Abstract
The optimization of mowing management is crucial for establishing a high-yielding “one sowing, two harvests” system for oat (Avena sativa L.) forage production in the alpine regions of the Tibetan Plateau. This study aimed to identify the optimal combination of cutting stage and stubble height to maximize the total seasonal productivity of the system. A two-factor field experiment, arranged in a randomized complete block design, was conducted over two consecutive growing seasons (2024 and 2025) using the local cultivar ‘Qingtian No. 1’. The treatments consisted of two cutting stages (flowering stage, C1; milk stage, C2) and three stubble heights (5 cm, H1; 10 cm, H2; 15 cm, H3). Regarding regrowth phase performance, mowing at the flowering stage (C1) resulted in significantly superior agronomic traits (e.g., stem diameter, tiller number) and photosynthetic characteristics compared to the milk stage (C2). In terms of forage quality, the C2H2 treatment maximized water-soluble carbohydrate content but also led to elevated fiber levels. However, the key metric for system evaluation—the total seasonal dry matter yield—was predominantly governed by the cutting stage. Mowing at the milk stage (C2) consistently resulted in a higher total yield than C1, with optimal combinations yielding 1.31 t/ha (C2H1) in 2024 and 1.25 t/ha (C2H2) in 2025. This advantage was primarily due to a substantially greater first-harvest yield under C2, which outweighed the regrowth benefits of C1. A comprehensive evaluation based on total system productivity and forage quality indicates that mowing at the milk stage (C2) is the optimal strategy for achieving high total output. For ‘Qingtian No. 1’ oat in this region, a stubble height of 10 cm (as in the C2H2 treatment) is recommended to ensure robustness across years. This management strategy secures a high total seasonal forage yield through effective biomass allocation between harvests, extending the supply window and offering a sustainable cultivation model for this ecologically vulnerable region.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Flowering-stage mowing produced superior regrowth agronomic and photosynthetic traits relative to milk-stage mowing.
- Treatment
- mowing at the flowering stage (C1)e0
- Outcome
- agronomic traits (e.g., stem diameter, tiller number) and photosynthetic characteristicse0
- Direction
- superiore0
- Comparator
- milk stage (C2)e0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“mowing at the flowering stage (C1) resulted in significantly superior agronomic traits (e.g., stem diameter, tiller number) and photosynthetic characteristics compared to the milk stage (C2)”
Claim · model-written summary
C2H2 maximized water-soluble carbohydrate content.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“the C2H2 treatment maximized water-soluble carbohydrate content”
Claim · model-written summary
C2H2 elevated fiber levels.
Not reportedTaxonComparator
Verbatim
e0“the C2H2 treatment maximized water-soluble carbohydrate content but also led to elevated fiber levels”
Claim · model-written summary
Milk-stage mowing yielded more total seasonal dry matter than flowering-stage mowing.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Mowing at the milk stage (C2) consistently resulted in a higher total yield than C1”
Claim · model-written summary
C2H1 yielded 1.31 t/ha in 2024.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“optimal combinations yielding 1.31 t/ha (C2H1) in 2024”
Claim · model-written summary
C2H2 yielded 1.25 t/ha in 2025.
Not reportedTaxonOutcome
Verbatim
e0“1.25 t/ha (C2H2) in 2025”
Claim · model-written summary
The greater first-harvest yield under C2 outweighed C1 regrowth benefits.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“a substantially greater first-harvest yield under C2, which outweighed the regrowth benefits of C1”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend mowing Qingtian No. 1 oat at milk stage.
- Taxon
- Oat
Avena sativat0 - Material
- ‘Qingtian No. 1’t0
- Outcome
- mowing at the milk stage (C2) is the optimal strategy for achieving high total outpute0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“mowing at the milk stage (C2) is the optimal strategy for achieving high total output”
t0“‘Qingtian No. 1’ Oat”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors recommend a 10 cm stubble height for Qingtian No. 1 oat across years.
- Taxon
- oatAvena sativae0
- Material
- ‘Qingtian No. 1’e0
- Outcome
- a stubble height of 10 cm (as in the C2H2 treatment) is recommendede0
- Qualifier
- robustness across yearse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“For ‘Qingtian No. 1’ oat in this region, a stubble height of 10 cm (as in the C2H2 treatment) is recommended to ensure robustness across years”
The same questions in other papers
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See all 20 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.