Effects of early cutting time and stubble height on yield and quality in lucerne

Abstract

Lucerne is consumed not only as hay, but it is also used as the raw material of concentrated food for livestock. This study investigated the effects of four cutting times (20, 40, 60 cm tall and at the beginning of flowering) and three stubble heights (base, 5 and 10 cm) on the dry matter (DM) and nitrogen (N) yields, the N content of tops, and non-structural carbohydrate (NSC) in roots of lucerne. The experiment was a 4 x 3 factorial in a randomised complete block design with four replications carried out at the Research Station of Agricultural Faculty, Ataturk University, in 1996 and 1997. The N content decreased while the DM and N yields of top and NSC content of the roots increased as the cutting height, and consequently plant maturity, increased. The lower stubble heights increased the DM and N yields, but they decreased the NSC contents in roots. Therefore, the highest DM yield (12 660 kg ha-1) was taken when lucerne was harvested at the beginning of flowering and cut from the base. © 2006 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.