Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
- Hassan Monirifar 1
- Khoshnood Alizadeh Dizaj 2
- Armin Vahed Rezaei 3
- fardaneh osati 4
- Faramarz Soltani 5
- Taha Azarinejad 5
- Sadegh Shahbazi 6
1 Associate Professor, Agricultural and horticultural research department, East Azarbaijan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural research, education and promotion organization Tabriz, Iran
2 Professor, West Azarbaijan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural research, education and promotion organization, Urmia, Iran
3 Ph.D. Candidate of Genetic and Plant Breeding, Deportment of Agronomy and Plant Breeding, University of Mohaghegh Ardabili, Ardabil, Iran
4 Researcher, Agricultural and horticultural research department, East Azarbaijan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural research, education and promotion organization Tabriz, Iran
5 Senior Expert, Agricultural and horticultural research department, East Azarbaijan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural research, education and promotion organization Tabriz, Iran
6 Dryland Agricultural Research institute
Abstract
Introduction: Alfalfa is one of the most important perennial forage plants, which has a certain advantage over other forage plants due to its important nutrients, including protein, minerals, various vitamins, and forage palatability. It is highly adaptable to cold and temperate climates, and also has the ability to increase soil fertility due to its nitrogen fixation. Research has shown that there is sufficient diversity in terms of different traits between alfalfa ecotypes in water deficit conditions, and it is possible to introduce suitable alfalfa cultivars for rainfed cultivation in the semi-arid conditions of the country.
Methodology: In order to evaluate the yield and quality of 25 alfalfa ecotypes along with two control varieties under rainfed conditions and to introduce the most suitable ecootypes, a research was performed as randomized complete blocks design with three replications in Tikmeh Dash and Maragheh dryland research stations during 2020-2023 cropping years. In addition to evaluating fresh forage yield and dry yield, other agronomic traits including plant height at harvest, regrowth rate after each harvest, and autumn dormancy score were measured in the ecotypes evaluated. After measuring the traits at both stations, a combined analysis of variance was performed based on randomized complete blocks design during three years.
Research findings: The results showed that there was a significant difference between the studied ecotypes in terms of measured traits (p˂0.01). The average fresh forage yield of all ecotypes investigated in Tikmeh Dash and Maragheh stations was 4148 and 2469 kg/ha, respectively, and the average yield of dry matter was estimated as 2469 and 1550 kg/ha, respectively. The results showed that the total average yield of fresh forage and dry matter in two stations was 3548 and 2009 kg/ha respectively. Ecotypes No. 2 and 12 showed the highest and lowest fresh forage yields. The highest yield of dry matter belonged to ecotype number 2 (2911 kg/ha) and the order of ecotypes in terms of these two traits was almost the same and after ecotype number 2, ecotypes number 21, 8, 12, 4, 24, 9, 16 and 19. In general, ecotypes number 2, 8, 21, 24 and 4 were identified and selected as the best ecotypes in rainfed conditions.
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