When does alfalfa bloom?

The growing season in North China is from April to June, and the optimum temperature for flowering is 22-27°C. Flowering is peak at 9-12 am. Avoid high temperatures and rainy weather during flowering. But in our south, it can bloom all year round and can be seen everywhere. It depends on your area!

Pictures of alfalfa: /i?ct=503316480&z=0&tn=baiduimagedetail&word=%D7%CF%BB%A8%DC%D9%DE%A3&in=30482&cl=2&cm=1&sc=0&lm=-1&pn =17&rn=1&di=528639328&ln=633

Source distribution editor

Alfalfa (Medicago sativaL), originated from the "Near East

Alfalfa [1]

Centre" - that is, the highlands of Asia Minor, Transcaucasus, Iran and Turkmenistan. The often mentioned center of alfalfa geography is Iran. Alfalfa is suitable for development in areas with a distinct continental climate. These areas are characterized by late spring, short summer, and near-neutral soil pH. [2]

Alfalfa is mainly distributed in warm areas and is roughly distributed in a belt in the northern hemisphere. The United States, Canada, Italy, France, China and the southern part of the former Soviet Union are the main producing areas; in the southern hemisphere, only certain countries and There are large-scale cultivation in areas such as Argentina, Chile, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and other countries. The United States is the country with the largest planting area in the world, with an area of ​​more than 10 million hectares, accounting for about 33% of the total planting area; Argentina is second, with more than 7 million hectares, accounting for 23%; Canada is third, with more than 2 million planted annually. hectares, accounting for about 8%; China is fifth, accounting for about 4.5%. [2]

2 Morphological Characteristics Editing

Alfalfa [1]

The plant height is about 1 meter, the plant shape is semi-erect, axial root type, and the roots are very deep. deep. A single plant has many branches, thin and dense stems, small and thick leaves, dark green leaves, dark purple flowers, and compact inflorescences; pods are dark brown, spiral, 2-3 circles; seeds are kidney-shaped, yellow, and weigh about 1.8 grams per thousand seeds. . It has strong drought resistance and medium cold resistance. It blooms about 7-10 days later than Guanzhong alfalfa and about 10 days earlier than Xinjiang large-leaf alfalfa. Longdong alfalfa has a high yield, especially the first crop. Generally, the first crop accounts for 55% of the total output, the second crop accounts for 31%, and the third crop accounts for about 14%. Generally, the yield of fresh grass in dry land is 2000-4000 kg/acre, and in irrigated land it can reach more than 5000 kg/acre. Due to the low moisture content, hay yields are high, and the grassland is durable and long-lived. The disadvantage is slower regeneration after harvesting. Longdong alfalfa is a high-yielding variety under dry farming conditions and should only be promoted in dry farming areas with moderate rainfall.

Perennial herb, 30-100 cm tall. The roots are thick, deep into the soil, and the root neck is well developed. The stems are upright, clustered or even lying flat, quadrangular, hairless or slightly pubescent, with lush branches and leaves. Pinnately triple compound leaves; stipules are large, ovate-lanceolate, with sharp apex, entire base or with 1-2 toothed lobes, clear veins; petioles are shorter than leaflets; leaflets are long-ovate, oblong-ovate to linear-ovate, equal in size, or terminal leaflets slightly larger, (5) 10-25 (-40) mm long, 3-10 mm wide, papery, apex obtuse, with long teeth extending from the midrib Pointed, narrow base, wedge-shaped, more than one-third of the edge serrated, hairless above, dark green, covered with attached pubescence below, 8-10 pairs of lateral veins, forming an acute angle with the midrib, slightly branched near the leaf edge Forked; terminal petioles slightly longer than lateral petioles.

The inflorescence is racemose or capitate, 1-2.5 cm long, with 5-30 flowers; the total pedicel is straight, longer than the leaves; the bracts are linear and tapered, longer than the pedicel or equal in length; The flower is 6-12 mm long; the pedicel is short, about 2 mm long; the calyx is bell-shaped, 3-5 mm long, the calyx teeth are linear and tapered, longer than the calyx tube, and are covered with pubescence; the corolla is of various colors: light yellow, dark blue to dark purple, the petals all have long petals, the flag petal is oblong, the apex is slightly concave, obviously longer than the wing petals and keel petals, the wing petals are slightly longer than the keel petals; the ovary is linear, pubescent, the style is short and wide, with the upper end Thin tip, stigma punctate, many ovules.

The pods are spirally rolled in 2-4 (-6) circles, with no or nearly no holes in the center, 5-9 mm in diameter, pubescent or gradually falling off, thin and unclear veins, ripe Sometimes brown; with 10-20 seeds. Seeds are ovate, 1-2.5 mm long, smooth, yellow or brown. The flowering period is from May to July, and the fruiting period is from June to August. [3]

3 Growth Habits Editor

Grown in fields, roadsides, wilderness, grasslands, river banks and valleys. [3]

4 Geographical Distribution Editor

It is cultivated or semi-wild throughout the country. [3]

5 Main Characteristics Editor

It is widely cultivated as feed and pasture in Eurasia and countries around the world. [3]

Forage form:

Alfalfa [1]

Alfalfa is a perennial herbaceous plant of the leguminous family, Alfalfa, with a well-developed root system and a main root that penetrates deep into the soil. It is several meters to tens of meters long; the root neck is densely covered with many stem buds, which are exposed on the ground or buried in the topsoil, and there are as many as ten to hundreds of tiller branches at the neck.

The stems are oblique or upright, smooth, slightly square, about 100-150 cm high, and have many branches. The leaves are pinnate and triple compound, the leaflets are oblong or oval, the apex is serrated, and the middle leaf is slightly larger. The racemes are in clusters, with 20 to 30 florets in each cluster. The butterfly-shaped flowers have short stalks and 10 stamens, 1 separated and 9 closed, forming a flexible combined stamen tube; there is 1 pistil. The pods are spiral-shaped, 2 to 4 times long, with smooth surface and inconspicuous veins. They are light green when young and dark brown when mature. Each pod contains 2 to 9 seeds. The seeds are kidney-shaped, yellow or light yellowish brown, with a shiny surface, and the old seeds are dark in color; the weight of 1,000 seeds is 1.5 to 2.3 grams, and there are about 300,000 to 500,000 seeds per kilogram.

Forage characteristics: Perennial leguminous grass, alfalfa has strong stress resistance, wide adaptability, and can grow in various types of climate and soil environments. It prefers a dry, warm climate with many sunny days and few rainy days and a dry, loose, well-drained soil rich in calcium. The optimum temperature is 25 to 30°C; it grows well where the annual rainfall is 400 to 800 mm, but it grows poorly when it exceeds 1,000 mm. The annual rainfall is within 400 mm, and irrigation conditions are required to grow vigorously. The rainy, humid and hot weather in summer is the most unfavorable. Alfalfa has a high transpiration coefficient and requires a lot of water for growth. Approximately 800 grams of water are needed to make up 1 gram of dry matter, but water accumulation is the most avoidable. If it is continuously flooded for 1 to 2 days, a large number of people will die. Alfalfa is suitable for planting in neutral to slightly alkaline soil, but is not suitable for strongly acidic or alkaline soil. The optimal soil pH value is 7 to 8, and it can grow if the soil contains soluble salts below 0.3%. Areas below 2,700 meters above sea level, with a frost-free period of more than 100 days, annual accumulated temperatures of ≥10℃ and above 1,700℃, and annual average temperatures above 4℃ are suitable areas for alfalfa planting. Alfalfa is a plant affected by strong light. The maximum amount of carbon dioxide that newly developed leaves can assimilate is 70 mg per square meter per hour. The starch content of leaves changes greatly day and night, with the dry weight increasing from 8% in the morning to 20% at sunset. Afterwards, the content dropped sharply. Leaves are the place for photosynthesis. The leaf area index of a well-developed alfalfa population is usually 5, with 5,000 to 15,000 medium-sized leaves per square meter.

Alfalfa (4 photos)

Processing of alfalfa: Alfalfa can be processed into alfalfa powder. Its production is one of the various processing and storage methods with less nutritional loss. The pasture and grass meal processing industry has gradually been industrialized internationally. European and American countries began grass meal production as early as the 1920s and 1930s. By the 1950s, grass meal production technology had reached a very high level. Grass meal production in many countries has achieved specialization and intensification. The rapid high-temperature drying method is often used to produce grass meal. The method includes the production of dehydrated alfalfa meal. The harvested alfalfa is cut and processed by a drum high-temperature airflow forage processing unit. During this process, the high-temperature air from the outside quickly conducts heat energy to the chopped alfalfa segments, causing the water in the fresh grass to quickly evaporate. After a few minutes of processing, dry grass powder can be obtained. Therefore, nutrient losses caused by biochemical changes in the plant itself and external mechanical effects are greatly reduced. The processing process is less affected by climatic factors, has a short production cycle and high production efficiency, and can fully utilize resources. Alfalfa is processed into grass meal and used as the main raw material of livestock compound feed. It balances dietary amino acids, provides rich vitamins, and provides high-quality fiber. Dehydrated alfalfa is mixed into the diet of laying poultry to deepen the color of egg yolks, feeding to breeding poultry can improve fertility, and feeding broilers can increase skin pigmentation. It has been proven that when dehydrated alfalfa accounts for 10% of the diet of breeding sows, it can increase the ovulation rate and litter survival rate. It has been reported that feeding dairy cows with dehydrated alfalfa and other pastures can increase milk production. Dehydrated alfalfa combined with urea can replace soybean meal in dairy cow diets. Feeding dehydrated alfalfa to dairy cows has been shown to improve the persistence of lactation and reduce the milk fat content of the milk. Feeding beef cattle and lambs diets containing dehydrated alfalfa can significantly increase daily weight gain, have higher carcass weights and higher dressing rates.

Feeding advantages: Alfalfa is known as the "King of Forage". Its outstanding advantages in feeding are:

High grass yield

The grass yield of alfalfa varies widely due to different growth years and natural conditions. The fresh grass yield per mu 2 to 5 years after sowing is generally 2000-4000 kilograms, and the hay yield is 500-800 kilograms. In areas with good water and heat conditions, 733 to 800 kilograms of hay can be produced per mu; in areas with drought and low temperature, 400 to 730 kilograms of hay can be produced per mu; in irrigated areas of desert oasis, 800 to 1,000 kilograms of hay can be produced per mu.

Long useful life

The lifespan of alfalfa can reach 30 years, and the useful life of field cultivation is as long as about 7 to 10 years. However, its yield declines with age after entering the high-yield period.

Strong regeneration

Alfalfa is very regenerative and can quickly regain its vitality after cutting. Generally, it can be cut 2 to 4 times a year, and more than 5 times can be cut. ~6 times.

Strong palatability

The stems and leaves of alfalfa are tender and delicious. It can be used for all kinds of livestock and poultry regardless of whether it is green feed, silage, prepared green hay, processed grass meal, compound feed or mixed feed. They all like to eat it the most, and it is also the first choice for green feed in pig and poultry raising industries.

Rich in nutrients

Alfalfa stems and leaves are rich in protein, minerals, multivitamins and carotene, especially in the leaves. When alfalfa is in its fresh and tender state, the weight of the leaves accounts for about 50% of the whole plant. The crude protein content in the leaves is 1 to 1.5 times higher than that of the stems, and the crude fiber content is more than half less than that of the stems. On the same area of ​​land, the total digestible nutrients of alfalfa are twice that of grass grass, the digestible protein is 2.5 times, and the minerals are 6 times.

Main functions

Improve gastrointestinal function

It has a history of many years.

Lowers Cholesterol Levels

The components of alfalfa have been extensively studied.

Improve diabetes

Some herbalists say that alfalfa may help improve diabetes.

Relieves menopausal discomfort

Alfalfa leaves also contain coumarin derivatives.

Increase yields in fertile fields

The well-developed root system of alfalfa can provide a large amount of organic matter to the soil, and can absorb calcium from deep soil, decompose phosphate, and leave it in the cultivated layer. Decomposition forms organic colloids, which can form stable aggregates in the soil and improve soil physical and chemical properties; root nodules can fix nitrogen in the atmosphere and improve soil fertility. For 2- to 4-year-old alfalfa grassland, the fresh root weight per mu can reach 1335-2670 kilograms. Each mu of root stubble contains approximately 15 kilograms of nitrogen, 2.3 kilograms of total phosphorus, and 6 kilograms of total potassium. Each acre can fix 18 kilograms of nitrogen from the air every year, which is equivalent to 55 kilograms of ammonium nitrate. Alfalfa stubble fields can produce stable and high yields without fertilizing for three years. The yield increase range is usually 30% to 50%, and the higher one can reach more than 1 times. A farmer's proverb says: "One acre of alfalfa and three acres of field will last for three years."

Maintain water and soil

Alfalfa has lush branches and leaves, and has a large ground coverage. The second-instar alfalfa grows for 40 days after turning green, and the coverage can reach 95%. It is also a perennial deep-rooted type, which plays a very significant role in improving soil physical and chemical properties, increasing water permeability, blocking runoff, preventing erosion, maintaining slopes and reducing soil erosion. It has been determined that compared with alfalfa, growing ordinary crops on slopes results in 16 times greater water loss and 9 times greater soil loss per mu per year.

Nectary Plants

Nectar Plants. Alfalfa is a cross-pollinated plant. It is often pollinated by external mechanical force and insects collecting nectar by popping open the tightly packed keel petals. The flowering period lasts for 40 to 60 days. Bees are released in the field during the flowering period, which can greatly increase honey production. At the same time, Also increases alfalfa seed yield.

6 Mainly use editing

Use technology

1.

It is appropriate to start using green mowing when the plant height is 30 to 40 cm

2.

The suitable period for harvesting is 1/2 to 2/3 on the plant

3.

The utilization of alfalfa should be based on needs and sowing area

4.

Usage life of harvesting grass and seeds

5.

Alfalfa is most suitable for grazing livestock.

6.

Alfalfa is used to prepare hay

Green feed technology

Green feed is the most common method of feeding livestock and poultry, but attention should be paid to the most important aspects of alfalfa. Optimal harvesting time and different growth stages affect the nutritional value of alfalfa. The nutritional content of alfalfa is closely related to the harvest period. The water content of alfalfa is relatively high during the growth stage. However, as the growth stage extends, the dry matter content gradually increases, the protein content gradually decreases, and the crude fiber increases significantly. The wood content of the fiber increases significantly. aggravation. If harvested too late, the maximum harvest will occur, the total amount of stems will increase, the leaf-to-stem ratio will become smaller, the nutritional content will change significantly, and the feeding value will decrease. Due to the high water content of alfalfa, attention should be paid to supplementing energy and protein feed when pigs and poultry are fed green. Ruminant livestock are prone to bloat disease after eating too much, so it is generally used in conjunction with Graminaceae forage.

Hay preparation

Alfalfa grass is of high quality and is favored by various livestock and poultry. Feeding alfalfa to livestock and poultry can replace part of the grain. According to American research, it can replace it in terms of energy. The ratio is 1.6:1, that is, 1.6kg of alfalfa hay is equivalent to the energy of 1kg of grain. Alfalfa is rich in protein. Based on the comprehensive performance of energy and protein, the food replacement ratio of alfalfa can reach 1.2:1. There are many methods for preparing hay, including natural drying method, artificial drying method, etc. The nutritional value of alfalfa hay produced by natural drying method is closely related to the drying time. The crude protein, crude ash, calcium content and digestibility decrease with the increase of drying days, and the crude fiber content increases with the extension of drying days. The results of statistical analysis of the relationship between alfalfa dry materialization rate and its chemical composition by Mizhi (1994) showed that the key to improving the digestion and utilization rate of alfalfa is to control the lignification degree of alfalfa fiber and reduce the loss of crude protein. From this point of view, timely harvesting and reducing leaf losses during transportation and drying are very important, because the protein content of alfalfa leaves accounts for more than 80% of the entire plant.

Internationally, artificial rapid drying methods began to be used in the 1950s, and by the 1960s it had developed into large-scale factory production. There are three main forms of artificial drying.

1. Normal temperature ventilation and drying - use high-speed wind to quickly dry the moisture contained in semi-dry alfalfa;

2. Low-temperature drying method---use 50℃-70℃ or Dry alfalfa at a temperature of 120℃-150℃;

3. High-temperature rapid drying method-use high-temperature airflow (up to 1100℃) to dry alfalfa in minutes or even seconds to reduce the moisture content of alfalfa. It is reduced to 10%-12%. After drying at high temperature, it is mainly used to prepare high-quality grass powder, grass blocks or pellet feed, which can be used as protein and vitamin supplements for livestock and poultry to facilitate transportation, storage and application in the feed industry. There is a huge gap in high-quality alfalfa products internationally, and my country mainly exports to Japan, Italy and other countries. Alfalfa meal is a good vitamin and protein supplementary feed for livestock and poultry. It can supply carotene, vitamin K, B2 and other B vitamins, yellow pigments and high-quality protein. Artificial hay powder has very little vitamin D, so attention should be paid to D3 supplementation. Since poultry have poor ability to digest fiber, high-quality grade 1 grass meal should be used. The amount of alfalfa meal added to the diet of laying hens is 1%-2.5% before 6 weeks, and 2.5%-5% from 7 weeks to the laying period; broiler breeders can add 2.5%-7% alfalfa meal according to the physical condition; broiler chickens It should be controlled at 1.5%-2.0%; the amount of alfalfa meal used in laying ducks and meat ducks is similar to that of laying hens and broilers, but can be slightly higher; the amount of alfalfa meal used in turkey diets is similar to that of laying hens and broilers, but can be slightly higher; The amount of alfalfa meal in turkey diet is relatively large, more than 5%, and up to 25%. Alfalfa meal is generally not used in piglet diet. It can account for 5%-15% of the diet for growing and fattening pigs, and more than 10% of the diet for sows; The proportion of alfalfa meal in rabbit feed can be as high as 40%-70%; the combination of alfalfa meal and urea in cattle and sheep diets can synergize with each other and achieve significant utilization effects. The content of alfalfa meal is 50%-80%.

silage utilization

Alfalfa silage or semi-dry silage has small nutrient loss and has the nutritional characteristics of green feed. It has good palatability, high digestibility and can be stored for a long time. It is a developed animal husbandry industry. Most of the preparation methods focusing on hay have changed to silage utilization methods. The following silage methods are mainly used.

3.1 Semi-dry silage

In foreign countries, silage towers are generally used to store alfalfa in semi-dry silage. The cost of silage towers is relatively high. In my country, silage kilns are generally used to store alfalfa. No matter which method is used, The key is to quickly dry the alfalfa to reduce the moisture content to 40%-50% before silage. This silage combines the advantages of hay and silage.

3.2 Adding formic acid to silage

This is a method promoted abroad. The method is to add 2.8kg-3kg of 85%-90% formic acid per ton of silage raw materials, and spray and dry in layers. During the digestion process of silage and rumen, formic acid can be decomposed into CO2 and CH4, which are non-toxic to livestock, and formic acid itself can also be absorbed and utilized by livestock. Feeding dairy calves with this silage has an average daily weight gain of 0.757kg. -0.817kg, which is nearly twice the weight gain of ordinary silage.

3.3 Stretch film silage technology

This is a new method adopted abroad and is fully mechanized. The operating procedures are: mowing - baling - taking out the bales - wrapping stretch film. Its main advantages are that it is not affected by weather changes, has a long storage time, and can generally be stored for 3 to 5 years, and is easy to use.

Leaf protein utilization

Alfalfa leaf protein (ALP) is a protein concentrate formed by crushing, pressing, coagulating, precipitating and drying alfalfa harvested at the right time. Generally, crude protein is 50%-60%, crude fiber is 0.5%-2%, digestible energy is 12.5MJ/kg-13.5MJ/kg, metabolizable energy is 12.4MJ/kg-12.9MJ/kg, and is rich in vitamins and minerals. etc., large-scale production of leaf eggs for feed began in the 1960s. There are many studies in France, the United States and Australia. ALP has been added to feed in the United States at a certain proportion for sale; the extraction rate of ALP in production is about 0.89% of alfalfa field yield. my country is seriously lacking in protein resources, and the protein content of leaf protein is comparable to soybean meal and fish meal. It has great potential to replace part of fish meal and soybean meal in pig and poultry feed. ALP can replace 50%-70% of fish meal or meat and bone meal in laying hens, and the digestibility of protein is improved. Replacing 25%-50% of fish meal or meat and bone meal in broiler diets with ALP has little effect on the weight gain of broiler chickens. When this product is used to replace 50%-75% of fish meal or meat and bone meal in the diet of chicks, the survival rate can be increased by 3.4%-4.2%. ALP can replace 50% of animal protein in the diet of pigs aged 40 to 60 days. and 1/3 of soybean meal, which can replace 80% of animal protein in 61- to 105-day-old growing pigs without affecting pig growth.

7 Plant Impact Editor

Effect on the Quality of Poultry Products

The color of egg yolk mainly depends on the lutein content in the feed, such as the content of lutein per kilogram of feed 60mg of lutein will produce eggs with darker yolks. Alfalfa meal is rich in lutein. Each kilogram of grass meal contains about 240mg of lutein, which is more than 10 times that of yellow corn (22mg/kg). Huang Yude once reported adding 5% alfalfa to the diet of laying hens

Since different levels of crude protein in the feed will affect the lean meat rate of pig carcasses, alfalfa products are high in protein and low in digestible energy (crude fiber). (high content) feed, so adding it in an appropriate proportion to the diet of growing and fattening pigs will increase the lean meat rate of the carcass and make the meat fresh and tender, but it will have no impact on pig production performance. Experiments by Bohman et al. (1953) showed that pigs fed alfalfa were consistently thin and had lower slaughter rates. Pigs fed high levels of alfalfa had more meat in their hind legs, loins and shoulders, and less belly and back fat. Stahly and Cromwell (1986) added 10% dehydrated alfalfa powder to the diet and raised it at 10°C. The fat thickness is reduced by 3%. Tests in many states in the United States (1953-1955) have shown that the use of 5%-15% high-quality alfalfa meal in the diet of growing and finishing pigs can achieve good production performance of growing pigs.

Effects on milk quality and beef quality

Alfalfa is a high-quality forage for the cattle industry, which can improve the milk fat rate and increase the vitamin content in milk, especially Fat-soluble vitamins. Jiang Zhijie et al. (1982) used alfalfa hay and semi-dry silage to feed dairy cows, which significantly increased milk production and increased the milk fat rate from 3.43% to 3.52%. Kirkpatrich et al. (1984) proved that alfalfa can replace part of the concentrate of dairy cows and increase the milk fat rate without affecting milk yield. Shaver (1986), Joanovic (1987), Conlenbrander (1991) further confirmed this argument. Alfalfa products should be used appropriately in beef cattle diets. In order to prevent the beef from turning yellow, large amounts of alfalfa meal are not used in Japanese beef cattle fattening feeds.

Prospects

Planting alfalfa can not only promote the development of animal husbandry and increase income, but also cultivate land. Maintain water and soil, improve soil, and optimize planting structure. And with the development of science, the development and production of functional foods using alfalfa has promising prospects and huge market potential.

Comprehensive development and utilization of alfalfa

Comprehensive development and utilization of alfalfa can obtain feed-grade crude protein, food-grade protamine, chlorophyll salts, lutein, saponins, grass granules, grass Cake, grass powder, etc., to achieve 100% recycling of active ingredients, turn waste into treasure, and reduce environmental pollution.

If you need more information about natural extracts and natural pigments, please visit the Natural Pigment Application Technology Forum.

8 Varieties Introduction Editor

The domestic alfalfa varieties suitable for planting in Liaoning mainly include Aohan alfalfa, Gongnong No. 1, Zhonglu No. 1, Rumble, Xinjiang Daye, etc. The main domestic varieties planted in Liaoning Province are Aohan alfalfa, Rumble and Gongnong No. 1. Imported varieties include CW200, Fenard, Algonquin, Golden Queen, etc.

Introduced varieties mainly consider three factors: temperature, rainfall and soil. The main indicator of a variety's cold resistance, that is, its overwintering ability, is represented by dormancy levels. The smaller the level, the stronger the cold resistance. The larger the level, the lower the cold resistance. Liaoning Province is located in the northern province, with low winter temperatures, reaching about minus 30°C. It is suitable to introduce varieties below level 3, such as Queen (level 2), CW200 (level 2), Suntory (suitable for a wide range of areas), WL252 (level 2) Level), WL323 (Level 3), Algonquin (Level 2), Fenard (Level 2), Golden Queen (Level 2-3), Giant (Level 2), Polaris (Level 2-3), Nong Bao (Level 2-3), Lianglu No. 2 (Level 2-3) and other varieties. Dalian and Dandong regions can introduce level 3 varieties, such as CW300, WL323, (level 3), Polaris (level 2-3), Nongbao (level 2-3), Lianglu No. 2 (level 2-3) and other varieties. Be cautious when introducing grade 3 or above varieties. Try planting a small amount first, and then plant in a large area after success. In arid and semi-arid areas of western Liaoning, northwestern Liaoning, and northern Liaoning, it is recommended to choose varieties with stronger drought resistance, such as Aohan, Rumble, Zhonglu No. 1, Algonquin, Fennar, Giant, CW200, WL232, WL252, Giant and other varieties. There are many saline-alkali lands in the coastal areas of Liaoning Province, so it is necessary to choose varieties with strong salt tolerance, such as Zhonglu No. 1, Golden Queen, dual-purpose alfalfa, Lianglu No. 2, etc. In the south, it is suitable to plant winter-active varieties with high autumn dormancy, resistance to diseases and pests, and tolerance to high temperatures and waterlogging: Saidi 7 (level 7), Saidi 10 (level 10), Tourist (level 8), Suntory (level 6) ).

More than 12,000 copies of more than 400 species of pasture germplasm resources have been introduced[4], of which more than 8,000 have been entered into the national long-term database and the Ministry of Agriculture’s Pasture Resource Center Library, greatly enriching my country’s pasture genetic resources. ; Provided more than 3,000 germplasm materials to relevant units across the country, and successfully bred 2 provincial-level approved forage varieties and 4 new strains (2 of which have entered the national forage variety regional trials)

Suntory

This variety was approved by the National Grass Variety Approval Committee in 2002 and registered as an introduced variety. The variety registration number is 247.

Yield and quality: Suntory alfalfa not only has high yield (The yield of hay per mu is more than 1,500 kilograms). It has a wide range of applicable areas and can be adapted to planting in most areas of North China, northwest, parts of central China, and southwest areas. It is also rich in nutrients, with protein content (18%-22%) and digestibility (more than 70%). ), with soft stems and excellent palatability, making it an ideal variety for preparing alfalfa hay.

Soil and farming: In fields where Suntory is sown, weeds must be plowed immediately after harvesting, and weeds must be harrowed and suppressed after autumn to maintain moisture and water storage. After autumn plowing in the irrigated area, irrigation is carried out, and before spring sowing, harrowing and grinding are carried out to loosen the topsoil, finely break the soil, and make the ground smooth. According to the soil fertility condition, apply organic fertilizer 1000-2---bus/acre and superphosphate 50-100 kg/acre as base fertilizer when cultivating the land.

Sowing time: According to local conditions and spring sowing, summer sowing and autumn sowing. It is better to sow early in spring and synchronize water and heat in autumn so that the seedlings will emerge neatly and there will be few weeds. In cold areas, furrows can be dug for spring sowing, and they can be raked before overwintering and covered with soil to facilitate overwintering. In the south, spring sowing should be done no later than late March, and autumn sowing should be done no later than late October.

Sowing method and seeding rate: Use rhizobia before sowing and mix as you sow. When sowing alone, the seeding rate is 1-1.5 kg/acre, the sowing depth is 1-2 cm, and the row spacing can be controlled at about 20 cm.

Field management: Suntory grows slowly in the seedling stage and is susceptible to weed damage. Weeding is required 1-2 times. In dry farming areas, the soil should be loosened and top dressing should be applied promptly after each mowing; in irrigated areas, water should be combined with fertilization to promote regeneration. Fertilization should be mainly compound fertilizer, and nitrogen fertilizer should not be applied or should be applied sparingly.