SCIENTIFIC SUBSTANTIATION OF THE PRODUCTIVITY OF SOWING ALFALFA DEPENDING ON SOIL AND CLIMATIC CONDITIONS OF THE FOREST-STEPPE OF UKRAINE
Authors: Hetman N. Y. , Danyliuk B. М. 
Published: March 2024

The article presents a review of literature sources on the study of alfalfa productivity depending on the influence of sowing dates, mineral phosphorus-potassium nutrition, soil liming, pre-sowing seed treatment with bacterial preparations and modes of grass stand use when grown for fodder purposes.

It was found that the change of photoperiod in the year of sowing was a signal in alfalfa plants to pass through the microstages of growth and development, which was determined by the length of daylight hours and sowing dates, regardless of hydrothermal resources. Observations showed that the crop reached the beginning of flowering phase (code 61-62 of the BBSN) at daylight hours of 14:53-16:12 h, while at 12:48 h it reached the budding phase (code 49 of the BBSN).

Regardless of climate change, which has been observed for more than a decade, sowing alfalfa provided the highest productivity indicators with early spring sowing and long-term use of the grass stand. Over the three years of vegetation, its leaf mass yield averaged 47.03 t/ha, dry matter yield was 11.09 and 2.07 t/ha of crude protein, and gross and metabolizable energy were 204.72 and 104.52 GJ/ha, respectively. At the same time, with the recommended summer sowing date (20 July), the indicators decreased by 9.1, 11.5, 13.1, 12.2 and 11.7%, respectively.

Analysing the agro-ecological resources of Ukraine, given the natural soil fertility, moisture, temperature and light conditions, they are quite favourable for the maximum realisation of the biological potential of the fodder productivity of sowing alfalfa within the yield of fodder units of 10-12 t/ha and 1.8-2.2 t/ha of digestible protein.

Among the elements of intensifying the cultivation of seed alfalfa for the production of plant raw materials and harvesting of various types of fodder, fertilisation is the most effective factor influencing their quantity and quality. To calculate the amount of mineral fertiliser, we take into account the biological characteristics of the crop, its cyclical growth and development during the growing season, the method of sowing and the duration of grassland use.

Regardless of the geographical origin of the seed alfalfa, for two years of using the grass stand and observing technological measures of cultivation (lime, phosphorus-potassium mineral fertilisers, seed inoculation), alfalfa provided the highest yield of crude protein of 5.83-5.97 t/ha when mowing the first mowing in the flowering phase, the second - at the beginning of flowering and the third in the budding phase. Mowing of three mowings of sowing alfalfa at the beginning of the flowering phase contributes to the effective use of the light regime of the growing season as the main factor in increasing productivity.

Innovative technologies for growing seed alfalfa use growth-regulating agents of various origins, microfertilisers and biological seed treatment products to increase yields and dry matter quality for foliar feeding. The complex application of these preparations provides an increase in the yield of leaf mass by 16.6-18.2%.

Thus, in the context of modern agricultural development, alfalfa is one of the components of reducing the anthropogenic load on the agro-ecological system and increasing the production of environmentally friendly high-protein feed and livestock products for the purpose of efficient use of hydrothermal resources and environmental protection.