Forage accumulation and nutritive value of bermudagrass and alfalfa–bermudagrass mixtures when harvested for baleage

• Published in: Crop science Vol. 60; no. 5; pp. 2792 - 2801
• Main Authors: Hendricks, Taylor J., Tucker, Jennifer J., Hancock, Dennis W., Mullenix, M. Kimberly, Baxter, Lisa L., Stewart, Robert L., Segers, Jacob R., Bernard, John K.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.09.2020
• ISSN: 0011-183X; 1435-0653
• DOI: 10.1002/csc2.20222

Interseeding alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) into bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] can be an effective way to improve forage quality and reduce the need for additional supplementation when fed to livestock. The objective of this research was to compare the nutritive value and forage mass of bermudagrass with and without interseeded alfalfa when harvested as baleage. On 19 Feb. 2016, 0.2‐ha plots were assigned in a randomized complete block design to either ‘Tifton 85’ (T85) or T85 interseeded with ‘Bulldog 805’ alfalfa (T85+Alf) in an established field of Tifton 85 bermudagrass at the University of Georgia Tifton Campus, Tifton, GA. The T85 received 84 kg N ha−1 four times throughout the growing season. Plots were harvested at early bloom stage every 28–35 d throughout the growing season, baled at 40–60% moisture, and individually wrapped. At each harvest, plots were evaluated for botanical composition and forage mass, and bales were sampled prior to wrapping for nutritive value analysis. The T85+Alf plots produced additional harvests each season, leading to greater herbage accumulation than T85 plots (P < .01). The T85+Alf treatment had greater crude protein and total digestible nutrients than T85 in each of the 3 yr, suggesting this mixture will need no or less supplementation to meet the nutritional requirements of a lactating beef cow. Therefore, interseeding alfalfa into a bermudagrass system improves forage mass and nutritive value.