Growth of alfalfa (Medicago sativa cv. Vernal) seedlings was compared after inoculation with combinations of either Pratylenchus penetrans and Fusarium soloni or P. penetrans and F. oxysporum f. sp. medicaginis. A synergistic disease interaction occurred in alfalfa when F. oxysporum and P. penetrans were added simultaneously to the soil. Alfalfa growth was suppressed at all inoculum levels of P...

The research was conducted to evaluate growth of alfalfa mutan (plant height increment, number of leaves and dry matter production) in different Nitrogen Fertilizer and defoliation intensity. The design used was randomized block design 4x2 factorial with 3 replications. The first was dosage of Nitrogen fertilizerNitrogen (0, 30, 60 and 90 kg N / ha), the second factor was defoliation intensity ...

Experiments were conducted with rats and swine to determine the potential of dietary alfalfa as a t rea tment for zearalenone (Z) toxicosis. Ninety-six female weanling Wistar rats were fed a casein-based semipurified diet containing 0, 15 or 25% alfalfa and 0 or 250 /~g Z/g feed. Exposure to Z for 14 d resulted in reduced growth, feed consumption and feed efficiency as well as kidney and liver ...

Field assessments were conducted to examine the interplay between host plant and predation in complex agricultural mosaic on pea aphid clover and alfalfa races. In one experiment, we examined the relative fitness on clover race (CR) and alfalfa race (AR) pea aphids on broad bean, red clover and alfalfa alone. But because clover is typically grown in a more complex agricultural mosaic with alfal...

Alfalfa is a good green manure source, but its effect on rice growth has not been fully elucidated. Two green manure species, alfalfa and broad bean (Vicia faba L.), and two N fertilizer levels, alone or combination, were applied to a rice field. The results indicated that alfalfa had more pronounced effects on increasing soil labile phosphorus (P) fractions (including NaHCO3-Pi, NaOH-Pi), P up...

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of different levels alfalfa saponins on cholesterol metabolism in broilers. A total of 320 Arbor Acres (AA) broilers of 1 day-old were randomly allotted to 4 treatments with five replicates in each treatment, and with 16 broilers in each replicate. The experiment last 49 days. During the stage from 0 to 3 weeks, broilers in the control group ...

We compared the observed daily time allocation of cackling geese (Branta canadensis minima) during spring with that predicted from estimates of daily energy requirements and measurements of apparent metabolizable energy (AME) and intake rates. Cackling geese gained substantial energy and protein reserves at staging areas in California before migration to Alaska in April and after arrival in Ala...

Honeycomb mass selection design have been used in a genetic broad based ecotype of Alfalfa to assess its efficiency in yield improvement through two cycles of selection. The selection intensities used were: 14.26%, 7.69% and 5.26% in the first and 14.26%, 7.69%, 5.26%, 2%, 3.22%, 2.77% in the second cycle of selection. According to the results obtained from field trials it was concluded that th...

Flower development, pollination, and fertilization are important stages in the sexual reproduction process of plants; they are also critical steps in the control of seed formation and development. During alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) seed production, some distinct phenomena such as a low seed setting ratio, serious flower falling, and seed abortion commonly occur. However, the causes of these ph...

Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most phytotoxic elements causing an agricultural problem and human health hazards. This work investigates whether and how silicon (Si) ameliorates Cd toxicity in Alfalfa. The addition of Si in Cd-stressed plants caused significant improvement in morpho-physiological features as well as total protein and membrane stability, indicating that Si does have critical roles i...