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Zhulin Xue
Key Laboratory of Grasslands Management and Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China

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Journal article
Published: 23 January 2020 in Sustainability
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Intercropping is a globally accepted method of forage production and its effect on silage quality depends not only on forage combination but also fertilization strategy. In the present study, field intercropping of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa) at five seed ratios (100:0, 75:25: 50:50, 25:75, 0:100 in %, based on seed weight) was applied under three N fertilizing levels (0, 50, and 100 kg/ha), and harvested for silage making and in vitro rumen degradation. As a result of intercropping, the actual proportions (based on dry matter) of alfalfa in mixtures were much closer to seed proportion of alfalfa in field, except 75:25 orchardgrass-alfalfa intercrops with no fertilization. The actual proportions of alfalfa in mixtures decreased by 3–13% with the increase of N level. Increases of alfalfa proportion in mixtures increased silage quality, nutrients degradability and CH4 emissions. Increasing N levels increased silage pH, concentration of butyric acid, and fiber fractions. In summary, inclusion of alfalfa at around 50% in orchardgrass-alfalfa silage mixtures were selected for favorable ensiling and higher forage use efficiency while also limiting CH4 emissions, compared to monocultures. The silage quality and feeding values of mixtures were influenced more by forage ratios than by N levels.

ACS Style

Zhulin Xue; Yanlu Wang; Hongjian Yang; Shoujiao Li; Yingjun Zhang. Silage Fermentation and In Vitro Degradation Characteristics of Orchardgrass and Alfalfa Intercrop Mixtures as Influenced by Forage Ratios and Nitrogen Fertilizing Levels. Sustainability 2020, 12, 871 .

AMA Style

Zhulin Xue, Yanlu Wang, Hongjian Yang, Shoujiao Li, Yingjun Zhang. Silage Fermentation and In Vitro Degradation Characteristics of Orchardgrass and Alfalfa Intercrop Mixtures as Influenced by Forage Ratios and Nitrogen Fertilizing Levels. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (3):871.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhulin Xue; Yanlu Wang; Hongjian Yang; Shoujiao Li; Yingjun Zhang. 2020. "Silage Fermentation and In Vitro Degradation Characteristics of Orchardgrass and Alfalfa Intercrop Mixtures as Influenced by Forage Ratios and Nitrogen Fertilizing Levels." Sustainability 12, no. 3: 871.

Journal article
Published: 28 December 2019 in Animals
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This study aimed to investigate the effects of different forage ratios of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa) on in vitro rumen degradation and fermentation characteristics. Orchardgrass and alfalfa were harvested separately and prepared as hay and silage mixtures at ratios of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 0:100 (w/w on a dry matter basis) and anaerobically incubated for 48 h with rumen fluid obtained from lactating dairy cows. Fermented residues and cultured fluids were used to determine nutrient degradability, fermentation parameters, and associative effect indices. Increasing the proportion of alfalfa in hay and silage mixtures quadratically increased in vitro organic matter disappearance (IVOMD, up +5.14%) and marginally decreased in vitro neutral detergent fiber disappearance (NDFD, down −1.79%). Meanwhile, increasing the proportion of alfalfa accelerated the rumen fermentation process (e.g., gas production) and remarkably enhanced the growth of rumen microbes as indicated by microbial protein production (MCP, 13.4% increase). Increments of rumen degradability and methane production were more pronounced in silage mixtures than hay mixtures. In combination, a forage ratio of 50:50 for orchardgrass and alfalfa is recommended for both hay and silage in order to improve the feed use potential in ruminants.

ACS Style

Zhulin Xue; Nan Liu; Yanlu Wang; Hongjian Yang; Yuqi Wei; Philipe Moriel; Elizabeth Palmer; Yingjun Zhang. Combining Orchardgrass and Alfalfa: Effects of Forage Ratios on In Vitro Rumen Degradation and Fermentation Characteristics of Silage Compared with Hay. Animals 2019, 10, 59 .

AMA Style

Zhulin Xue, Nan Liu, Yanlu Wang, Hongjian Yang, Yuqi Wei, Philipe Moriel, Elizabeth Palmer, Yingjun Zhang. Combining Orchardgrass and Alfalfa: Effects of Forage Ratios on In Vitro Rumen Degradation and Fermentation Characteristics of Silage Compared with Hay. Animals. 2019; 10 (1):59.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhulin Xue; Nan Liu; Yanlu Wang; Hongjian Yang; Yuqi Wei; Philipe Moriel; Elizabeth Palmer; Yingjun Zhang. 2019. "Combining Orchardgrass and Alfalfa: Effects of Forage Ratios on In Vitro Rumen Degradation and Fermentation Characteristics of Silage Compared with Hay." Animals 10, no. 1: 59.