Performances of pure growings and mixtures of some warm season perennial grasses and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) under lowland conditions of Çukurova

This research was conducted to determine the hay yield and hay quality potentials of some warm season perennial grass species such as dallis grass (Paspalum dilatatum Poir.), rhodes grass (Chloris gayana L.), bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon (L.)Pers.)), and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) as welll as their duo (one grass + alfalfa) and trio (two grass + alfalfa) mixtures under irrigated conditions of Çukurova during the years of 2009-2011. In the study, plant height, botanical composition, green herbage yield, hay yield, dry matter yield, crude protein ratio, crude protein yield, ADF and, NDF ratios, RFV (relative feed value), digestible dry matter, digestible dry matter yield, vegetation period were determined. The experimental design was completely randomized block design with three replications.According to the results, it was determined that the ratios of warm season grasses in the botanical composition of the mixtures declined with the establisment age while rate of alfalfa in the botanical composition of the mixtures increased. Increasing the rate of alfalfa in the botanical composition of the mixtures also increased hay quality of the mixtures. The mixtures gave higher dry matter yield than pure growing of the species. The highest green herbage yield (6844.3 kg/da) was obtained from the mixture of rhodes grass + alfalfa. The highest hay yield (1692.3 kg/da) and dry matter yield (1539.7 kg/da) and digestible dry matter yield (977.1 kg/da) was obtained from the mixture of bermuda grass + rhodes grass + alfalfa. The highest relative yield total (1.63) and crude protein yield (232.4 kg/da) was obtained from the mixture of dallis grass + alfalfa. The highest crude protein ratio (% 20.6) and RFV (164.8) and digestable dry matter (% 68.1) was obtained from the pure alfalfa parcels. The highest ADF ( % 40.2) and NDF (% 70.9) was obtained from the pure dallis grass parcels. Dallis grass was determined as the species with longest vegetation period (262 days) among the grasses studied under the Çukurova Conditions.