A RESEARCH ON THE HAY YIELD AND QUALITY OF ALFALFA CULTIVARS WITH DIFFERENT FALL DORMANCY RATES UNDER MEDITERRANEAN CLIMATE CONDITIONS

This research was carried out to determine the forage yield and some quality characteristics of alfalfa cultivars with different dormancy rates under Mediterranean conditions during the years of 2019 to 2021. The experiment was established according to a randomized block design with 3 replications, in the research area of Field Crops Department of Agricultural Faculty, Cukurova University, Adana, Turkiye. In the study, alfalfa cultivars Alsancak (FD: 8), Magna 601 (FD: 5-7), Nimet (FD: 8-9), Ozpinar (FD: 8) and Sunter (FD: 5-7) have been tested. Significant differences among cultivars in terms of plant height, green forage yield, hay yield, ADF, NDF, crude protein ratio, digestible dry matter ratio and relative feed value were determined. It was concluded that the Nimet and Ozpinar cultivars with higher hay yield and quality can be more profitably grown as compared to other tested cultivars under Mediterranean climate conditions and can be recommended to the regional farmers.

Automated summary

This research aimed to determine the forage yield and quality characteristics of alfalfa cultivars with different dormancy rates under Mediterranean conditions. The study found that the Nimet and Ozpinar cultivars had higher hay yield and quality, making them more profitable for cultivation compared to other tested cultivars. These cultivars are recommended for regional farmers.