The Adaptation And Evaluation Of Perennial Forages In Desert Steppe

The experiment on the adaptation and evaluation of 31 materials (25 grasses and 6 legumes) from the United States of American, Canada and China was conducted in desert steppe in Suniteyou Banner of Xilinguole League, Inner Mongolia from 2000 to 2002. The purpose is to select the proper forage materials to establish artificial pasture with forage production and quality test. The results showed as follows.(1) Low temperature and drought are the disadvantaged factors for perennial forages growth. The forages materials with overwinter rate over 80.00% are Agropyron mongolicum Keng cv. 'Neimeng', A. desertorum (Fisch.) Schult., A. mongolicum Keng (native species), A. mongolicum Keng. (New strain) , Psathyrostachys juncea (Fisch.) Nevski cv. 'Swift', Psathyrostachys juncea (Fisch.) Nevski(P3), Psathyrostachys juncea (Fisch.) Nevski cv. 'Bozoisky' , Psathyrostachys juncea (Fisch.) Nevskk Medicago varia Martin, cv. 'Caoyuan No. 3' and Medicago sativa L. cv. 'Algonguin'. The overwinter rate of A. desertorum is the highest, that is 97.67%. It showed that these perennial forages can resist the lower temperature and drought, and can be used to establish in desert steppe zone.(2) The growing rate of forages was affected by their biological characteristics and environment, the growing rates were variable, but the regulation was the same, the grow rate had one peack.(3) The forage yields in third year were higher than that in second year. In 2002, the forages with higher yield were Agropyron mongolicum Keng cv. 'Neimeng', A. desertorum (Fisch.) Schult. , A. mongolicum Keng (native species), A. mongolicum Keng.(New strain) , Psathyrostachys juncea (Fisch.) Nevski cv. 'Swift', Psathyrostachys juncea (Fisch.) Nevski(P3), Psathyrostachys juncea (Fisch.) Nevski cv. 'Bozoisky', Psathyrostachys juncea (Fisch.) Nevski, the forage yield of A. mongolicum Keng (native species), A. mongolicum Keng. (New strain) is the highest, the forage yields were 3302.02 kg/hm2 and 3150.02 kg/hm2, respectively; the second was A. desertorum (Fisch.) Schult., the forage yield was 1890.01 kg/hm2, the third was Agropyron mongolicum Keng cv. 'Neimeng', the forage yield was 1466.67 kg/hm2. The alfalfa with the highest yield wasMedicago varia Martin, cv. 'Caoyuan No. 3'; the second was Medicago sativa L. cv. ' Algonguin' / forage yield was 1648.17 kg/hm2.(4) The more of 70% root biomass was distributed in the 0~30cm depth of soil, the forages with more root biomass are Agropyron mongolicum Keng cv. 'Neimeng', A. desertontm (Fisch.) Schult., A. mongolicum Keng (native species), A. mongolicum Keng.(New strain) , Psathyrostachys juncea (Fisch.) Nevski cv. 'Swift', Psathyrostachys juncea (Fisch.) Nevski(P3) -. Psathyrostachys juncea (Fisch.) Nevski cv. 'Bozoisky', Psathyrostachys juncea (Fisch.) Nevsku Medicago varia Martin, cv. 'Caoyuan No. 3' and Medicago sativa L. cv. 'Algonguin', and the horizontal and vertical distribution ranges were larger than others, which is benefit to absorb deeper water in soil and to survuve in the dry land.(5) The quality of legume forages was better than that of grasses. Medicago varia Martin, cv. 'Caoyuan No. 3' and Medicago sativa L. cv. 'Algonguin' had higher content of crude protein. Agropyron mongolicum Keng cv. 'Neimeng', A. desertorum (Fisch.) Schult., A. mongolicum Keng (native species), Psathyrostachys juncea (Fisch.) Nevski cv. 'Swift', Psathyrostachys juncea (Fisch.) Nevski(P3), Psathyrostachys juncea (Fisch.) Nevski cv. 'Bozoisky', Psathyrostachys juncea (Fisch.) Nevski had higher content of crude protein than other grasses, they can be selected as good quality of grasses.