Evaluation of Alfalfa Swards in the Conditions of Middle Balkan Mountains

One of the most effective measures used to enhance natural grasslands in mountain and semi-mountain conditions is the inclusion of species such as alfalfa which is characterized by increased productivity, stability and adaptability. Thus, a comparative study of 3 varieties (‘Pleven 6’, ‘Prista 2’, ‘Multifoliate’) and 2 local populations (LP1, LP2) of alfalfa was conducted in the semi-mountain conditions of the Middle Balkan Mountains. The complex evaluation, comprising productivity and parameters of stability and adaptability, determined the sward of local population LP1, followed by varieties ‘Prista 2’ and ‘Pleven 6’ as the most suitable for cultivation in the Middle Balkan Mountains. They can be used successfully to enhance the composition of natural grasslands. The swards of species, such as birdsfoot trefoil and red clover, which were traditionally grown and typical for the Middle Balkan Mountains, were characterized by lower productivity, stability and adaptability respectively

Nutritive value responses to biological products in alfalfa forage (Medicago sativa L.)

The effects of the biological insecticides Madex and Agricolle, applied alone or in combination with the biological fertilizers Lithovit and Nagro, on chemical composition and enzyme in vitro digestibility, as well as energy feeding value of alfalfa dry mass were studied. Treatments were carried out at the beginning of the flowering stage during the second cutting for control of economically important pests, testing a method of organic pest control. Independent and combined applications of several biological products were found to influence positively the chemical composition, enzyme in vitro digestibility, and energy and protein nutritional value of alfalfa feed. An optimal combination of decrease in the content of plant cell wall fiber components and a significant increase in forage enzyme in vitro digestibility was revealed after the application of Agricolle and a combination of Agricolle and Nagro. Digestibility reached 60.4 and 59.9%, respectively, which is an increase of 12.0 and 11.0%. Alfalfa low fiber, high protein content, and digestibility made a very good complement to grains and other forages in dairy rations after treatment with biological products

Phenotypic Variability of White Lupine (Lupinus albus L.) Germplasm

Collecting, exploring and using a suitable, genetically diverse source material with different ecological-geographical origin is a determining prerequisite for the breeding success. The present study was conducted during the 2014-2016 period at theInstituteofForage Crops(Pleven,Bulgaria) with 23 cultivars of white lupine originatingPoland,RussiaandUkraine. It was found a significant genetic diversity among the studied cultivars, which was a good prerequisite for starting a breeding program within the crop. The most favorable combination of a high seed productivity and crude protein content had cultivars ‘Tel Keram’, ‘Pflugs Ultra’, ‘WAT’, ‘Solnechnii’ and ‘Pink Mutant’, whose plants were also characterized by a mass of 1,000 seeds between 15 and 21 g. Genetically, the most distant from each other were ‘Bezimenii 1’ and ‘Pflugs Ultra’ compared to ‘Termis Mestnii’ and ‘Solnechnii’ as well as to ‘Tel Keram’. These cultivars are suitable as genitors for the development of high-yielding white lupine cultivars. Studied traits of pod length, number of seeds in a pod and seeds per plant showed a high positive phenotypic and genotypic correlation with the seed productivity in white lupine. Regarding productivity, it can be rely upon the mass of 1,000 seeds, plant height and number of seeds per plant due to their high total effect on the seed weight per plant