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Article

Micronutrient Content of Aboveground Biomass as Influenced by Different Proportions of Medicago media Pers. in Two-Component Alfalfa–Grass Mixtures

by
Marzenna Olszewska
Department of Agrotechnology and Agribusiness, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, 10-719 Olsztyn, Poland
Agriculture 2024, 14(12), 2205; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14122205
Submission received: 20 October 2024 / Revised: 29 November 2024 / Accepted: 30 November 2024 / Published: 3 December 2024
(This article belongs to the Section Agricultural Soils)
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Abstract

:
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of different proportions of hybrid alfalfa (Medicago media Pers.) in two-component mixtures with festulolium (Festulolium braunii (K. Richt.) A. Camus) and orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata L.) on the micronutrient content of aboveground biomass. The study was conducted in 2011–2013 in Poland. The experiment had a split-plot design with four replications, and the experimental variables were as follows: (i) mixtures: Dactylis glomerata (Dg) + Medicago media (Mm) and Festulolium braunii (Fb) + Medicago media (Mm), and (ii) proportion of Medicago media seeds in the mixture: 30%, 50%, and 70%. Pure-sown Dactylis glomerata and pure-sown Festulolium braunii were the control treatments. The proportion of hybrid alfalfa in the biomass yield of mixtures increased throughout the study, and this species was the dominant component of the sward already in the second year, regardless of the proportion of sown seeds. Orchard grass exerted greater competitive pressure on alfalfa than festulolium. Pure-sown Dactylis glomerata accumulated more manganese (Mn) and iron (Fe) than pure-sown Festulolium braunii; no significant differences in the copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) content of aboveground biomass were found between species. The aboveground biomass of mixtures was characterized by higher Cu content and lower Mn content than the biomass of grass monocultures. As a component of mixtures, alfalfa had a negative influence on the Fe content of aboveground biomass (dry matter basis). No significant differences in Cu and Mn content were observed between the mixtures. The Fb50% + Mm50% mixture had the highest Zn content, and the Fb70% + Mm30% mixture had the highest Fe content. The present findings suggest that practical two-component alfalfa–grass mixtures should be composed based on species competitiveness and selection of a grass component adapted to local agroecological conditions, rather than on the proportion of alfalfa seeds in the mixture.

1. Introduction

Roughage is the main source of feed for ruminants around the world. In addition to protein, fiber, and energy, roughage also contains minerals that are essential in animal nutrition. Diets rich in minerals promote animal health and increase productivity [1]. Therefore, in animal production systems that rely mainly on roughage, forage crops are a source of micronutrients such as copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), iron (Fe), cobalt, and molybdenum [2,3,4].
Minerals are essential components of livestock diets. They play numerous roles in the body by promoting bone formation, immune health, and regulating digestive processes. Animals need minerals for proper development and physiological functions [5,6]. An adequate supply of minerals plays a key role in the development of bones and joints, reproductive processes, immune system functions, and antioxidant mechanisms [6].
Micronutrient deficiencies in plants pose a considerable problem around the world. Intensive production of high-yielding crops with high rates of N, P, and K fertilizers has contributed to micronutrient deficiencies in many countries [7]. Diets deficient in micronutrients can exert negative effects on animals by decreasing weight gain or promoting weight loss, contributing to reproductive disorders, heart disease, anemia, joint problems, and brittle bones [3,8,9]. In Poland, these problems are particularly evident in industrial dairy farms where animals are fed mainly simple forage mixtures composed of several high-yielding grass species. In these farms, the harvested roughage is often deficient in micronutrients. This problem can be addressed through the use of feed additives, but dietary supplementation increases production costs [8,10]. Growing grasses with legumes appears to be a more sustainable solution because legumes are more abundant in micronutrients than grasses [1,4,9,11,12]. Legume–grass mixtures are characterized by a higher content of minerals in biomass than monocrops [13,14,15,16,17]. This is because plant species differ in their ability to accumulate minerals under identical growing conditions [18,19,20,21]. When grown in a mixture, various plant species utilize the available resources in a different manner, both in space and over time, thus avoiding competition and making better use of the environment than monocultures [15,22,23]. In addition, research has shown that legume–grass mixtures are more willingly consumed by cattle than grass monocultures [24,25,26,27]. Legume–grass mixtures are more abundant in micronutrients, which can decrease the need for the mineral supplementation of animal diets [1].
The aim of this study was to determine the effect of different proportions of hybrid alfalfa (Medicago media Pers.) in two-component mixtures with festulolium (Festulolium braunii (K. Richt.) A. Camus) and orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata L.) on the micronutrient content of aboveground biomass. The research hypothesis postulates that increased proportions of alfalfa in the mixtures will promote the accumulation of micronutrients in biomass, compared with grass monocultures.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Field Experiment

The study was conducted in 2011–2013 in Poland. The analyzed soil was moderately abundant in microelements: Cu–4.1 mg kg−1, Zn–10.2 mg kg−1, Mn–213.0 mg kg−1, and Fe–1900.0 mg kg−1. The abundance of plant-available micronutrients in soil was determined after extraction with 1 mol HCl dm−3 (Rinkis method). The abundance of micronutrients in soil was determined according to Lipiński [28]. The experimental variables were as follows: (i) mixtures: Dactylis glomerata (Dg) + Medicago media (Mm) and Festulolium braunii (Fb) + Medicago media (Mm), and (ii) proportion of Medicago media seeds in the mixture: 30%, 50%, and 70%. Pure-sown Dactylis glomerata and pure-sown Festulolium braunii were the control treatments. The experimental conditions, experimental factors, and research methods were described in detail in the article published in 2023 [13].

2.2. Plant Materials

The sward was mown three times in every growing season. The first regrowth mixtures were mown at the beginning of the grass heading stage, and the second regrowth and third regrowth mixtures were mown at the alfalfa budding stage. One-kilogram biomass samples were collected after each harvest to analyze the chemical composition of the plants. The collected plant material was wet mineralized (Büchi Speed Digester K–439 LPP Equipment sp. z o.o. Warsaw) in a mixture of nitric acid (HNO3) and chloric acid (HClO4) (4:1 ratio) with the addition of hydrochloric acid (HCl). The content of Cu, Fe, Mn, and Zn was determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) on a Shimadzu AA-6800 spectrophotometer [29]. The content of all chemical elements was expressed on a dry matter basis (drying temp. of 105 °C). The proportion of alfalfa in the mixtures was determined in botanical analyses on a weight basis.

2.3. Statistical Analysis

The results were processed statistically by analysis of variance (ANOVA). The significance of differences between treatment means was determined by Tukey’s test at α ≤ 0.05. All calculations were performed using Statistica v. 13.3 software [30]. The relationship between the proportion of alfalfa in the biomass yield of mixtures and the micronutrient content of aboveground biomass (dry matter basis) was analyzed with the use of Pearson’s correlation coefficient. The significance of the correlation coefficient was determined based on statistical tables [31].

2.4. Weather Conditions

Weather conditions throughout the experiment were described in detail in a previous study [13]. The growing season of 2011 was characterized by favorable conditions for plant growth and development, and average monthly temperatures approximated the long-term average. With the exception of April, total precipitation in 2011 exceeded the long-term average, and rainfall levels in July were nearly four times higher than the long-term average. The second year of the experiment was characterized by moderate temperatures, high precipitation in April, June, and July, and a minor water deficit in August and September. In 2013, weather conditions were less favorable for plant growth due to low temperatures in early spring and considerable rainfall deficiency in June and August.

3. Results and Discussion

3.1. Proportion of Hybrid Alfalfa in the Biomass Yield of Mixtures

The proportion of alfalfa in the biomass yield of mixtures was described in detail in a previous study [13]. In Fb + Mm mixtures, in the first year of the study, alfalfa accounted for approximately 40% of biomass yield in treatments sown with 30% and 50% alfalfa seeds, and for approximately 48% of biomass yield in the treatment sown with 70% alfalfa seeds. In the second, fully productive year, alfalfa accounted for around 77%, 63%, and 74% of biomass yield in treatments where the seed mixture contained 30%, 50%, and 70% alfalfa seeds, respectively. In the third year of the experiment, alfalfa was still the dominant component of the mixtures, and its proportion in biomass yield increased to 80–85%. In Dg + Mm mixtures, the share of alfalfa biomass in sward yield also differed from the proportion of alfalfa seeds in the seed mixture. In the first fully productive year, the share of alfalfa biomass in the sward was determined at around 40%, 50%, and 52% in treatments sown with 30%, 50%, and 70% alfalfa seeds, respectively. In the second year of the study, alfalfa had a higher share of biomass yield, but only minor differences were found between the treatments. The proportion of alfalfa biomass reached 57%, 59%, and 58% in treatments where the seed mixture contained 30%, 50%, and 70% alfalfa seeds, respectively. A similar trend was observed in the third year of the experiment when the proportion of alfalfa in the total biomass yield ranged from around 65% to around 67%. The above results indicate that orchard grass exerted greater competitive pressure on alfalfa than festulolium. Bijelić et al. [32] and Yüksel and Balabanli [33] also reported on the high competitiveness of orchard grass grown in mixtures with alfalfa. In turn, Tahir et al. [34] and Mikołajczak and Bartmański [35] demonstrated that grasses were less competitive than legumes and that their proportion in the biomass yield of mixtures decreased steadily in successive years.

3.2. Copper (Cu)

Copper is an important micronutrient in animal diets. As a co-factor, it participates in enzymatic reactions associated with red blood cell production, energy production, hormone synthesis, collagen synthesis, and protection against oxidative damage [36]. The Cu requirement of cattle has been estimated at 10 mg kg−1 [5,37]. In the present study, the aboveground biomass of the analyzed plant species was deficient in Cu. During the three-year experiment, the average Cu content of biomass ranged from 4.5 to 5.8 mg kg−1 (Table 1). Throughout the study, Cu content was lowest in the biomass of pure-sown grasses (4.2–4.7 mg kg−1 in festulolium and 4.1–4.8 mg kg−1 in orchard grass). High Cu deficiencies in forage grasses were also observed by Darch et al. [8], Manojlović and Singh [38], and Mikołajczak and Bartmański [35]. No significant differences in the Cu content of aboveground biomass (dry matter basis) were found between the tested grass species. However, grass–alfalfa mixtures accumulated significantly more Cu. In 2011, Dg + Mm mixtures accumulated more Cu than Fb + Mm mixtures. Copper levels in the Dg + Mm mixture were highest in the treatments with 30% and 70% alfalfa seeds, and no significant differences were observed between these treatments. This was reflected in the actual proportion of alfalfa in the botanical composition of the sward, with only minor differences between treatments. In the second year of the study, Cu content was highest in the mixture of orchard grass and 50% alfalfa seeds (6.0 mg kg−1). In Fb + Mm mixtures, no significant differences in Cu content were observed depending on the proportion of alfalfa seeds. Similar relationships were also noted in the third year of the study. The correlation coefficients calculated for the three-year experiment show that the proportion of alfalfa in the sward and the Cu content of aboveground biomass were bound by a highly significant positive correlation in the Fb70% + Mm30% mixture, and by a significant positive correlation in Fb50% + Mm50% and Fb30% + Mm70% mixtures (Table 2). In Dg + Mm mixtures, the above correlation was negative (Dg70% + Mm30% and Dg30% + Mm70%) or not significant (Dg50% + Mm50%).
An analysis of the Cu content of the plant species used as mixture components in this study revealed that pure-sown grasses accumulated less Cu than grasses grown in mixtures with hybrid alfalfa, and Cu content was significantly higher in orchard grass biomass (5.2 mg kg−1) than in festulolium biomass (3.8 mg kg−1). Similar results were reported by Warda and Ćwintal [39], who found that orchard grass accumulated more Cu than other grass species (perennial ryegrass and timothy-grass). In the current study, grass–legume mixtures contributed significantly to Cu uptake by grasses (Figure 1), and Cu content increased by 31.5%, 23.7%, and 28.9% in festulolium biomass, and by 23.1–26.9% in orchard grass biomass, compared with pure-sown grasses. Similar observations were made by Mikołajczak and Bartmański [35]. In all treatments, Cu content was higher in alfalfa than in grasses. According to Haynes [40], mineral uptake by plants is partly regulated by the cation exchange sites in cell walls, the number of which is higher in dicotyledons than in monocotyledons. As a result, the concentrations of selected minerals are higher in legumes than in grasses [1].

3.3. Zinc (Zn)

Zinc is an essential micronutrient in animal diets because it affects the activity of numerous enzymes and hormones, thereby controlling various processes in the body [41]. Forage crops should contain 50 mg kg−1 Zn [5,37]. The Zn requirements of livestock considerably exceed the content of this micronutrient in crop biomass [38,42]. Dietary Zn deficiency is associated with poor milk performance as well as growth, locomotor, and reproductive disorders [41,43,44]. During the three-year study, the average Zn content of biomass ranged from 11.2 to 16.8 mg kg−1 (Table 3) and was insufficient to adequately meet the animals’ demand for this micronutrient. The low Zn content of plants could be due to the neutral pH of the soil on which the experiment was established. Acidic soils are richer in plant-available Zn, whereas Zn availability decreases with increasing pH levels, and water-insoluble zinc hydroxide (Zn(OH)2) is formed [45]. In the first year of the experiment, Zn content was highest in the biomass of festulolium with 50% alfalfa seeds. A similar trend was observed in Dg + Mm mixtures. In the second year, Zn content peaked in the biomass of festulolium with 30% alfalfa seeds. It should be stressed that the actual proportion of alfalfa in biomass yield was highest in this treatment (77%) compared with the remaining treatments. The predominance of alfalfa in the biomass yield of mixtures had a beneficial influence on Zn content also in the third year of the study. The correlation coefficients calculated for the three-year experiment show that the actual proportion of alfalfa in the sward and the Zn content of aboveground biomass were significantly and negatively correlated only in the Dg 70% + Mm 30% mixture (Table 4).
No significant differences in the Zn content of biomass were found between pure-sown grasses (Figure 2). Significantly higher accumulation of this micronutrient was observed in the aboveground biomass of festulolium grown in a mixture with 50% alfalfa seeds, and in the biomass of orchard grass with 30% and 70% alfalfa seeds. However, the noted values were three times lower than the Zn requirements of ruminants. These results corroborate the findings of other authors [1].

3.4. Manganese (Mn)

Manganese plays an important role in animal nutrition as an essential component and cofactor of enzymes involved in lipid, carbohydrate, and protein metabolism, reproductive, and immune functions [6,46,47]. The optimal Mn content of ruminant diets is 50 mg kg−1 [5,37]. Considerable dietary Mn deficiency was observed during the three-year study, and the harvested biomass did not meet the Mn requirements of animals. During the three-year experiment, the average Mn content of biomass (dry matter basis) ranged from 18.5 to 39.9 mg kg−1 (Table 5). Similarly to Zn, the plant availability of Mn was affected by soil pH. When the pH is neutral, Mn concentration in the soil solution decreases, and so does its availability to plants [8,48,49,50]. Pure-sown grasses accumulated more Mn than grass–alfalfa mixtures, and Mn content was significantly higher (by approx. 76%) in orchard grass biomass than in festulolium biomass. Dg + Mm mixtures were also richer in Mn than Fb–Mm mixtures. This trend was noted in all years of the study, and the Mn content of the aboveground biomass of mixtures was not significantly influenced by the proportion of alfalfa seeds in the mixture. The correlation coefficients calculated for the three-year experiment indicate that the actual proportion of alfalfa in the sward and the Mn content of biomass were linked by a significant positive correlation only in Fb 70% + Mm 30% and Fb 50% + Mm 50% mixtures. No significant correlations were found in the other mixtures (Table 6).
An analysis of the Mn content of the tested plant species revealed that orchard grass biomass accumulated significantly more Mn (by approx. 99% on a dry matter basis) than festulolium biomass (Figure 3). Similar results were reported by Lindström et al. [11], who found that the Mn content of orchard grass biomass was two to three times higher than that of other grass species in both pot and field experiments. Dg + Mm mixtures had significantly lower Mn content than pure-sown orchard grass. Such a relationship was not observed in festulolium, where no significant differences in Mn content were found between treatments. Regardless of its proportion in the mixture, alfalfa was characterized by lower Mn content than grasses, in both Fb + Mm and Dg + Mm mixtures. Higher Mn concentrations in grasses than in legumes were also observed by Høgh-Jensen and Søegaard [16], Lindström et al. [11], Pirhofer-Walzl et al. [1], and Darch et al. [8] in both cultivated and wild species.

3.5. Iron (Fe)

Iron participates in various biochemical processes in animals, including blood cell production, oxygen transport, energy metabolism, and defense mechanisms [6,51]. The optimal Fe content of animal feed is 50–100 mg kg−1 on a dry matter basis. Ruminant diets are typically rich in Fe and adequately meet the Fe requirements of adult animals [52]. During the three-year study, the average Fe content of biomass ranged from 99.1 to 159.7 mg kg−1 (Table 7). Therefore, it can be assumed that the biomass contained sufficient Fe concentrations, determined on a dry matter basis. Festulolium accumulated significantly more Fe (by approx. 27%) than orchard grass. In Fb + Mm mixtures, increasing proportions of alfalfa in the sward negatively affected the Fe content of biomass yield (dry matter basis). This relationship was observed in all years of the experiment, as confirmed by highly significant correlation coefficients (Table 8). In Dg + Mm mixtures, a highly significant negative correlation was found between the proportion of alfalfa in biomass yield and the Fe content of biomass in treatments with 30% alfalfa seeds, and a significant negative correlation was noted in treatments with 50% and 70% alfalfa seeds. These trends were reflected in the actual percentage of alfalfa in the sward.
The analyzed plant species differed in the Fe content of biomass (dry matter basis). In pure-sown grasses, orchard grass accumulated more Fe (by approx. 8.0%) than festulolium (Figure 4). As a component of mixtures, alfalfa was characterized by lower Fe concentration than grasses, except for the Fb 70% + Mm 30% mixture, where the differences were not significant. During the three-year experiment, Fe content was higher in the aboveground biomass of orchard grass (226.9 mg kg−1) grown in a mixture with 70% alfalfa seeds and in the aboveground biomass of festulolium (185.3 mg kg−1) grown in a mixture with 50% alfalfa seeds. These results are consistent with the findings of other authors who have studied the ability of different plant species to accumulate selected nutrients as influenced by different soil conditions and genetic factors [1,8,11,39,50]

4. Conclusions

The proportion of hybrid alfalfa in the biomass yield of mixtures increased throughout the study, and this species was the dominant component of the sward already in the second year, regardless of the proportion of sown seeds. Orchard grass exerted greater competitive pressure on alfalfa than festulolium. Pure-sown Dactylis glomerata accumulated more Mn and Fe than pure-sown Festulolium braunii, and no significant differences in the Cu and Zn content of the aboveground biomass were found between species. The aboveground biomass of mixtures was characterized by higher Cu content and lower Mn content than the biomass of grass monocultures. As a component of mixtures, alfalfa had a negative influence on the Fe content of aboveground biomass (dry matter basis). No significant differences in Cu and Mn content were observed between the mixtures. The Fb50% + Mm50% mixture had the highest Zn content, and the Fb70% + Mm30% mixture had the highest Fe content. The present findings suggest that practical two-component alfalfa–grass mixtures should be composed based on species competitiveness and selection of a grass component adapted to local agroecological conditions rather than on the proportion of alfalfa seeds in the mixture.

Funding

The results presented in this paper were obtained as part of a comprehensive study financed by the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, Department of Agrotechnology and Agribusiness (grant No. 30.610.013–110), and funded by the Minister of Science under the “Regional Initiative of Excellence” Program.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable

Data Availability Statement

The data are contained within the article.

Conflicts of Interest

The author declares no conflicts of interest.

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Agriculture 14 02205 g001
Figure 1. The average copper content of three regrowths of aboveground biomass of the analyzed plant species (treatments 1–8) during the three-year study (2011–2013) (mg kg−1 DM). Means with the same letter do not differ significantly at α ≤ 0.05 in Tukey’s HSD test. Dg—Dactylis glomerata, Mm—Medicago media, Fb—Festulolium braunii.
Figure 1. The average copper content of three regrowths of aboveground biomass of the analyzed plant species (treatments 1–8) during the three-year study (2011–2013) (mg kg−1 DM). Means with the same letter do not differ significantly at α ≤ 0.05 in Tukey’s HSD test. Dg—Dactylis glomerata, Mm—Medicago media, Fb—Festulolium braunii.
Agriculture 14 02205 g001
Agriculture 14 02205 g002
Figure 2. The average zinc content of three regrowths of aboveground biomass of the analyzed plant species (treatments 1–8) during the three-year study (2011–2013) (mg kg−1 DM). Means with the same letter do not differ significantly at α ≤ 0.05 in Tukey’s HSD test. Dg—Dactylis glomerata, Mm—Medicago media, Fb—Festulolium braunii.
Figure 2. The average zinc content of three regrowths of aboveground biomass of the analyzed plant species (treatments 1–8) during the three-year study (2011–2013) (mg kg−1 DM). Means with the same letter do not differ significantly at α ≤ 0.05 in Tukey’s HSD test. Dg—Dactylis glomerata, Mm—Medicago media, Fb—Festulolium braunii.
Agriculture 14 02205 g002
Agriculture 14 02205 g003
Figure 3. The average manganese content of three regrowths of aboveground biomass of the analyzed plant species (treatments 1–8) during the three-year study (2011–2013) (mg kg−1 DM). Means with the same letter do not differ significantly at α ≤ 0.05 in Tukey’s HSD test. Dg—Dactylis glomerata, Mm—Medicago media, Fb—Festulolium braunii.
Figure 3. The average manganese content of three regrowths of aboveground biomass of the analyzed plant species (treatments 1–8) during the three-year study (2011–2013) (mg kg−1 DM). Means with the same letter do not differ significantly at α ≤ 0.05 in Tukey’s HSD test. Dg—Dactylis glomerata, Mm—Medicago media, Fb—Festulolium braunii.
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Agriculture 14 02205 g004
Figure 4. The average iron content of three regrowths of aboveground biomass of the analyzed plant species (treatments 1–8) during the three-year study (2011–2013) (mg kg−1 DM). Means with the same letter do not differ significantly at α ≤ 0.05 in Tukey’s HSD test. Dg—Dactylis glomerata, Mm—Medicago media, Fb—Festulolium braunii.
Figure 4. The average iron content of three regrowths of aboveground biomass of the analyzed plant species (treatments 1–8) during the three-year study (2011–2013) (mg kg−1 DM). Means with the same letter do not differ significantly at α ≤ 0.05 in Tukey’s HSD test. Dg—Dactylis glomerata, Mm—Medicago media, Fb—Festulolium braunii.
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Table 1. The average copper content of three regrowths of aboveground biomass (mg kg−1 DM).
Table 1. The average copper content of three regrowths of aboveground biomass (mg kg−1 DM).
TreatmentYears of the StudyMean
201120122013
Fb 100%4.2 a4.7 a4.6 a4.5 a
Fb 70% + Mm 30%4.7 c5.8 c5.6 c5.4 b
Fb 50% + Mm 50%4.7 c5.7 c5.5 c5.3 b
Fb 30% + Mm 70%4.5 b5.7 c5.5 c5.2 b
Dg 100%4.1 a4.8 a4.5 a4.5 a
Dg 70% + Mm 30%6.1 e5.3 b5.1 b5.5 b
Dg 50% + Mm 50%5.6 d6.0 d5.9 d5.8 b
Dg 30% + Mm 70%6.2 e5.4 b5.2 b5.6 b
Means with the same letter in columns do not differ significantly at α ≤ 0.05 in Tukey’s HSD test. Dg—Dactylis glomerata, Mm—Medicago media, Fb—Festulolium braunii.
Table 2. Coefficients of correlation between the proportion of alfalfa in biomass yield and the copper content of mixtures (dry matter basis).
Table 2. Coefficients of correlation between the proportion of alfalfa in biomass yield and the copper content of mixtures (dry matter basis).
MixturesCorrelation Coefficient
Fb 70% + Mm 30%0.9528 **
Fb 50% + Mm 50%0.8222 *
Fb 30% + Mm 70%0.9031 *
Dg 70% + Mm 30%−0.9889 **
Dg 50% + Mm 50%0.8102 ns
Dg 30% + Mm 70%−0.8950 *
*—correlation coefficient significant at α ≤ 0.05; **—correlation coefficient significant at α ≤ 0.01; ns—non-significant. Dg—Dactylis glomerata, Mm—Medicago media, Fb—Festulolium braunii.
Table 3. The average zinc content of three regrowths of aboveground biomass (mg kg−1 DM).
Table 3. The average zinc content of three regrowths of aboveground biomass (mg kg−1 DM).
TreatmentYears of the StudyMean
201120122013
Fb 100%10.8 a11.7 a11.0 a11.2 a
Fb 70% + Mm 30%11.1 a15.2 e12.9 c13.1 b
Fb 50% + Mm 50%20.0 d14.0 d16.5 d16.8 c
Fb 30% + Mm 70%10.9 a13.1 c11.9 b11.9 a
Dg 100%10.6 a12.6 b11.1 a11.4 a
Dg 70% + Mm 30%12.5 b11.6 a11.8 b12.0 a
Dg 50% + Mm 50%13.2 c12.6 b12.8 c12.9 b
Dg 30% + Mm 70%12.5 b13.4 c13.1 c13.0 b
Means with the same letter in columns do not differ significantly at α ≤ 0.05 in Tukey’s HSD test. Dg—Dactylis glomerata, Mm—Medicago media, Fb—Festulolium braunii.
Table 4. Coefficients of correlation between the proportion of alfalfa in biomass yield and the zinc content of mixtures (dry matter basis).
Table 4. Coefficients of correlation between the proportion of alfalfa in biomass yield and the zinc content of mixtures (dry matter basis).
MixturesCorrelation Coefficient
Fb 70% + Mm 30%0.7447 ns
Fb 50% + Mm 50%−0.6652 ns
Fb 30% + Mm 70%0.6495 ns
Dg 70% + Mm 30%−0.8511 *
Dg 50% + Mm 50%−0.7537 ns
Dg 30% + Mm 70%0.5521 ns
*—correlation coefficient significant at α ≤ 0.05; ns—non-significant. Dg—Dactylis glomerata, Mm—Medicago media, Fb—Festulolium braunii.
Table 5. The average manganese content of three regrowths of aboveground biomass (mg kg−1 DM).
Table 5. The average manganese content of three regrowths of aboveground biomass (mg kg−1 DM).
TreatmentYears of the StudyMean
201120122013
Fb 100%21.5 b23.7 b22.9 b22.7 b
Fb 70% + Mm 30%16.1 a21.6 a19.5 a19.1 a
Fb 50% + Mm 50%16.5 a21.7 a21.3 a19.8 a
Fb 30% + Mm 70%15.9 a21.2 a18.3 a18.5 a
Dg 100%44.3 e37.3 d38.0 d39.9 d
Dg 70% + Mm 30%28.9 d32.7 c30.4 c30.7 c
Dg 50% + Mm 50%26.4 c35.2 c29.1 c30.2 c
Dg 30% + Mm 70%25.5 c33.3 c28.4 c29.1 c
Means with the same letter in columns do not differ significantly at α ≤ 0.05 in Tukey’s HSD test. Dg—Dactylis glomerata, Mm—Medicago media, Fb—Festulolium braunii.
Table 6. Coefficients of correlation between the proportion of alfalfa in biomass yield and the manganese content of mixtures (dry matter basis).
Table 6. Coefficients of correlation between the proportion of alfalfa in biomass yield and the manganese content of mixtures (dry matter basis).
MixturesCorrelation Coefficient
Fb 70% + Mm 30%0.8654 *
Fb 50% + Mm 50%0.8849 *
Fb 30% + Mm 70%0.6480 ns
Dg 70% + Mm 30%0.5537 ns
Dg 50% + Mm 50%0.4296 ns
Dg 30% + Mm 70%0.2452 ns
*—correlation coefficient significant at α ≤ 0.05; ns—non-significant. Dg—Dactylis glomerata, Mm—Medicago media, Fb—Festulolium braunii.
Table 7. The average iron content of three regrowths of aboveground biomass (mg kg−1 DM).
Table 7. The average iron content of three regrowths of aboveground biomass (mg kg−1 DM).
TreatmentYears of the StudyMean
201120122013
Fb 100%124.9 b153.0 d137.8 d138.6 b
Fb 70% + Mm 30%217.1 d138.3 c123.8 c159.7 c
Fb 50% + Mm 50%175.8 c119.5 b106.0 b133.8 b
Fb 30% + Mm 70%125.3 b99.6 a96.0 a107.0 a
Dg 100%100.2 a115.8 b110.7 b108.9 a
Dg 70% + Mm 30%176.7 c114.9 b112.4 b134.7 b
Dg 50% + Mm 50%212.3 d122.3 b121.1 c151.9 c
Dg 30% + Mm 70%108.7 a94.9 a93.8 a99.1 a
Means with the same letter in columns do not differ significantly at α ≤ 0.05 in Tukey’s HSD test. Dg—Dactylis glomerata, Mm—Medicago media, Fb—Festulolium braunii.
Table 8. Coefficients of correlation between the proportion of alfalfa in biomass yield and the iron content of mixtures (dry matter basis).
Table 8. Coefficients of correlation between the proportion of alfalfa in biomass yield and the iron content of mixtures (dry matter basis).
MixturesCorrelation Coefficient
Fb 70% + Mm 30%−0.9999 **
Fb 50% + Mm 50%−0.9732 **
Fb 30% + Mm 70%−0.9848 **
Dg 70% + Mm 30%−0.9538 **
Dg 50% + Mm 50%−0.9315 **
Dg 30% + Mm 70%−0.8331 *
*—correlation coefficient significant at α ≤ 0.05; **—correlation coefficient significant at α ≤ 0.01. Dg—Dactylis glomerata, Mm—Medicago media, Fb—Festulolium braunii.
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Olszewska, M. Micronutrient Content of Aboveground Biomass as Influenced by Different Proportions of Medicago media Pers. in Two-Component Alfalfa–Grass Mixtures. Agriculture 2024, 14, 2205. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14122205

AMA Style

Olszewska M. Micronutrient Content of Aboveground Biomass as Influenced by Different Proportions of Medicago media Pers. in Two-Component Alfalfa–Grass Mixtures. Agriculture. 2024; 14(12):2205. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14122205

Chicago/Turabian Style

Olszewska, Marzenna. 2024. "Micronutrient Content of Aboveground Biomass as Influenced by Different Proportions of Medicago media Pers. in Two-Component Alfalfa–Grass Mixtures" Agriculture 14, no. 12: 2205. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14122205

APA Style

Olszewska, M. (2024). Micronutrient Content of Aboveground Biomass as Influenced by Different Proportions of Medicago media Pers. in Two-Component Alfalfa–Grass Mixtures. Agriculture, 14(12), 2205. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14122205

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