Efficient Cultivation and Management Techniques for Alfalfa (Purple Medick) in Southern Regions

At present, developing alfalfa production in the southern regions of China is of great significance for promoting the development of green livestock products in China's animal husbandry, meeting market demand, increasing the economic benefits of animal husbandry, and raising the income of the broad masses of farmers and herders. Today's main content revolves around efficient cultivation techniques for alfalfa in southern regions.

Under the current situation, the ways to meet 95% of the demand for alfalfa products are, first, to increase yield per unit area, and second, to expand the planting area. In a sense, after long-term cultivation in northern China, the plasticity for both increasing area and raising yield per unit area has become quite small, but the south, with its superior geographical conditions, offers great potential. Therefore, whether considered from the perspective of meeting market demand or from the perspective of adjusting the agricultural industrial structure, the southward shift of the center of gravity of alfalfa cultivation will inevitably become the development trend of alfalfa product production. Given the vast differences in geographical conditions between northern and southern China and the desire to quickly escape the pressure of market demand for alfalfa products, this development trend will also become inevitable.

I. Problems of Planting Alfalfa in the South

Southern soils have fine particles and heavy stickiness, and tend to clod into large soil blocks, affecting seed germination and growth; there is also seasonal high-temperature drought, during which alfalfa goes dormant and does not grow; the inoculated rhizobia cannot tolerate the high temperatures of summer and autumn and die, and the spring is rainy, reducing the nitrogen-fixing capacity of rhizobia, so that alfalfa does not grow quickly;

Southern soils are mostly red soils, followed by purple soils, with high total phosphorus but low available phosphorus; the insoluble phosphorus cannot be absorbed by crops, and applying organic fertilizer and chemical phosphate fertilizer makes it easily fixed by the soil.

II. Cultivation Techniques

(1) In the southern subtropical monsoon humid climate zone, select sloping land with a soil layer 80 cm deep, soil pH 7.5, total salt 2.0 g/kg, groundwater depth 1.6 m, no waterlogging, and facing the sun as the planting land;

(2) Through TWINSPAN (Two-Way Indicator Species Analysis) classification and screening, select the "Shengli alfalfa" variety as the planting variety;

(3) Irradiate Shengli alfalfa seeds with gamma rays from the radioisotope protactinium for 2 hours, with a radiation intensity of Gr600 and an irradiation distance of 2 m; this activates the seeds' biological enzymes, thereby breaking dormancy. Tests show that under the same planting conditions, seeds irradiated with gamma rays double their grass yield compared with non-irradiated seeds because dormancy is broken;

(4) Soak Shengli alfalfa seeds in 45°C warm water for 12 hours, drain, then use local surface soil where alfalfa has been planted or local soil to be planted with alfalfa mixed with human feces and rice straw to make composted sludge (containing rhizobia adapted to the local climate and soil, with strong vitality and strong nitrogen-fixing ability, which can increase yield by 15-30%), use the air-dried sludge together with phosphate-solubilizing bacteria powder to prepare phosphate-solubilizing bacteria slurry, mix a titanium fertilizer solution, diluting every 1 ml of titanium fertilizer solution with 1 kg of water, and use the prepared phosphate-solubilizing bacteria slurry and diluted titanium fertilizer solution to dress the seeds, using 2 kg of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria powder per 100 kg of seeds;

(5) Plow the planting land 22-24 cm; after plowing, open furrows along the contour and divide into beds, with a bed surface width of 1.5-1.6 m, a furrow width of 30-32 cm, and a furrow depth of 22-24 cm; level the bed surface, spread lime on acidic soil, spreading 450 kg of lime per hectare on clayey soil and 225 kg of lime per hectare on sandy soil, rake level, rake and break up large soil clods, and make the surface soil firm; open sowing furrows;

(6) Apply organic fertilizer (a mixture of dried chicken and duck manure and cake fertilizer), water-retaining agent and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria powder in the sowing furrows; the amount of organic fertilizer is 3000 kg/hm2, the amount of water-retaining agent is 150 kg/hm2, and the amount of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria powder is 7.5 kg/hm2; sow, using drilling, with a row spacing of 30-32 cm, a sowing depth of 1-2 cm, and a seeding rate of 1.2 kg per mu;

(7) Starting from when the seeds germinate and grow leaves, spray a mixture of fruit-type titanium fertilizer solution and urea, spraying the front and back of the leaves; prepare the mixture of fruit-type titanium fertilizer solution and urea according to the following ratio: dilute the fruit-type titanium fertilizer solution with clean water at a mass ratio of 2000 times, add urea to the water-diluted fruit-type titanium fertilizer solution, with a mass ratio of urea to clean water of 1:100; the spray amount of the mixture of fruit-type titanium fertilizer solution and urea is 500 kg/hm2; spraying fruit-type titanium fertilizer not only significantly increases yield but also reduces the heavy metal content of alfalfa, so cattle and sheep are less likely to get sick after eating it;

(8) Mix organic fertilizer (a mixture of dried chicken and duck manure and cake fertilizer), water-retaining agent and phosphate-solubilizing bacteria powder evenly and apply them together; the amount of organic fertilizer is 3000 kg/hm2, the amount of water-retaining agent is 150 kg/hm2, and the amount of phosphate-solubilizing bacteria powder is 7.5 kg/hm2; the water-retaining agent uses its property of absorbing deionized water hundreds or even thousands of times its own weight and then slowly releasing water for seed germination and crop growth, thereby enhancing the soil's water retention performance, reducing deep percolation of water, improving alfalfa's drought resistance and achieving rapid growth;

(9) In the year of sowing, cut alfalfa; alfalfa not treated with gamma rays can be cut when 10% of the plants are flowering, leaving a stubble height of 5 cm; alfalfa treated with protactinium gamma rays at Gr600 is best harvested at flowering; after each cutting of the alfalfa field, apply 2.5 kg of urea per mu, dilute the fruit-type titanium fertilizer solution with clean water at a mass ratio of 100 times, and pour the water-diluted fruit-type titanium fertilizer solution around the roots;

After every 2 cuttings, apply 1 application of organic fertilizer (fully decomposed chicken and duck manure and cake fertilizer), 100 kg per mu, scattering the fertilizer into the planting furrows, to prevent and control diseases and insect pests. The main diseases include root rot, rust, brown spot, and downy mildew; open furrows for drainage and spray titanium fertilizer (mixed with carbendazim or thiophanate-methyl) for control. Insect pests include aphids, thrips, leafhoppers, and mirids, which can be controlled by spraying fenitrothion, or mixed with fruit-type titanium fertilizer for spraying;

After each cutting, loosen the soil, using a method of alternating deep and shallow intertillage, which both takes in rainfall and reduces subsurface flow in the soil layer, improving drought resistance, and burying weeds into the soil as fertilizer or covering the surface soil.

In step (1), the slope land types with a soil layer more than 70 cm deep include:

① Moist soil and moist sandy soil flat land at higher terrain or inside flood control embankments;

② Thick-layer granite red soil slope land;

③ Thick-layer sandstone red soil slope land;

④ Quaternary red clay red soil hilly paddy field;

⑤ Limestone red soil, red limestone soil, and yellow limestone soil slope land;

⑥ Thick-soil-layer granite yellow soil and yellow-brown soil hilly mountain plains and mound-shaped mountain plains;

⑦ Thick-soil-layer purple soil hilly slope land, etc.

In step (2), the selected planting variety "Shengli alfalfa" was selected through the following experiment.

Using grey system theory, the production performance of 21 alfalfa varieties in the hilly and low mountain areas of central Hunan (indicators such as fresh grass yield, hay yield, stem-to-leaf ratio, plant height, number of branches, main root length, and regrowth speed) was analyzed, a comprehensive evaluation model was established, and the production performance of each variety was evaluated. The alfalfa varieties with relatively good comprehensive production performance were Hunter River, Hopland, and wI323, etc.; varieties such as Affinity, Trey, and Nongbao had relatively poor production performance;

Although the two varieties Alfalfa King and Shengli alfalfa had relatively high fresh grass yields, their regrowth speed was slow, and Alfalfa King had a low stem-to-leaf ratio while Shengli alfalfa had low dry matter content; however, Shengli alfalfa is resistant to high temperature, tolerant of drought, resistant to cold, widely adaptable for planting, has strong seedling vigor, and high yield, so Shengli alfalfa was finally determined as the planting variety for this technique.

In step (3), for fertilizing alfalfa, first, apply base fertilizer according to the soil, that is, for newly reclaimed wasteland and soil with poor fertility, apply more base fertilizer in combination with deep plowing and opening sowing furrows; for soil with medium fertility, apply less base fertilizer in combination with deep plowing and opening sowing furrows; for soil with high fertility, do not apply base fertilizer;

Second, the fertilizer applied (including base fertilizer and topdressing) must have complete nutrients, containing not only N, P, and K but also medium and trace elements, because phosphorus can increase alfalfa green grass yield and seed germination capacity, potassium is an essential element for alfalfa, using nitrogen fertilizer alone as base fertilizer has no effect on increasing alfalfa yield, while a mixture of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium can improve alfalfa yield and quality; if barnyard manure (a mixture of rice straw and pig and cattle manure and urine from pig pens and cattle pens) is applied together with nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers, the fertilizer efficiency of the nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers can be doubled, so the preferred organic fertilizer of the present invention is dried chicken and duck manure and cake fertilizer. Dried chicken and duck manure and cake fertilizer are high-quality organic fertilizers with complete nutrients; phosphate-solubilizing fungi can dissolve insoluble phosphorus in the soil, making phosphorus fixed by the soil and phosphorus in organic matter available, increasing yield by more than 30%.

The above is all the content on alfalfa cultivation. This content mainly provides a technique that can break seed dormancy in summer and autumn, enhance the nitrogen-fixing ability of rhizobia, and make insoluble phosphorus in the soil available. Friends in the south who need it should come and learn it quickly.

Technique for Intercropping Alfalfa in Poplar Plantations

Brief Introduction to Cultivation Techniques of Timothy (Phleum pratense)

Brief Introduction to Cultivation Techniques of Timothy (Phleum pratense)

[Common Question] How is timothy cultivated?

[Expert Answer]

Brief Introduction to Cultivation Techniques of Timothy (Phleum pratense)

Ecological Habits of Timothy

Timothy mostly grows on dry open slope land, roadsides, or in shrub thickets, below 850 m altitude.

It prefers a cool and humid climate and has extremely strong cold resistance. It can overwinter safely in Northeast China, and the overwintering rate is also relatively high in Inner Mongolia and **areas with irrigation conditions. The optimum growth temperature is 16-21°C. It is sensitive to drought and high temperature, and is not adapted to the drought of the Northwest region (except areas with irrigation conditions) or the summer high temperatures of low-altitude areas in southern China. Timothy prefers moisture, is relatively tolerant of flooding, has low requirements for soil, and adapts to various types of soil; it grows best on clay and loam soils and is tolerant of slightly acidic and slightly alkaline soils. Timothy has a relatively long growth lifespan, generally 6-7 years, and with good management can reach 10-15 years.

Brief Introduction to Cultivation Techniques of Timothy (Phleum pratense)

Cultivation Techniques of Timothy

Timothy greens up in March-April, flowers in July-August, and seeds mature in August-September. Timothy is a long-lived plant; one planting can be used for 5-6 years, and with good management conditions it can be used for 10-15 years. After the second year, grass yield increases, and after the fifth year grass yield declines. In seed fields, during the flowering period, artificial supplementary pollination or honeybee pollination should be used to increase the seed-setting rate. Being too late is not conducive to the accumulation of nutrients in the plant roots and root crown.

Before sowing timothy, prepare the land finely and ensure good soil moisture; apply 2000 kg of organic fertilizer per mu. In cold regions, sow in spring or summer, or sow in autumn during the rainy season. For drilling, the row spacing is 20-30 cm, and the sowing rate is about 0.8-1.2 kg per mu; for broadcast sowing, the sowing rate is about 2.0 kg per mu, with a sowing depth of 0.5-1.2 cm; press appropriately after sowing, and pay attention to removing weeds at the seedling stage.

Land Preparation and Fertilization

Timothy seeds are small, and both emergence and seedling survival are relatively difficult, so land with good soil structure should be selected for planting, and good land preparation quality must be ensured. For autumn plowing, harrow and press in time after plowing to achieve level ground and broken soil; land that cannot be autumn-plowed should be plowed in early spring, with a plowing depth of no less than 20 cm. Summer plowing should be done before the rainy season arrives, so as to avoid delaying sowing due to excessive rain.

Timothy can also be sown after harrowing the stubble following an early-maturing crop. That is, after the previous crop is harvested, immediately use a disc harrow to clear the stubble and loosen the soil, then sow.

Fertilization

Timothy is planted once and used for many years, so fertilizer must be applied sufficiently; poor soil should be fertilized even more. Timothy is particularly sensitive to nitrogen fertilizer, so apply more nitrogen and appropriately combine it with phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. Base fertilizer is the main application, applying 2500-3000 kg of high-quality barnyard manure per 667 sq m, applied before plowing. For acidic soil planted with timothy, in addition to increasing organic fertilizer, some lime should also be applied, 50-60 kg per 667 sq m, evenly applied before plowing. Timothy's fertilizer demand increases from tillering to jointing, is greatest from heading to flowering, gradually decreases after flowering, and is lowest in the middle and late stages of grain maturity. According to soil quality and growth conditions, topdress in batches and stages as needed. In the early stage, nitrogen fertilizer is main; in the later stage, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers are main. Fertilization should be applied in small amounts and frequently to fully exert fertilizer efficiency. If topdressing is combined with irrigation, the effect is even better.

Seed Selection and Sowing

Timothy seeds often contain blighted grains and impurities, so they need cleaning before sowing, and sowing can be done only when purity reaches more than 90%. Select good seeds and mix in seed fertilizer. The amount of seed fertilizer is 5-6 kg of granular compound fertilizer mixed with the seeds per 667 sq m; this not only provides nutrients for seedling growth but also makes sowing uniform and emergence good.

(1) Sowing period: It varies by location. South of the Yangtze River, spring sowing or autumn sowing can be used, usually with autumn sowing being better, while North China, Northwest China, and southern Northeast China can also sow in autumn, but in autumn-drought areas spring sowing is still better. Spring sowing should be early rather than late, and sowing should seize soil moisture to ensure emergence.

(2) Sowing rate: Sow 0.75-1.0 kg per 667 sq m.

(3) Sowing method: Drilling, with a row spacing of 15-30 cm and a sowing depth of 2-8 cm. Press 1-2 times after sowing. Timothy can be mixed-sown with alfalfa, red clover, white clover, etc., to improve yield and quality and also restore soil fertility.

Field Management

Timothy emerges slowly, and the seedlings are slender and weak, not tolerant of weeds. After emergence, promptly carry out the first intertillage and weeding, and after 15-20 days carry out the second intertillage and weeding. Before canopy closure, carry out the third intertillage and weeding. After greening up and after cutting, carry out intertillage and weeding once each. When plant growth slows and leaf color becomes lighter, topdress and irrigate in time, generally applying 10 kg of nitrogen fertilizer, 7.5 kg of phosphate fertilizer, and 5 kg of potassium fertilizer per 667 sq m to promote growth.

Disease and Pest Control of Timothy

Timothy is prone to pests such as armyworms and corn borers, which should be discovered early and controlled by spraying pesticide in time.

For seed collection, collect seeds when the timothy panicle heads turn yellow and the grains harden; cut off the panicle heads, dry them in the sun, and thresh. Generally, 2030 kg of seeds can be harvested per 667 sq m.

Editor's Summary:Today the editor mainly introduces timothy cultivation techniques from its growing environment, fertilization techniques, seed selection and sowing, field management, and disease and pest control, hoping to be helpful to everyone.