Sweet clover has become increasingly important as a forage and green manure crop. The main objection in recent years to sweet clover is its coumarin content, identified by a sweet odor and bitter taste, making it less desirable to farm animals. When sweet clover hay spoils, the coumarin is converted into dicoumarol which is toxic to animals, especially to ruminants. When ingested this may cause internal and/or external hemorrhages.

While boreal forest habitats have historically been relatively free from invasive plants, there have been recent increases in the diversity and range of invasive plants in Alaska. It is critical that we understand how disturbances influence invasibility in northern boreal forests, to avoid the economic damage other regions have experienced from invasive plants. Black spruce (Picea mariana) is the dominant forest type in interior Alaska, and wildfire is the dominant disturbance in these forests. Furthermore, disturbances in the form of management for fire suppression are common in forests close to urban areas. I surveyed recently burned, managed, and undisturbed black spruce forests for invasive plants to determine if fire and management facilitate invasive plant colonization. I also conducted an experimental seeding trial with three invasive plants common to Alaska (bird vetch (Vicia cracca), common dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), and white sweetclover (Melilotus officinalis) in burned and mature black spruce forest to determine if fire facilitates invasive plant germination. To determine the effect of substrate type on invasive plant germination, I planted seeds on a variety of substrates in the burned forest. Results indicate that fire and fire suppression treatments promote invasive plant colonization, as invasive plants were observed in burned and managed areas, but not in mature stands. Analysis of environmental data taken at survey sites indicate that fire mediates invasibility through its effects on substrate quality. In burned stands, invasive plants are most likely to colonize areas of shallow post-fire organic depth. Results from the seeding trials were consistent with results from invasive plant surveys, with reduced germination in mature compared to burned forest, and no germination on the residual organic layer in the burned forest. The highest germination occurred on mineral soil in burned forest, indicating that severe fires that combust the organic layer are likely to increase invasibility. The results of this study suggest that invasive species control efforts should be prioritized to disturbed forests, particularly areas where the disturbance has exposed mineral soil.

La incorporación de leguminosas en los agroecosistemas ganaderos, presenta una serie de ventajas productivas y ambientales, respecto a los sistemas basados únicamente en gramíneas. El objetivo del trabajo fue analizar el efecto de la incorporación de leguminosas en pasturas puras de agropiro alargado (Thinopyrum ponticum) en la región semiárida. Para ello, se condujeron una serie de experimentos con el objetivo de evaluar específicamente (1) el efecto de la intersiembra con vicia (Vicia villosa) sobre la biomasa forrajera, valor nutricional de la pastura y dinámica de las fracciones orgánicas del suelo en tres ambientes del sudoeste bonaerense (Bahía Blanca, Tornquist y Cabildo), (2) el efecto de la densidad de intersiembra con vicia o trébol de olor blanco (Melilotus albus), sobre los cambios de valor nutricional en función de la composición botánica, y por último, (3) determinar el momento de corte óptimo para la confección de reservas (heno o ensilaje) y estudiar el efecto de la incorporación de grano de cereal en ensilaje de pasturas consociadas. Las mezclas forrajeras se realizaron intersembrando vicia o trébol en otoño de cada año, sobre agropiro implantado. El forraje se cortó manualmente, sobre una superficie de 0,4 m2 y la frecuencia de defoliación estuvo basada en el crecimiento de agropiro. Durante un período de dos años sobre una pastura monofítica de agropiro y una consociación con vicia (20 kg ha-1), se evaluó la biomasa forrajera y su valor nutricional (FDN, FDA, LDA, DIVMS y PB). Durante este ensayo se realizó un fraccionamiento físico del suelo, para separar las diferentes fracciones que componen la materia orgánica hasta la profundidad de 0-20 cm. En otro ensayo, se decidió estudiar el efecto de las densidades de intersiembra, se incluyeron en este caso dos especies de leguminosas (vicia o trébol). Ambas, se intersembraron separadamente a tres densidades diferentes, en función de plantas agropiro:leguminosa (80:20, 70:30 y 60:40). Por su parte, para el estudio de reservas forrajeras, en otro ensayo, se cortó una pastura pura de agropiro en cinco estados fenológicos, desde vegetativo (7/11/2012) hasta grano pastoso (14/02/2013) para la elaboración de heno y ensilaje en cada fecha. Con esta información, en un último ensayo se estudió el efecto de la inclusión de una leguminosa (trébol) y grano de avena en ensilajes de agropiro. Las mezclas de forraje y grano se realizaron en laboratorio combinando tres proporciones de trébol (T0: sin trébol, agropiro puro; T20: 20% trébol y T40: 40% trébol) y dos niveles de grano (G0: sin grano y G1: 30% de grano) en base a la MS. Cuando se intersiembra vicia o trébol sobre agropiro, se registró en todos los sitios un aumento en la producción forrajera anual que fue del 28 a 190%, salvo para la localidad de Cabildo que la producción no cambió (p=0,08). Analizando la producción de agropiro separadamente no se observa una disminución con la inclusión de vicia. Por lo tanto, se entiende que la leguminosa acompañante, explora recursos que el agropiro no hace. En cambio, se encontró que trébol ejerció una competencia con agropiro avanzada la primavera, porque a medida que aumentó la biomasa de trébol disminuyó linealmente la biomasa de agropiro. Comparando la producción forrajera de vicia y trébol, ambas especies mostraron una buena capacidad de compensación en el crecimiento, ya que no mostraron diferencias en el rendimiento a diferentes densidades. En general, la intersiembra con leguminosas aumenta el contenido de PB (entre 1,0 y 1,4% cada 10% de leguminosa en la composición), DIVMS y LDA de la pastura, mientras que disminuyó los contenidos de FDN (1,5% cada 10% de leguminosa) y FDA. Además, se identificó trasferencia de nitrógeno de vicia y trébol hacia agropiro por mayor contenido de PB del agropiro consociado, tanto en primavera como en otoño. La inclusión de vicia incrementó el contenido de Carbono orgánico particulado (COP) grueso (hasta 42%) y fino (hasta 13%) del suelo, sin modificar el contenido de carbono orgánico total. Para Cabildo y Bahía Blanca la inclusión de vicia también generó un aumento (12%) del nitrógeno de la materia orgánica particulada. Respecto a la elaboración de reservas de agropiro, se encontró que el heno mantuvo mejor el valor nutricional que el ensilaje. Aunque, la mayor fuente de variación se relacionó al estado fenológico de la pastura en el momento de corte y no al tipo de reserva elaborada. Para la elaboración de un adecuado ensilaje de agropiro, el período óptimo de corte va desde espiga embuchada a antesis, mientras que para henificación el período óptimo es mayor, desde estado vegetativo hasta antesis. La incorporación de una leguminosa como el trébol y el grano de avena al ensilaje de agropiro generó aumentos en el contenido de PB y disminuciones en FDN, FDA. La adición de grano, mejora la DIVMS en los tratamientos con menor cantidad de trébol (T0 y T20). A medida que aumentó la participación de trébol, los valores de pH se incrementaron progresivamente de 3,78 (T0) a 4 (T40). Sin embargo, la adición de grano generó una disminución de pH. El ensilaje con trébol de olor blanco hasta el 40%, no presentó un problema para la realización de un adecuado ensilaje, resultando la mejor alternativa junto con la incorporación de grano. / The inclusion of legumes in livestock agroecosystems have production and environmental advantages, compared to systems based only on grasses. The objective of this work was to analyze the effect of the inclusion of legumes in pure pastures of tall wheatgrass (Thinopyrum ponticum). A series of experiments were conducted with the objective of evaluating, (1) the effect of interseeding hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) over the forage biomass, nutritional value of pasture and dynamics of soil organic matter fractions in three representative semiarid environments of the Buenos Aires province, Argentina (Bahía Blanca, Tornquist and Cabildo), (2) the effect of the density of interseeding with hairy vetch or white sweetclover (Melilotus albus) over nutritional value depending on the botanical composition, and finally, (3) determining the optimal cutting moment for the preparation of reserves and study the effect of the incorporation of grain in silage of mixture pastures. The forage mixtures were made by interseeding hairy vetch or clover in the autumn of each year, on implanted tall wheatgrass. The forage was cut manually, on a surface of 0,4 m2 and the frequency of defoliation was based on the growth of tall wheatgrass. During a two-year period, on tall wheatgrass monoculture and mixture with hairy vetch (20 kg ha-1), biomass yield and its nutritional value (NDF, ADF, ADL, IVDMD and CP) were evaluated. During this period, soil organic matter fractions were separated by size using a wet-sieving method up to the depth of 0-20 cm. Besides, to study the effect of interseeded densities, another test was realized that included two species of legumes (hairy vetch or white sweetclover). Separately, both legumes were interseeded at three different densities based on the tall wheatgrass:legume plant relationships of 80:20, 70:30 and 60:40. Finally, for the study of reserves, a pure pasture of tall wheatgrass was cut in five phenological stages from vegetative (11/7/2012) to dough-grain (2/14/2013) for the preparation of hay and silage on each date. With this information, in another trial the effect of the inclusion of a legume (clover) and grain of oats in silages of tall wheatgrass was studied. The mixtures of forage and grain were made in the laboratory combining three proportions of clover (T0: without clover, pure tall wheatgrass, T20: 20% clover and T40: 40% clover) and two grain levels (G0: no grain and G1: 30 % grain) based on the MS. When hairy vetch or clover was interseeded over tall wheatgrass, an increase in annual yield biomass was recorded from 28 to 190%, except in Cabildo, where production did not change. Analyzing tall wheatgrass biomass separately, there is no decrease in production with hairy vetch inclusion. Therefore, the accompanying legume, seems to use the resources that tall wheatgrass leaves available. Instead, the clover competed with tall wheatgrass in late spring, thus, as the biomass of clover increased, the biomass of tall wheatgrass decreased linearly. Hairy vetch and clover plants showed growth compensation because there was no difference in forage yield at different density. In general, the hairy vetch or clover interseeding increased total CP (between 1,0 - 1,4% every 10% of legume in the composition), IVDMD and ADL, while the NDF (1,5 % every 10% of legume in the composition) and ADF decreased. In addition, the nitrogen transfer from the legume appear to be responsible for the increase in the CP content of tall wheatgrass when growing together. This was evident in both seasons spring and fall. Hairy vetch increased the content of particulate organic carbon (POC) in fraction >105μm (up to 42%) and fraction between 53 and 105 μm (up to 13%) of the soil. The total organic carbon in soil (SOC) content did not change, therefore the relationship (POC/SOC) was increased. For Cabildo and Bahía Blanca hairy vetch inclusion enhanced the N content (12%) of the particulate organic matter. Regarding the preparation of wheatgrass reserves, it was found that hay maintained its nutritional value better than silage. Although, the greatest source of variation can be attributed to the phenological stage of the pasture and to a lesser extent to the type of reserve. For the best silage of tall wheatgrass, the optimal cutting period was from booting to anthesis, whereas, for haymaking the optimal period extends from vegetative to anthesis. Inclusion of clover and grain increased silage CP content and decreased NDF and ADF. In addition, grain incorporation improved IVDMD in treatments with less clover (T0 and T20). The highest proportion of clover in the mixture reduced FDN and FDA. As clover participation was greater, the silage pH values increased progressively from 3.78 (T0) to 4 (T40). However, the addition of grain decreased pH. According to these results, a silage including white sweetclover up to 40%, was not a restriction to obtain a fairly good quality silage, being the best alternative when also combined with grain.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniv. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.