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Carbohydrate Trends in Alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.) Roots under Several Forage Harvest Schedules 1
Author(s) -
Reynolds John H.
Publication year - 1971
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci1971.0011183x001100010036x
Subject(s) - medicago sativa , biology , forage , carbohydrate , agronomy , yield (engineering) , zoology , horticulture , botany , biochemistry , materials science , metallurgy
Nonstructural carbohydrate trends in ‘Buffalo’ alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.) roots were compared in six harvest frequencies (8, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2 cuts per year) for 2 years at Knoxville, Tenn. Carbohydrate levels in the first year were generally lowest when cut eight times, and the stand in this treatment was very sparse at the end of the first year. A depletion and replacement pattern of carbohydrates between harvests was usually evident, especially in the four‐cut harvest frequency. The greatest drop in carbohydrate concentration usually occurred after the first harvest of the year. Under a uniform harvest schedule in the third year, the two‐cut, three‐cut, and four‐cut treatments had the most vigorous and productive stands. Yield in the third year did not have a significant positive correlation with carbohydrate concentrations at the end of the second year.