Forage productivity and botanical composition of agrophytocenoses of perennial grasses

The results of studies of various grass mixtures based on variegated alfalfa on sod-podzolic soils of the Udmurt Republic, carried out in 2020–2023, showed that the agrophytocenosis of alfalfa + birds-foot trefoil produced the highest yield (7.7 t/ha of dry matter for two crops). The contribution of the first cropto the formation of productivity was 62.0–65.8%. Alfalfa in single-species sowing increased the stems density from 552 pcs/m2 in the 1st year of use to 960 pcs/m2 in the 4thyear. The density also increased in multispecies agrophytocenoses from 472–700pcs/m2 to 992–1268 pcs/m2. The active development of festulolium was observed in grass mixtures in the 3rd and 4th years of use – the number of its stems was 364–668 pcs/m2. The study of the botanical composition in the first cropshowed that the main contribution to the yield of agrophytocenoses was made by variegated alfalfa: 54–94% in 2-component and 42–77% in 3-component grass mixtures. The prevalence of awnless brome and festulolium by the 3rd year of use increased to 28–43%, and in the 4thyear of use it was 31–38%. Meadow fescue was less competitive, and its share was 1–29%. Birds-foot trefoil occupied the lower tier of the grass stand, and its content in the botanical composition did not exceed 22%.