Abstract
The interactions between cutting schedule and variety were examined in a 3-year study with 18 varieties and 3 cutting schedules on the UC Davis campus. Cutting intervals ranging from 24 days to 33 days between cuts generally had a stronger influence on yield and quality than did variety. Early cutting schedules resulted in significantly lower yield, but 75-85% of the production was <29%ADF (‘Premium’ and ‘Supreme’ quality categories) compared with the medium or late schedules, which had lower quality. Fall Dormancy (FD) of the variety was an important predictor of quality. More dormant varieties were almost always higher in quality. Average change in ADF per unit FD was 0.62 %, with similar changes in NDF and CP. Under some market conditions the yield sacrifice is justified to obtain high quality, while in other market conditions it is not. We speculate that a ‘mixed’ strategy, with some high yielding/lower quality varieties, along with some higher quality/lower yielding varieties may be appropriate. A mixed cutting schedule which favors quality for some harvests and yield for others may be warranted and improve stand life. High quality varieties or short cutting schedules should not be chosen without giving full consideration to the effect of those practices on yield.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Cutting interval affected yield and quality more strongly than variety.
- Taxon
- ALFALFA
Medicago sativat0 - Treatment
- Cutting intervals ranging from 24 days to 33 days between cutse0
- Outcome
- yield and qualitye0
- Direction
- stronger influencee0
- Comparator
- varietye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“ALFALFA”
e0“Cutting intervals ranging from 24 days to 33 days between cuts generally had a stronger influence on yield and quality than did variety.”
Claim · model-written summary
Early cutting significantly lowered yield.
- Taxon
- ALFALFAMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- Early cutting schedulese0
- Outcome
- yielde0
- Direction
- lowere0
- Comparator
- medium or late schedulese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“ALFALFA”
e0“Early cutting schedules resulted in significantly lower yield, but 75-85% of the production was <29%ADF (‘Premium’ and ‘Supreme’ quality categories) compared with the medium or late schedules, which had lower quality.”
Claim · model-written summary
Early cutting yielded 75-85% production below 29% ADF.
- Taxon
- ALFALFAMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- Early cutting schedulese0
- Outcome
- production was <29%ADFe0
- Direction
- higherinferrede0
- Value
- 75-85%e0
- Comparator
- medium or late schedulese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“ALFALFA”
e0“Early cutting schedules resulted in significantly lower yield, but 75-85% of the production was <29%ADF (‘Premium’ and ‘Supreme’ quality categories) compared with the medium or late schedules, which had lower quality.”
Claim · model-written summary
Medium or late cutting schedules had lower quality.
- Taxon
- ALFALFAMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- medium or late schedulese0
- Outcome
- qualitye0
- Direction
- lowere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“ALFALFA”
e0“medium or late schedules, which had lower quality.”
Claim · model-written summary
More dormant varieties were generally higher in quality.
- Taxon
- ALFALFAMedicago sativat0
- Material
- More dormant varietiese0
- Outcome
- qualitye0
- Direction
- highere0
- Qualifier
- almost alwayse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“ALFALFA”
e0“More dormant varieties were almost always higher in quality.”
Claim · model-written summary
ADF changed 0.62 % per unit FD.
- Taxon
- ALFALFAMedicago sativat0
- Material
- FDe0
- Outcome
- ADFe0
- Value
- 0.62 %e0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“ALFALFA”
e0“Average change in ADF per unit FD was 0.62 %, with similar changes in NDF and CP.”
Claim · model-written summary
NDF and CP changed similarly with FD.
- Taxon
- ALFALFAMedicago sativat0
- Material
- FDe0
- Outcome
- NDF and CPe0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“ALFALFA”
e0“Average change in ADF per unit FD was 0.62 %, with similar changes in NDF and CP.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors suggest a mixed variety strategy.
- Taxon
- ALFALFAMedicago sativat0
- Outcome
- ‘mixed’ strategye0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“ALFALFA”
e0“We speculate that a ‘mixed’ strategy, with some high yielding/lower quality varieties, along with some higher quality/lower yielding varieties may be appropriate.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors suggest a mixed cutting schedule could improve stand life.
- Taxon
- ALFALFAMedicago sativat0
- Outcome
- mixed cutting schedulee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“ALFALFA”
e0“A mixed cutting schedule which favors quality for some harvests and yield for others may be warranted and improve stand life.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors advise considering yield before selecting short cutting schedules or high quality varieties.
- Taxon
- ALFALFAMedicago sativat0
- Outcome
- full consideration to the effect of those practices on yielde0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“ALFALFA”
e0“High quality varieties or short cutting schedules should not be chosen without giving full consideration to the effect of those practices on yield.”
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See all 11 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.