LU500425B1 - Method for planting alfalfa in an alpine pasture area - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a method for planting alfalfa in an alpine pasture area, comprising: S1. selecting sandy loam or loam plots with flat terrain, good drainage, deep soil layer; S2. applying a basal fertilizer in the plots, plowing and tilling the plots, and flattening and raking the plots in sequence; S3. seed selection and planting; S4. field management; S5. harvesting at mature stage. By using the present method, alfalfa can be successfully planted in the alpine pasture area, solving the problem of single species of artificial grassland in the alpine pasture area and increasing the protein yield per unit area of forage grass, improving quality and utilization of forage grass, improving the quality of artificial grassland, and enhancing the function of the artificial grassland ecosystem in the alpine pasture area.

Description

DESCRIPTION 500425

TECHNICAL FIELD The present disclosure relates to the technical field of forage grass cultivation in an alpine pasture area, in particular to a method for planting alfalfa in an alpine pasture area.

BACKGROUND Alfalfa is a Fabales, Papilionaceae, Medicago L. plant, and alfalfa is widely distributed in Europe, Asia, America and Africa. There are more than 60 species in the world. There are 16 species in China, which are widely distributed, both wild and cultivated. Alfalfa is the earliest cultivated and most widely planted forage grass in the world. Alfalfa is known as the "king of forage grass”. It not only has high yield, but also has excellent grass quality, and all kinds of livestock and poultry are fond of eating alfalfa. The alpine pasture area of Qinghai Province has very high altitude, it has arid and cold winter and spring, windy and sandy climate, and short growth time in the warm seasons. Due to natural conditions, alfalfa is difficult to plant successfully in the alpine pasture area when planting alfalfa according to general sowing and planting measures, which becomes a restriction and a major obstacle to the development of alfalfa plantation in alpine pasture areas and has severely restricts the sustainable development of alfalfa grassland. Due to the special geographical conditions and unique natural environment in the alpine pasture area, grasses such as Elymus dahuricus, S. sylvestris and Poa pratensis, as excellent cultivated forage grasses widely planted in pastoral areas of Qinghai Province, have become the main source of forage in the dry seasons of winter and spring. However, the above-mentioned perennial gramineous grasses are generally low in protein content as energy-type forages, which cannot meet the normal requirements of livestock for protein nutrition in the cold seasons. The establishment of mixed-seed artificial grassland can increase the yield and protein content of 2 forage grass per unit area, and improve the quality and utilization of forage LUS00425 grass. However, due to natural conditions, the introduction and cultivation of leguminous forages in alpine pasture areas is generally arrow pea. As an annual climbing herb, arrow pea cannot grow upright by itself and needs to be planted every year, which significantly increases the planting cost. In addition, the arrow pea cannot be mixed-sowed or inter-planted with perennial gramineous grasses can achieve the purpose of sustainable use for many years once planted. If alfalfa can be successfully established in the alpine pasture area, and forage quantity can be increased and the quality of the forage grass can be improved, thus improving the sustainable utilization rate of artificial grassland.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE In view of this, the present disclosure provides a method for planting alfalfa in alpine pasture areas (such as the alpine pasture areas on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau), and the method can be used to successfully plant alfalfa in alpine pasture areas. Forage quantity can be increased and the quality of the forage grass can be improved, thus improving the sustainable utilization rate of artificial grassland. In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose of the present disclosure, the present disclosure adopts the following technical solutions. A planting method of alfalfa in alpine pasture area, comprising the steps of: S1. a step of site selection, comprising: selecting sandy loam or loam plots with flat terrain, good drainage, deep soil layer and an pH value of 6.0-9.0; S2. a step of land preparation and fertilization, comprising: applying a basal fertilizer in the plots, plowing and tilling the plots, and flattening and raking the plots in sequence; wherein the basal fertilizers are farmyard manure and NP compound fertilizer, and the farmyard manure is applied in an amount of 1000kg/Mu—2000kg/Mu (Mu is a Chinese unit of area, 3

1 Mu = 0.0667 hectares), the amount of NP compound fertilizer is LUS00425 6kg/Mu—15kg/Mu, and the plow tillage depth is 20-30cm; S3. a step of seed selection and planting, comprising: S31. seed selection, comprising: selecting tiller type and/or branching type alfalfa varieties with a fall dormancy rating of 1 to 3 and strong regeneration ability; S32. seed cleaning and drying, comprising: cleaning the alfalfa manually or mechanically to remove residual contaminants and eliminate foreign grains, broken grains and shriveled grains in the alfalfa seeds; choosing clear-weather days before sowing, and placing the seeds on the side facing the sun and drying the seeds for 2-3 days to increase germination rate and survival rate of the seeds; S33. seed mixing, comprising: mixing fine sands and the alfalfa seeds in a ratio of 4-5:1, or taking surface soil in old alfalfa fields and mixing the surface soil with alfalfa seeds homogenously in a ratio of 2-3:1; S34.sowing, comprising: ditching the plots and seeding the alfalfa seeds using a seeding machine and adopting a method of ridging the seeds row-by-row, with a trench depth being 9-10cm; covering the soil after spreading the seeds, with a soil-covering depth being 1-2cm and a row spacing being 30-50cm; wherein the step of sowing further comprises applying nitrogen fertilizer, phosphate fertilizer and potassium fertilizer as a seed fertilizer during sowing; S4. a step of field management including top-dressing and irrigation steps, comprising: applying potassium fertilizer at the tillering and jointing stage of the alfalfa to promote accumulation of nutrients stored in the roots of the alfalfa plants; wherein the potassium fertilizer is a potassium dihydrogen phosphate fertilizer or a potassium sulfate fertilizer, and the fertilizer is applied in an amount of 5kg/Mu—10kg/Mu through lateral deep trough fertilization; 4 carrying out irrigation by following the principle of “deep flooding and LUS00425 less watering”, with the amount of flooded water being irrigated to an extent to which the water in the soil is saturated and at least penetrates to depth greater than 5cm under the taproot, comprising carrying out spring irrigation when the alfalfa seedlings emerge or after returning green and growing to a seedling height of 2—3cm in spring, and carrying out autumn irrigation before the alfalfa are frozen in autumn; S5. a step of harvesting at mature stage, comprising: harvesting the alfalfa in a mowing fashion, with the opportunity of the mowing being controlled within 4 to 5 weeks before a frost comes to ensure that the alfalfa has at least one month of growth time from the time of being mowed to the time of the plants turning yellow and a mode of high-stubble harvesting being adopted, with the stubble height being 5cm or above.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, in step S1 former crop planted in the selected plot is a gramineous crop.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, in step S1, when testing the pH value of the soil in the selected plot, adjusting the pH value of the soil to a range of 6.0 and 9.0 with dolomite powder or limestone if the pH value is less than 6.0, and adjusting the pH value to a range of 6.0 and 9.0 with sulfur powder if the pH value is greater than 9.0. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the method comprises: in step S1, adjusting the pH value of the selected plot to 7.0-8.0. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, in step S2 the basal fertilizer further comprises a potassium fertilizer and the potassium fertilizer is applied in an amount of 8 kg/Mu—12 kg/Mu.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, in step S32, the method comprises inoculating the cleaned alfalfa seeds with Rhizobium.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, in step S34, choosing the sowing period at a time from April to July, and sowing as early as possible according to soil moisture content and precipitation conditions on the premise that late frost damage is avoided.

Generally speaking, the average monthly 5 temperature from April to June is around 10°C. The average monthly LUS00425 temperature above 10°C is more suitable for the growth of alfalfa, meanwhile the annual accumulation temperature in this region greater than or equal to 10°C is greater than the requirement of alfalfa for annual accumulation temperature.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, in step S34, the sowing period is selected at a time from late May to mid-June.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, in step S34, the proportion of nitrogen fertilizer, phosphate fertilizer and potassium fertilizer is 5: 1:2 with respect to the amount of the seed fertilizer.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, in step S5, the alfalfa planted in that very year is not harvested and is harvested from the following year.

In one embodiment of the present disclosure, wherein in step S5, comprising raking the plots and burying the neck of the mowed alfalfa plants in the soil after the mowed alfalfa plants turn yellow so that root collar of the alfalfa are buried in 3-5cm thick soil.

The embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method for planting alfalfa in an alpine pasture area. Through a series of measures taken in various steps, alfalfa can be successfully planted in the alpine pasture area. On one hand, the method of the present disclosure solves the problem of single species of artificial grassland in the alpine pasture area. On the other hand, the method of the present disclosure can increase the protein yield per unit area of forage grass, improve the quality and utilization of forage grass, effectively make up for the lack of protein nutrition of livestock in the winter and spring withered grass in the alpine pasture area, improve the quality of artificial grassland, and enhance the function of the artificial grassland ecosystem in the alpine pasture area.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 6

In order to make the objectives, technical solutions and advantages of LUS00425 the present disclosure clearer, specific implementations of the present disclosure will be described in detail below.

This embodiment provides a planting method of alfalfa in an alpine pasture area, which mainly includes the steps of site selection, land preparation and fertilization, seed selection and planting, field management, and harvesting at mature stage.

Step S1: site selection selecting sandy loam or loam plots with flat terrain, good drainage, deep soil layer. Low-lying soil prone to waterlogging is not suitable for planting alfalfa. Alfalfa is not tolerant to strong acids and alkalis, and prefers neutral or slightly alkaline soils. Alfalfa is capable of growing in soils with a pH value of 6.0 to 9.0, and has strong salt tolerance and may grow in soil with 0.3% soluble salt. Alfalfa nodules cannot form when the soil pH is below 6.0, and alfalfa cannot grow due to calcium shortage when the pH is below 5.0.

In a preferred embodiment, for the selected plot, the previous crops planted are gramineous crops. Furthermore, the pH value of the soil in the selected plot is tested. Adjust the pH value of the soil to a range of 6.0 and 9.0 with dolomite powder or limestone if the pH value is less than 6.0, and adjust the pH value to a range of 6.0 and 9.0 with sulfur powder if the pH value is greater than 9.0. It is most preferable to adjust the selected plots to a pH value between 7.0 and 8.0.

Step S2. a step of land preparation and fertilization, comprising: applying a basal fertilizer in the plots, plowing and tilling the plots, and flattening and raking the plots in sequence.

Land is prepared before sowing, and basal fertilizer is applied, and the tillage depth 20-30cm or above. The attached root nodules of alfalfa can immobilize nitrogen, but the nitrogen nutrition from the seedling stage to a time before the nodule formation is mainly supplemented by fertilization. Organic fertilizer is an excellent fertilizer for improving soil structure and soil fertility. For basal fertilizer, decomposed farmyard manure is applied in an amount of 7

1000kg-2000kg every mu, and NP compound fertilizer is applied 6kg—15kg LUS00425 every mu. After fertilization, the soil and fertilizer are mixed evenly through moderate deep plow and soil preparation, and it is conducive to root growth and seedling emergence. The Planting of the alfalfa requires the plots to have deep soil layer, deeply plowed and deeply loose foundation. High quality of soil preparation is required, leveling and raking of the plots is required and soil should be finely fragmented to ensure that the seedlings are growing uniformly and robust.

In a preferred embodiment, the fertilizer used as the basal fertilizer further includes potassium fertilizer, and the amount of potassium fertilizer can be selected in a range from 8 kg/Mu to 12 kg/Mu.

Step S3. seed selection and planting S31. Seed selection: Based on the soil fertility and climatic conditions in the Qingnan pastoral area of Qinghai Province, alfalfa varieties that have high-quality, high-yield, physiologically dormant and a fall dormancy grade of 1 to 3, and strong regeneration ability of root tiller and/or branched are selected.

S32. seed cleaning and drying, comprising: The alfalfa is cleaned manually or mechanically to remove residual contaminants and eliminate foreign grains, broken grains and shriveled grains in the alfalfa seeds, and the purity and germination rate are required to reach 85% or above. Clear-weather days are chosen before sowing, and the seeds are placed on the side facing the sun and drying the seeds for 2-3 days to increase germination rate and survival rate of the seeds.

Furthermore, in a preferred embodiment, the washed alfalfa seeds can also be inoculated with Rhizobium.

S33. seed mixing: Fine sands and the alfalfa seeds are mixed in a ratio of 4+5:1, which is beneficial for the alfalfa seeds to be easily and evenly spread into the soil during subsequent sowing; or taking surface soil in old alfalfa fields and mixing the surface soil with alfalfa seeds homogenously in a ratio of 2-3:1 to achieve the goal root nodule inoculation; 8

S34.sowing, comprising: LUS00425 The plots are ditched and the alfalfa seeds are seeded using a seeding machine and a method of ridging the seeds row-by-row is adopted, with a trench depth being 9—10cm; covering the soil after spreading the seeds, with a soil-covering depth being 1-2cm and a row spacing being 30-50cm.

The step of sowing further comprises applying nitrogen fertilizer, phosphate fertilizer and potassium fertilizer as a seed fertilizer during sowing.

Among them, the sowing period is determined according to the local natural conditions and the characteristics of alfalfa itself.

The general principle is to plant as early as possible according to the soil moisture content and precipitation conditions while avoiding late frost damage.

For the alpine pastures in Qinghai Province, alfalfa can be sown from April to July.

Spring sowing and summer sowing are mostly used in alpine regions.

Spring sowing is often used in areas with favorable soil moisture content and minor wind and sand hazards in the spring.

When the soil temperature rises to the minimum temperature required for seeds of alfalfa to germinate, it is preferred to start sowing.

The roots of alfalfa that are sown in spring are well developed, which is conducive for the alfalfa to go through over the wintering safely.

However, most areas of the alpine pasture area have the climatic and environmental characteristics such as severe coldness in winter, severe wind erosion in winter and spring, dry soil in spring, and late frost.

Summer planting is generally adopted.

However, considering that alfalfa grows slowly in that very year of planting, therefore, it is better to sow early than late in summer, and it is preferred to sow no later than June.

Best sowing period should be from late May to 6 mid-June so that there are at least 2.5 months for alfalfa to grow, and alfalfa plants winter should have 2 branches, enlarged crown with a diameter greater than 0.5cm.

In the present disclosure, for the seed fertilizer, most of the alfalfa seeds currently used in production are uncoated seeds, and there are few root nodules in the very year of sowing, and proper amount of nitrogen fertilizer is applied as seed fertilizer to promote the formation of alfalfa nodules. 9

Phosphate fertilizer is used as seed fertilizer to prolong the growth period of LUS00425 alfalfa, promote the fixation and absorption of nitrogen in alfalfa nodules, increase the cold resistance of alfalfa, and increase the overwintering rate.

Phosphate fertilizer is difficult to migrate, thus it needs to be applied in advance.

It is best to apply enough in one effort before or during planting.

Applying potassium fertilizer as seed fertilizer can inhibit the invasion of weeds, prevent the incidence of pests and diseases, and improve the quality of forage grass.

Preferably, the seed fertilizer is applied in a ratio of 5:1:2 for nitrogen fertilizer, phosphate fertilizer and potash fertilizer, respectively.

S4. Field management (1) Seedling management: Seedling management is very important for the establishment of alfalfa.

The key management of spring and summer planting is to control weeds and ensure soil moisture content. (2) Top-dressing: during the branching period of alfalfa, potassium fertilizer is applied to promote the accumulation of nutrients stored in the roots of alfalfa plants.

The potassium fertilizer is a potassium dihydrogen phosphate fertilizer or a potassium sulfate fertilizer, with an application amount of 5kg/Mu—10kg/Mu, and the fertilization method of lateral deep trough fertilization is adopted.

Top-dressing is an indispensable factor to improve the overwintering rate of alfalfa.

During the tillering stage and jointing stage of alfalfa, potassium fertilizer is applied to promote the accumulation of nutrients stored in the roots of alfalfa plants, especially to increase the potassium content in the plant and increase the cold resistance of the plant.

The potassium content in the alfalfa reflects the cold resistance of the plant to a certain extent.

The fertilization method of lateral deep trough fertilization may adopted so that the fertilizer may be the distributed about 5 cm under the seed at the lower lateral side of the seed, the dihydrogen phosphate fertilizer or the potassium sulfate fertilizer is applied in an amount of 5-10kg/Mu.

For the application method of fertilizer, a foliar fertilizer may also be applied, and NPK fertilizer is applied 10-15kg per Mu. (3) Irrigation: 10

Irrigation of alfalfa should be carried out by following the principle of LUS00425 “deep flooding and less watering”, with the amount of flooded water being irrigated to an extent to which the water in the soil is saturated and at least penetrates to depth greater than 5cm under the taproot. Shallow irrigation will affect the penetration of the roots and cause lateral development of the root system in the top soil layer, resulting in shallow roots and fibrous roots which are vulnerable to frost. Alfalfa is usually irrigated once in spring and autumn. Specifically, spring irrigation is carried out when the alfalfa seedlings emerge or after returning green and grows to a seedling height of 2-3cm in spring, and autumn irrigation before the alfalfa are frozen in autumn is carried out. Autumn irrigation in September facilitates hibernation of alfalfa.

S5. Harvesting upon maturing A mowing fashion is adopted when the alfalfa in harvested. The mowing opportunity and stubble height are stringently restricted. Mowing is the main harvest approach for alfalfa, and it is also an important factor affecting the safe overwintering of alfalfa. When mowing, it is necessary to fully consider the nutrient regeneration of alfalfa and the accumulation of root storage nutrients. The opportunity of the mowing should be controlled within 4 to 5 weeks before a frost comes to ensure that the alfalfa has at least one month of growth time from the time of being mowed to the time of the plants turning yellow and a mode of high-stubble harvesting is adopted, with the stubble height being better at 5cm—6cm.

For areas with little snowfall, the stubble height should be 10cm or above. It is prohibited to shovel neatly with the shovel leveling the surface of the soil.

In an preferred embodiment, due to the short alpine pastoral warm season time, the seedlings of alfalfa dwarf that very year, and root growth is not robust, thus the alfalfa sowed that very year is not to be mowed in late fall, and harvesting is started the following year (the next year).

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In a further preferred embodiment, for the mowed alfalfa plants, after LUS00425 the alfalfa plants are withered, the necks of the alfalfa plants are raked flat, so that the roots and necks of the alfalfa are buried in 3 to 5 cm thick soil.

It should be noted that in the above-mentioned cultivation method, the parts that are not specifically described herein can be carried out by referring to the prior arts. For example, the steps of field management may further include step of weed control and the like.

In the above embodiments it is provided a method for planting alfalfa in an alpine pasture area. Through a series of measures taken in various steps, alfalfa can be successfully planted in the alpine pasture area. On one hand, the method of the present disclosure solves the problem of single species of artificial grassland in the alpine pasture area. On the other hand, the method of the present disclosure can increase the protein yield per unit area of forage grass, improve the quality and utilization of forage grass, effectively make up for the lack of protein nutrition of livestock in the winter and spring withered grass in the alpine pasture area, improve the quality of artificial grassland, and enhance the function of the artificial grassland ecosystem in the alpine pasture area.

Described above are merely specific embodiments of present disclosure, and it should be pointed out that for those of ordinary skill in the art, several improvements and modifications can be made without departing from the principles of this application, and these improvements and modifications should also be regarded as the scope of protection of this application.

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Claims (11)

CLAIMS LU500425

1. À method for planting alfalfa in an alpine pasture area, wherein the method comprises: S1. a step of site selection, comprising: selecting sandy loam or loam plots with flat terrain, good drainage, deep soil layer and an pH value of 6.0-9.0; S2. a step of land preparation and fertilization, comprising: applying a basal fertilizer in the plots, plowing and tilling the plots, and flattening and raking the plots in sequence; wherein the basal fertilizers are farmyard manure and NP compound fertilizer, and the farmyard manure is applied in an amount of 1000kg/Mu-2000kg/Mu, the amount of NP compound fertilizer is 6kg/Mu—15kg/Mu, and the plow tillage depth is 20-30cm; S3. a step of seed selection and planting, comprising: S31. seed selection, comprising: selecting tiller type and/or branching type alfalfa varieties with a fall dormancy rating of 1 to 3 and strong regeneration ability; S32. seed cleaning and drying, comprising: cleaning the alfalfa manually or mechanically to remove residual contaminants and eliminate foreign grains, broken grains and shriveled grains in the alfalfa seeds; choosing clear-weather days before sowing, and placing the seeds on the side facing the sun and drying the seeds for 2-3 days to increase germination rate and survival rate of the seeds; S33. seed mixing, comprising: mixing fine sands and the alfalfa seeds in a ratio of 4-5:1, or taking surface soil in old alfalfa fields and mixing the surface soil with alfalfa seeds homogenously in a ratio of 2-3:1; S34.sowing, comprising: ditching the plots and seeding the alfalfa seeds using a seeding machine and adopting a method of ridging the seeds row-by-row, with a trench depth being 9-10cm; covering the soil after spreading the seeds, with a soil-covering depth being 1-2cm and a row spacing being 30-50cm; wherein 13 the step of sowing further comprises applying nitrogen fertilizer, phosphate LUS00425 fertilizer and potassium fertilizer as a seed fertilizer during sowing; S4. a step of field management including top-dressing and irrigation steps, comprising: applying potassium fertilizer at the tillering and jointing stage of the alfalfa to promote accumulation of nutrients stored in the roots of the alfalfa plants; wherein the potassium fertilizer is a potassium dihydrogen phosphate fertilizer or a potassium sulfate fertilizer, and the fertilizer is applied in an amount of 5kg/Mu—10kg/Mu through lateral deep trough fertilization; carrying out irrigation by following the principle of “deep flooding and less watering”, with the amount of flooded water being irrigated to an extent to which the water in the soil is saturated and at least penetrates to depth greater than 5cm under the taproot, comprising carrying out spring irrigation when the alfalfa seedlings emerge or after returning green and growing to a seedling height of 2—3cm in spring, and carrying out autumn irrigation before the alfalfa are frozen in autumn; S5. a step of harvesting at mature stage, comprising: harvesting the alfalfa in a mowing fashion, with the opportunity of the mowing being controlled within 4 to 5 weeks before a frost comes to ensure that the alfalfa has at least one month of growth time from the time of being mowed to the time of the plants turning yellow and a mode of high-stubble harvesting being adopted, with the stubble height being 5cm or above.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step S1 former crop planted in the selected plot is a gramineous crop.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step S1, when testing the pH value of the soil in the selected plot, adjusting the pH value of the soil to a range of 6.0 and 9.0 with dolomite powder or limestone if the pH value is less than 6.0, and adjusting the pH value to a range of 6.0 and 9.0 with sulfur powder if the pH value is greater than 9.0.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein in step S1, adjusting the pH value of the selected plot to 7.0-8.0.

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5. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step S2 the basal LUS00425 fertilizer further comprises a potassium fertilizer, and the potassium fertilizer is applied in an amount of 8 kg/Mu-12 kg/Mu.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step S32, further comprising inoculating the cleaned alfalfa seeds with Rhizobium.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step S34, choosing the sowing period at a time from April to July, and sowing as early as possible according to soil moisture content and precipitation conditions on the premise that late frost damage be avoided.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein in step S34, the sowing period is selected at a time from late May to mid-June.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step S34, the proportion of nitrogen fertilizer, phosphate fertilizer and potassium fertilizer is 5: 1: 2 with respect to the amount of the seed fertilizer.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step S5, the alfalfa planted in that very year is not harvested and is harvested from the following year.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein in step S5, comprising raking the plots and burying the neck of the mowed alfalfa plants in the soil after the mowed alfalfa plants turn yellow so that root collar of the alfalfa are buried in 3-5cm thick soil.