongdan 60 (M1)–alfalfa WL525 (A) combination. The highest yield of starch was obtained in the earliest sowing date (D1) in the maize Dongdan 60 (M1)–alfalfa WL525 (A) combination. The highest yield of crude fat was obtained in the latest sowing date (D3) in the maize Dongdan 1331 (M2)–alfalfa WL525 (A) combination. The study indicated that the winter alfalfa and maize DCS could be a promising strategy to achieve high biomass and nutritional productivity. |
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| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-12-01 |
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| spelling | doaj-art-b44e10aa24d24a6692c3f28da5af57f12025-01-24T13:16:39ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952024-12-011518310.3390/agronomy15010083Double-Cropping Systems Based on Maize, Sorghum, and Alfalfa: Impact of Annual Combination on Biomass and Nutritional YieldZhongya Ji0Yu Shi1Liqiu Jiang2Xiaoshan Wang3Guanglong Zhu4Guisheng Zhou5Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, ChinaJiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, ChinaJiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Cultivation and Physiology, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, ChinaForage crops can be grown in mixed species cultivation to provide productivity and nutritional benefits. In a three-round field test, two double-cropping systems (DCSs) based on maize and sorghum as the summer forage crop and alfalfa as the preceding winter forage crop were compared. There were comparisons of harvesting and growing time, nutritive value, as well as biomass and nutritional yields. The superiority of the M–A (alfalfa following a preceding crop of maize) was identified as compared with the S–A (alfalfa following a preceding crop of sorghum). Within the M–A, the maize Dongdan 60 (M1)–alfalfa WL525 (A) combination under the late sowing condition (D3) achieved the highest annual biomass production (fresh weight and dry weight). The maize/alfalfa combination achieved significantly higher nutritional yields compared to those of the sorghum/alfalfa combination. The highest yield of crude protein was obtained in the late sowing (D3) condition for the maize Dongdan 60 (M1)–alfalfa WL525 (A) combination. The highest yield of starch was obtained in the earliest sowing date (D1) in the maize Dongdan 60 (M1)–alfalfa WL525 (A) combination. The highest yield of crude fat was obtained in the latest sowing date (D3) in the maize Dongdan 1331 (M2)–alfalfa WL525 (A) combination. The study indicated that the winter alfalfa and maize DCS could be a promising strategy to achieve high biomass and nutritional productivity.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/1/83crop rotationsuccession cropsnutritive valueproductivity |
| spellingShingle | Zhongya Ji Yu Shi Liqiu Jiang Xiaoshan Wang Guanglong Zhu Guisheng Zhou Double-Cropping Systems Based on Maize, Sorghum, and Alfalfa: Impact of Annual Combination on Biomass and Nutritional Yield Agronomy crop rotation succession crops nutritive value productivity |
| title | Double-Cropping Systems Based on Maize, Sorghum, and Alfalfa: Impact of Annual Combination on Biomass and Nutritional Yield |
| title_full | Double-Cropping Systems Based on Maize, Sorghum, and Alfalfa: Impact of Annual Combination on Biomass and Nutritional Yield |
| title_fullStr | Double-Cropping Systems Based on Maize, Sorghum, and Alfalfa: Impact of Annual Combination on Biomass and Nutritional Yield |
| title_full_unstemmed | Double-Cropping Systems Based on Maize, Sorghum, and Alfalfa: Impact of Annual Combination on Biomass and Nutritional Yield |
| title_short | Double-Cropping Systems Based on Maize, Sorghum, and Alfalfa: Impact of Annual Combination on Biomass and Nutritional Yield |
| title_sort | double cropping systems based on maize sorghum and alfalfa impact of annual combination on biomass and nutritional yield |
| topic | crop rotation succession crops nutritive value productivity |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/1/83 |
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