The response of alfalfa regrowth, yield and plant populations to halosulfuron applied following cuttings and irrigations in the summer and fall of 1999 was studied in an experiment conducted at the University of Arizona Maricopa Agricultural Center. A single application of halosulfuron applied when there was little alfalfa foliage slightly reduced plant heights for several cutting cycles with increasing rate decreasing plant height. The cumulative forage fresh weight yields for the October 4th, November 15th, and February 22nd harvests for treatments receiving no halosulfuron or 0.032, 0.047, or 0.063 lb a.i./A were (means ± std. dev.): 15.94 ± 0.91, 14.99 ± 0.66, 14.80 ± 1.74, and 14.46 ± 0.97 tons/A, respectively. The trend of decreasing cumulative forage fresh weight with increasing halosulfuron rate was significant (Adj. R2 = 0.178, P = 0.015) indicating that for the three harvests after August 25th, halosulfuron had a small but negative effect on forage fresh weight. The harvest on April 5, 2000, the fourth harvest following the halosulfuron applications on August 25, 1999, indicated that there was no longer any residual effect of halosulfuron on alfalfa growth. Plant populations measured on April 10, 2000 were not affected by either one or two halosulfuron applications in this experiment. A set of sequential halosulfuron treatments applied when there was substantial alfalfa foliage (about 80% of the ground surface covered) severely suppressed alfalfa regrowth. Little regrowth occurred in these plots in October or November after the sequential applications compared to the untreated control or to the plots that received only the initial application of halosulfuron. The change in mean percent yield loss with successive harvests on November 15th, February 22nd and April 5th of 85, 40 and 14% indicated that the alfalfa plants were recovering from the halosulfuron applications. The cumulative forage fresh weight yields for treatments receiving sequential halosulfuron treatments (0.032+0.032, 0.047+0.047, or 0.063+0.063 lb a.i./A) were (means ± std. dev.): 11.67 ± 1.46, 10.85 ± 1.06, and 10.44 ± 0.98 tons/A, respectively, and were much less than the cumulative yield of 18.97 ± 1.17 tons/A from the untreated plots. The data suggest that the critical factor in determining the degree of alfalfa injury caused by halosulfuron is the amount of foliage present at the time of application.

Alfalfa producers in the Colorado River region of La Paz County have experienced some shifting trends in markets and production over the last 15 years. Acreage has increased steadily from a low of 25,000 acres in the early 1980's to a high of nearly 50,000 acres in 1999. Average annual alfalfa hay yields in La Paz County have maintained a fairly flat trend ranging from 7.5 to 8.5 tons per acre during this time. Low annual hay yields often resulted from extended cutting schedules and minimal inputs in years of below average hay prices. Alfalfa hay prices were severely depressed during the summer of 1986, from summer of 1991 through winter of 1992, during the summer of 1995, and from winter through summer of 1999. In contrast, La Paz County alfalfa hay producers experienced the strongest markets during the winters of 1989, 1990, 1994, 1997, and 1998. Annual hay tonnage per acre was also high during these years and acreage increases were observed the following spring planting.

Five studies were conducted to determine the effect of inoculating (Pioneer Sila-Bac 11H50RTM) on the silage quality and the feeding value of high DM (55.3 %) alfalfa silage. The inoculant contained multi strains of Lactobacillus plantarum developed by Pioneer Hi-Bred Inc. In the first study, the effects of inoculation on ensiling characteristics of alfalfa were determined in a completely randomized design using 30 mini-silos. In the 2nd study, 9 containers were used in a completely randomized design to determine the effect of inoculation on the aerobic stability of alfalfa silage. In the 3d study, 2 ruminally fistulated cows were used in a randomized complete block design to determine the effects of inoculation on ruminal degradation of alfalfa silage. In the 4th study, 4 ruminally fistulated cows were used in a switch back experiment to determine the effects of feeding inoculated alfalfa on total tract nutrient utilization. In the last study, 27 Holstein cows in early lactation were used in a randomized complete block design to determine the effects of feeding inoculated alfalfa on intake, milk yield, and milk composition.

Lucerne is a deep-rooted perennial pasture that is promoted to land managers in southern Australia to mitigate the effects of dryland salinity, a problem of national significance caused by the replacement of native trees and shrubs with annual crops and pastures. In recent years, the acceptance of climate change has provided further rationale for increasing the use of perennial legumes in our farming systems. Perennial legumes have a role in offsetting C02 emissions by sequestering C and N in soil, and provide new, resilient options for future farming in a warmer and more variable climate. This research has focused on evaluating the diverse range of germplasm found in lucerne (Medicago sativa spp.) for a range of attributes in order to determine its compatibility with existing and future farming systems in southern Australia. Regional field evaluation at 8 sites in southern Australia showed that lucerne is a broadly adapted and robust plant. After 3 years, plant density ranged from 2-55 plants / m2 with differences in persistence attributed to tolerance to a combination of stresses including soil acidity, saline and sodic subsoils, drought conditions and persistent heavy grazing. Highly winter-active lucerne (class 9-10) was confirmed to be the most suitable group for short phase rotations in southern Australia, providing grazing is well managed. This germplasm was less persistent than other winter activity groups, but produces more total herbage yield in environments with winter dominant rainfall patterns. Highly winter-active lucerne has poor persistence under continuous grazing, but this may aid in its removal when used in rotation with crops. Winteractive germplasm (class 6-8) was more grazing tolerant and persistent, making it the most suitable group for longer phase rotations (>4 years), or where more flexible grazing management practices are required (i.e. 35 days grazing followed by 35 days recovery). Individual grazing tolerant plants from this group were selected and randomly inter-mated to form new breeder’s lines in the development of a grazing tolerant cultivar. For the first time, the high water-use of a farming system involving wheat overcropped into lucerne is presented. Lucerne over-cropped with wheat used an additional 43-88 mm of water in comparison to continuous wheat at Roseworthy and Katanning respectively. Over-cropping reduced wheat yield by 13-63%, but it can be more efficient in terms of land area to grow lucerne and wheat as a mixture than on separate parcels of land. Very winter-dormant lucerne (class 1-2) appears to be less competitive with winter cereal crops during wheat establishment. It may also be possible to reduce lucerne’s competition with wheat at the critical stage of anthesis, with low spring yielding lucerne varieties identified in this research (SA37908). This group of plants provides excellent potential for the development of high water-use farming systems because they are grazing tolerant and persistent, and have summer forage production and sub-soil water extraction rates that are equivalent to winter active lucerne. The research has been used to identify the perfect ideotype for lucerne in phase farming and over-cropping systems, which can be used to set targets in future breeding programs. The research also highlights current opportunities for the integration of lucerne into southern Australian farming systems to help curb the spread of dryland salinity and reduce the impact of climate change. / http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1344608 / Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Adelaide, School of Agriculture, Food and Wine, 2008

Plant nutrient management plays a vital role in the success or failure of modern Lucerne production. In South Africa, Lucerne is produced under a wide range of climatic conditions, under dryland and irrigation and in some areas throughout the year. This means that there is a continuous demand for nutrients under a wide range of environmental conditions. The most important factors affecting the nutrient requirement of Lucerne is yield, the cutting schedule, climate and management practices. To enable site-specific crop requirements, the spatial variation of soil and plant properties within a field can be managed with the use of geostatistical techniques. Some work has also been done to evaluate the use of geostatistics in the design of agricultural field experiments to provide better field characterization and improve plot layout. The aim of this study was to compare plant yield and composition with soil properties using both classical and geostatistical techniques. The study was conducted from June 2001 to February 2002 on an 18ha Lucerne stand in the Brits district in the North West Province. A rectangular area of 160m X140m was demarcated as the study area and comprised of two soil units (Hutton and Shortlands forms). Seventy-two sampling points (nodes) were laid out on a 20m square grid, with an additional 90 sampling points laid out on a 2.5m square grid at six randomly selected node points. Soil (0-300 mm) and plant samples were taken within a 0.6m square at each of the sampling points for chemical analysis. Starting in June 2001, yield sampling was done on six occasions, at approximate intervals of 5 weeks. A randomized complete block design trail layout was superimposed on the geostatistical grid design and consisted of seven pseudo treatments, replicated four times. Basic statistical analysis were performed and spatial presentations of the variation of the plant and soil properties and Lucerne yield were made using geostatistical analyses. Analyses of variance were used to test for differences between pseudo treatments for all plant and soil properties. The two soils on the stud site, exhibited differences in certain properties, which caused a bi-modal population in the data. Poor correlations were found between plant nutrient uptake and soil properties as well as yield, with little or no resemblance when comparing their spatial distribution. This emphasizes the fact that the uptake of elements is not solely dependant on the concentrations thereof in the soil solution, but on other factors. Temporal variations in Lucerne yield were also observed. Although there were large differences in spatial variation of Lucerne yields across harvesting events, similar spatial patterns were evident. From an analysis of variance of the RCB design it was concluded that the experimental field was homogeneous enough to lay out a standard block design experiment. However, scrutiny of the structure of spatial variability of pH(H2O) revealed that the standard RCB designs did not provide homogeneous blocks with respect to soil variability. The consequent redesign of the experiment whereby all plots were randomly allocated to treatments and replications, led to dramatically different results: significant differences were obtained for plant and soil properties as a function of the pseudo treatments. From this study it is clear that spatial variability of soil and plant properties can jeopardize the results of a standard block design field experiment and it is therefore recommended that the layout of field experiments should be designed to the cognizance of the spatial variation of a soil property that correlated highly with a chosen response variate. / Dissertation (MSc (Soil Science))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Plant Production and Soil Science / unrestricted

No description available.

4 pp. / The alfalfa aphid discussed in this publication includes blue alfalfa aphid, pea aphid, and the spotted alfalfa aphid. This publication discusses the biology of these alfalfa aphids, the damages they cause, the resistant varieties and biological control, and their monitoring and treatments.

Bibliography: leaves 196-210 / xi, 256, [85] leaves : (ill. (some col.) ; 31 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Entomology, Waite Agricultural Research Institute, 1985

Virginia is a natural laboratory for studying overwintering habits of the alfalfa weevi1. At higher elevations, winters are relatively harsh and weevil pressure on the alfalfa crop is usually light. Much heavier pressure is the rule at lower elevations where winters are milder. The goal of this study was to examine the effects of fall and winter temperatures, parasites, and fall regrowth management on population dynamics of overwintering stages of this insect. Sixteen commercial alfalfa fields in Montgomery Co. (elevation 610 m) and Bedford Co. (elevation 300 m) were used in the study. Approximately half the fields each year were either harvested or grazed to remove fall regrowth. In the other fields, fall regrowth was left standing through the winter. Six different pitfall trap designs were compared for collection efficiency, installation and servicing effort, and cost. Barrier traps outperformed the other trap designs and were inexpensive and easy to install and service. Sweepnet samples were used to monitor weevil adults during their fall migration. A newly designed sampling device which removes all plant material, litter, and approximately 2 cm of soil from a 1/20 m² area, was used to measure absolute densities during fall and winter. Based on these absolute density samples fewer adults overwintered within fields in which fall regrowth was removed. Dissections revealed the presence of three parasites: Hyalomyodes trianqulifer (Loew), Microctonus aetheopoides Loan, and M. colesi Drea. Total parasitization rates were low. The highest measured rate was 16.1% in Bedford Co. in 1984-85. Female reproductive development also was determined through dissection. Females reach sexual maturity shortly after returning to alfalfa fields in the fall. Most contain full-size eggs in their oviducts from late fall through the winter. Egg densities as measured by laboratory incubation of field collected plant material indicated no differences related to elevation in early February, but significantly more viable eggs were present by late March at the low elevation site. In 1984, Bedford Co. samples indicated significantly more eggs in fields receiving no fall regrowth management. A simulation model called OAWSIM (Overwintering Alfalfa Weevil Simulation) was developed to examine the influence of factors which affect overwintering life stages. Model predictions indicate fall and winter temperatures, and fall regrowth management are major influences on the population dynamics of this insect. / Ph. D.

LD2668 .T4 1941 K61 / Master of Science