*3.6. Alfalfa Yield Responses*

Alfalfa dry matter values for eight seasonal cuttings 2019 (Y1) and the first three cuttings for 2020 (Y2) under each irrigation strategies of all experimental sites are illustrated in Figure 11. The results indicated that the first four cuttings were the most productive for all sites in 2019. For instance, mean DM yield at site A2 from irrigation strategy NI were 4.7, 4.0, 4.7, and 3.9 Mg ha−<sup>1</sup> for first, second, third, and fourth cuttings, respectively. For sites A1, A2, and A4, mean DM values for the first three cuttings in 2020 were lower than the corresponding DM values in 2019. At site A3, alfalfa DM yields were relatively lower than the other sites over the first three cuttings of the 2019 season.

Alfalfa mean DM yields from the 5th to 7th cuttings in 2019 were much lower than the first four cuttings even under full irrigation practices. Yields in late summer were moderately affected by deficit irrigation strategies. For example, yield reduction at site A1 from cuttings 5, 6, and 7 in irrigation strategy DI1, compared to irrigation strategy NI were 0.3, 0.8, and 0.6 Mg ha<sup>−</sup>1, respectively (Figure 11). The reduction in DM yield was 0.5 Mg ha−<sup>1</sup> for cutting 6 and was 0.4 Mg ha−<sup>1</sup> for cutting 7 in irrigation strategy DI2. Yields summed over the 11 cuttings, over 1.5 years, were reduced from 0.7% to 4.6% (0.3 to 1.7 Mg ha<sup>−</sup>1) by the deficit irrigation practices at the four sites.

**Figure 11.** Mean dry matter (DM) yields of each irrigation strategy (NI, DI1–DI4) at the experimental sites (**A1**–**A4**) for eight cuttings in the season 2019 (Cu1-Y1 to Cut8-Y1) and three cuttings in the season 2020 (Cut1-Y2 to Cut3-Y2). The bars demonstrate the standard deviation of DM values.
