Harvest management effects on alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) production and quality in Mediterranean areas

5 Pags.- 5 Tabls.The effects of plant harvest stage, autumn harvest date and cultivars on alfalfa production and quality were determined in a 3-year field experiment established in 1992. Harvesting stage influenced annual yield and quality. Late bud-first flower harvests increased harvest frequency and forage quality in comparison with harvesting at the full bloom stage while decreasing dry-matter yield by 18% (25·5 vs. 21·6 t ha 21 ). Harvesting stage significantly affected autumn forage production and quality and yield at the first spring cut. Harvests at full bloom allowed greater autumn and spring regrowth than cutting at the late bud stage, possibly because of the accumulation of higher root reserves. Autumn harvests and cultivar significantly influenced the yields at the first spring cut in any growing season. Cutting before the first frost in autumn reduced the vigour of both cultivars, and the subsequent yield at the first cut in any year, in comparison with harvests taken after or near the first autumn frost. It is concluded that the effects of the stage of harvesting alfalfa on dry-matter production and quality are important in the Mediterranean environment of the Ebro Valley; the effects of autumn management were observed mainly on the yields of the subsequent first cut in spring but not on the total annual production.We thank J. Alsina, J. R. Sanz and E. Pou for their technical assistance. This research was financed by Deshidratadora de Alfalfa SA (DASA), TRANSALFALS SCCL and CICYT (Spanish Commission for Science and Technology).Peer reviewe