Abstract
Zero-till seed drills are readily available for crop seeding in the prairie region of western Canada but have not been evaluated for sod-seeding in perennial forage. Sod-seeding a legume, such as alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), into the existing perennial grass vegetation improves forage yield and quality for ruminant livestock grazing and production. Suppression of the existing vegetation with herbicide has been reported to increase alfalfa seedling establishment. We evaluated six commercially available zero-till seed drill openers by sod-seeding alfalfa into a crested wheatgrass [Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn.] pasture with or without glyphosate suppression of the existing vegetation in Lanigan Saskatchewan. Alfalfa seedling establishment (52.2 vs. 21.9 seedlings m −1 ± 6.8), alfalfa composition (42.5% vs. 0.2% ± 8.6), and alfalfa yield (1105 kg·ha −1 vs. 12 kg·ha −1 ± 206) in 2011 were increased by the application of herbicide. Seed drill openers performed similarly for all three variables. Nine years later, in June 2020, there was greater alfalfa composition (13.3% vs. 0% ± 2.3) and forage yield (1325 vs. 957 kg·ha −1 ± 127) in the sod-seeded plots than in the unseeded controls but the alfalfa plant cover, alfalfa composition, alfalfa yield and forage yield were similar among seed drill openers. There was also no difference in these variables due to herbicide application nine years prior. Livestock producers can utilize currently available zero-till seeding equipment for sod-seeding alfalfa to rejuvenate grass pastures in the thin Black soil zone of western Canada with the expectation of persistence of alfalfa for nine years.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Herbicide increased alfalfa seedling establishment in 2011.
- Taxon
- Alfalfa
Medicago sativae0 - Treatment
- application of herbicidee0
- Outcome
- Alfalfa seedling establishmente0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 52.2 vs. 21.9 seedlings m −1 ± 6.8e0
- Setting
- 2011e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Alfalfa seedling establishment (52.2 vs. 21.9 seedlings m −1 ± 6.8), alfalfa composition (42.5% vs. 0.2% ± 8.6), and alfalfa yield (1105 kg·ha −1 vs. 12 kg·ha −1 ± 206) in 2011 were increased by the application of herbicide.”
Claim · model-written summary
Herbicide increased alfalfa composition in 2011.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Treatment
- application of herbicidee0
- Outcome
- alfalfa compositione0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 42.5% vs. 0.2% ± 8.6e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Alfalfa seedling establishment (52.2 vs. 21.9 seedlings m −1 ± 6.8), alfalfa composition (42.5% vs. 0.2% ± 8.6), and alfalfa yield (1105 kg·ha −1 vs. 12 kg·ha −1 ± 206) in 2011 were increased by the application of herbicide.”
Claim · model-written summary
Herbicide increased alfalfa yield in 2011.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Treatment
- application of herbicidee0
- Outcome
- alfalfa yielde0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 1105 kg·ha −1 vs. 12 kg·ha −1 ± 206e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Alfalfa seedling establishment (52.2 vs. 21.9 seedlings m −1 ± 6.8), alfalfa composition (42.5% vs. 0.2% ± 8.6), and alfalfa yield (1105 kg·ha −1 vs. 12 kg·ha −1 ± 206) in 2011 were increased by the application of herbicide.”
Claim · model-written summary
Six seed drill openers performed similarly for establishment, composition, and yield.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- Seed drill openerse0
- Outcome
- all three variablese0
- Direction
- similarlye0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Seed drill openers performed similarly for all three variables.”
t0“alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Nine years later, sod-seeded plots had greater alfalfa composition than unseeded controls.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Treatment
- sod-seeded plotse0
- Outcome
- alfalfa compositione0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Value
- 13.3% vs. 0% ± 2.3e0
- Qualifier
- Nine years later, in June 2020e0
- Comparator
- unseeded controlse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Nine years later, in June 2020, there was greater alfalfa composition (13.3% vs. 0% ± 2.3) and forage yield (1325 vs. 957 kg·ha −1 ± 127) in the sod-seeded plots than in the unseeded controls”
Claim · model-written summary
Nine years later, sod-seeded plots had greater forage yield.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Treatment
- sod-seeded plotse0
- Outcome
- forage yielde0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Value
- 1325 vs. 957 kg·ha −1 ± 127e0
- Comparator
- unseeded controlse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Nine years later, in June 2020, there was greater alfalfa composition (13.3% vs. 0% ± 2.3) and forage yield (1325 vs. 957 kg·ha −1 ± 127) in the sod-seeded plots than in the unseeded controls”
Claim · model-written summary
After nine years, plant cover, composition, alfalfa yield, and forage yield were similar across drill openers.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Treatment
- seed drill openerse0
- Outcome
- alfalfa plant cover, alfalfa composition, alfalfa yield and forage yielde0
- Direction
- similare0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the alfalfa plant cover, alfalfa composition, alfalfa yield and forage yield were similar among seed drill openers.”
Claim · model-written summary
Herbicide application nine years earlier did not differentiate those alfalfa and forage measures.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- herbicide applicatione0
- Outcome
- these variablese0
- Direction
- no differencee0
- Qualifier
- nine years priore0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“There was also no difference in these variables due to herbicide application nine years prior.”
t0“alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Available zero-till equipment can be used to sod-seed alfalfa and expect nine-year persistence.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Outcome
- utilize currently available zero-till seeding equipment for sod-seeding alfalfae0
- Qualifier
- nine yearse0
- Setting
- thin Black soil zone of western Canadae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Livestock producers can utilize currently available zero-till seeding equipment for sod-seeding alfalfa to rejuvenate grass pastures in the thin Black soil zone of western Canada with the expectation of persistence of alfalfa for nine years.”
The same questions in other papers
herbicide · yield · Medicago sativa (alfalfa)Results differ
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- no effect
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1 in the opposite direction
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herbicide · quality: general · Medicago sativa (alfalfa)Positive and negative results
2 papers in the same direction as this paper · 1 in the opposite direction
- no effect
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herbicide · growth · Medicago sativa (alfalfa)Positive and negative results
9 papers in the same direction as this paper · 8 in the opposite direction · 2 reporting no difference from an alternative
- negative
- no effect
- no effect
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See all 20 papers →Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.