HIGH YIELDING GRASS MIXTURES FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF HAY AND PASTURE PLANT STANDS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25930/2687-1254/002.4.15.2022Keywords:
pastures, hayfields, legume-grass phytocoenosis, perennial grasses, disk shallow plowing of turfAbstract
Natural steppe hayfields and pastures, as well as sown forage lands, are an
important source of cheap, high-quality fodder production, so they are presented as economically more attractive in comparison to expensive fodder crop rotations. However, the productivity of natural steppe fodder-producing areas and forage lands, which were sown long ago,
is relatively low. Therefore, for the effective use of such lands, it is necessary to significantly
increase their productivity through the use of low-cost technological methods for improving
them, which, based on the use of fairly inexpensive methods of cultivation, significantly increase the productivity of plant stands. In order to achieve this, over a long period (2006-
2020) in various soil and climatic zones of the Stavropol Territory, experiments were carried
out to restore natural plant stands and those which were sown long ago by using low-cost
technologies based on increasing the productivity of phytocoenosis. The research locations
were: extremely arid zone – breeding farm “Druzhba” in Apanasenkovsky District; arid zone
– breeding farm “Vostok” in Stepnovsky District; unstable moistening zone – experimental
station of Shpakovsky District. The studies have shown that with a superficial improvement
of natural grassland, the productivity of newly created plant stands increases by more than
2,0-2,5 times compared with the unimproved ones, while the quality indicators of the obtained
fodder from these lands are significantly improved and material and technical means are
saved compared with a radical improvement. The use of undersowing legumes and grasses in
tilled turf is an effective way to increase the yield of biomass of phytocoenosis, which in the
zone of dry steppes provides an output of green matter up to 18,8-25,0 t/ha, dry matter – 3,0-
4,9 t/ha, exchange energy – 30,0-54,0 GJ/ha, and in the zone of unstable moistening up to
20,0-32,3 t/ha, 4,0-8,0 t/ha and 34,8-67,3 GJ/ha, respectively.
