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ARS Home » Midwest Area » St. Paul, Minnesota » Plant Science Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #83641
Title: ALFALFA HAY FOR ELECTRICITY GENERATION: CULTIVAR EVALUATION

Author
item SHEAFFER, CRAIG - UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
item MARTIN, NEAL - UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
item Lamb, Joann
item CUOMO, G - UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
item PORTER, P - UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
item JOYCE, MARY - UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA

Submitted to: Central Alfalfa Improvement Conference
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/17/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The integration of alfalfa production and electrical power generation will have environmental, economical, and social benefits. The most efficient harvest frequency for production of alfalfa stem and leaf biomass is unknown. Therefore, we conducted research at three locations to determine the impact of harvest regimes on total biomass yield, leaf and stem yield, and leaf and stem composition of several alfalfa germplasms. The three harvest regimes consisted of harvests at early bud (4 cut), early flower (3 cut) and late flower (2 cut). A late flower (2 cut) system may have several advantages compared to more frequent cutting systems because it can result in high stem yields, require fewer trips over the field, allow more harvest flexibility, and provide greater wildlife habitat. There were significant differences due to harvest regimes and alfalfa entries. Harvest regimes had the most consistent and greatest effect on all variables studied. Harvesting at early bud resulted in forage that was leafier and higher quality than that harvested at early flower. Entry differences were smaller than those due to harvest regimes and when significant for most quality traits were due to differences between modern entries adapted for the Midwest and the experimental European sources that were selected for large stem and lodging resistance. Although both harvest regime and alfalfa entry selection affected biomass yield and quality traits, the effect of harvest regime was often greater than that due to alfalfa entry.