The effect of some morphological traits of collection alfalfa samples on productivity through a three-year growing cycle

The current paper has presented the study conducted in the alfalfa collection nursery on the experimental plots of the Agricultural Research Center “Donskoy” in the period from 2021 to 2023. The purpose of the study was to determine the dependence of green mass productivity of collection alfalfa samples on the morphological traits of plants. The object of the study was a collection of alfalfa, consisting of 105 samples developed created at FSBSI ARC “Donskoy”. Sowing was carried out manually, with row spacing of 20 cm. The area of the plots was 1 m2 , with double repetition. The seed-sowing rate for alfalfa was 2 g/m2 . The standard variety was ‘Rostovskaya 90’. As a result, there was revealed that over 3 years the highest mean productivity of alfalfa green mass was formed in two groups of samples according to plant height: 1) 80–85 cm – 8.10 kg/m2 (the samples ‘SGP-424’, ‘SPCh 401/2000’); 2) 105–110 cm – 7.88 kg/m2 (‘SGP-162’, ‘SGP-189’, ‘SGP-175’, etc.). This indicator of alfalfa productivity was the highest (7.81 kg/m2 ) in the optimal values of tillering (15–20 pcs.). The highest alfalfa green mass productivity was formed by the samples with foliage of 48–50 % and 42–44 %. The green mass productivity of alfalfa samples varied within the range of 3.33–10.49 kg/m2 . There have been identified 7 samples which productivity ranged from 9.09 kg/m2 to 10.49 kg/m2. There have been selected the samples that combined the highest green mass productivity with tallness and high foliage of plants, as well as the greatest leaf length and hay yields.