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First-Cut Yield and Forage Quality of Grass-Legume Mixtures Differing in Composition and Intended Use Across Two
Gabrielė Gvazdauskė1, Vilma Kemešytė1, Gintarė Šidlauskaitė1
1Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Institute of Agriculture, Kedainiai District, LT-58344 Akademija, Lithuania.
Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
|June 26, 2026
Summary
Grass-legume mixture performance varies yearly, with composition and use impacting yield and quality most in favorable conditions. Year-to-year variation significantly constrained first-cut productivity.
Area of Science:
- Agricultural Science
- Agronomy
- Plant Science
Background:
- Grass-legume mixtures offer enhanced forage productivity and quality.
- Performance variability across growing seasons is a key challenge for these systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of mixture composition and intended use on grass-legume performance.
- To assess year-to-year variation in dry matter yield, botanical, and chemical composition for first cut.
Main Methods:
- Field evaluation of diverse grass-legume mixtures (forage, universal, grazing) over two growing seasons.
- Assessment of dry matter yield, botanical and chemical composition, and plant height.
- Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for multivariate trait pattern analysis.
Main Results:
- Dry matter yield significantly decreased by approximately 76% from 2023 to 2024.
- In 2023, forage mixtures yielded highest; differences were non-significant in 2024.
- Botanical composition shifted towards higher legume proportion in 2024; chemical composition converged, except for DMD.
Conclusions:
- Mixture composition and intended use are influential under favorable conditions.
- Year-to-year environmental variation significantly impacts first-cut performance of grass-legume mixtures.
- Management strategies should account for seasonal variability to optimize forage production.
