This study was conducted to investigate the changes in seed productivity of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) according to harvest time after heading in a mountainous area of Gangwon Province. The Italian ryegrass variety ‘Greencall’ was sown in the fall of 2021 in the Pyeongchang region of Gangwon and harvesting was performed every 10 days from 30 to 60 days after heading.. The treatments consisted of four seed harvest times (30, 40, 50, and 60 days after heading), arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Plant height reached its maximum (93.0 cm) at 30 days after heading and subsequently declined with delayed harvest. Lodging resistance, disease resistance, and winter hardiness did not differ significantly among treatments, but lodging became more severe with time (rated 8∼9). Diseases were also more prevalent in the plots harvested 50 and 60 days after heading. The length of the spike was longest at 40 days after heading (54.33 cm), while the number of seeds per spike was lowest in the 60-day harvest plot (76 seeds/spike). The 1,000-seed weight was highest at 50 days after heading but decreased at 60 days. Seed dry matter content increased with delayed harvest, and dry seed yield increased up to 50 days after heading (3,742 kg/ha) but decreased at 60 days (2,442 kg/ha). The dry matter content of seed straw peaked at 50 days after heading, followed by a slight decline at 60 days, which was attributed to rainfall during the harvest period. Dry matter productivity was highest in the 50-day harvest plot. The feed value of seed straw decreased with delayed harvest, with an average Relative Feed Value (RFV) of 83. In conclusion, the optimal harvest time for fall-sown Italian ryegrass for seed production in the mountainous areas of Gangwon is 50 days after heading.
The experiment was conducted to determine the effects of nitrogen fertilizer levels on seed production of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) in mountainous regions of Gangwon Province. The 'Green Call' variety of Italian ryegrass was sown in Pyeongchang, Gangwon in September 2021. The experiment consisted of three nitrogen application levels (100, 120, and 140 N kg/ha) and was arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Harvest was carried out on June 28. The plant height was tallest in the 140 N kg/ha treatment, but the difference was not statistically significant. Lodging resistance, disease resistance and winter hardiness showed no significant differences among treatments, although severe lodging occurred in all plots. The average spike length was 54.77 cm, with no significant difference among treatments, while the number of seeds per spike was highest in the 100 N kg/ha treatment. Seed yield increased with higher nitrogen levels, with an average of 2,820 kg/ha (based on air-dry weight). The average dry matter content of seeds and straw was 56.70% and 38.80%, respectively, with no significant differences among treatments. The average dry matter yield of residual straw after seed harvest was 4,144 kg/ha, with the highest yield observed in the 120 N kg/ha treatment. Meanwhile, the feed value of the harvested straw did not differ significantly among treatments. The average contents of ADF, NDF, CP, IVDMD, and TDN were 43.04%, 70.63%, 8.65%, 52.77%, and 54.88%, respectively. In conclusion, the optimal nitrogen fertilization level for Italian ryegrass seed production through autumn sowing in the mountainous areas of Gangwon Province was found to be 120 N kg/ha.
This study investigated the effects of different protein levels on growth performance, feed efficiency, and morphological traits in female and male Boer × Korean native crossbred goats (Capra hircus) raised in Korea. A total of twenty-four goats (12 per sex) with an average age of seven months were included in the experiment. The initial body weights (BW) were 31.0 ± 0.6 kg for females and 27.4 ± 1.5 kg for males. A randomized block design was used with three dietary crude protein (CP) treatments: 15% (T1), 18% (T2), and 21% (T3). The results demonstrated that, in female goats, no significant differences (p>0.05) were observed in most growth parameters, except for dry matter intake (DMI), which was significantly higher in T2 and T3 (p<0.05). The total weight gain (TWG) was 2.2 kg in both T1 and T2, and 2.8 kg in T3. The average daily gain (ADG) in females reached 82 g/d in T3, significantly higher than the other. In male goats, DMI was also greater in T2 and T3 compared to T1, with the highest TWG (4.4 kg) and ADG (126.9 g/d) recorded in T3, surpassing the other treatments. Regarding morphological traits, female goats in T3 exhibited significantly greater body length (66.9 cm), withers height (62.8 cm), and chest girth (19.3 cm) compared with T1 and T2 (p<0.05). In contrast, male goats in T2 showed superior body length (65.6 cm), chest width (20.1 cm), and chest girth (78.5 cm) (p<0.05). In conclusion, the study indicates that higher protein levels (21% CP) enhance growth performance and morphological development in female goats, whereas a moderate level (18% CP) appears to be more effective for male goats. These findings suggest that protein requirements differ by sex, and sex-specific feeding strategies should be considered to optimize growth and body conformation in crossbred goats.
This study evaluated the growth characteristics, forage productivity, and feed value of three Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) cultivars ‘Earlybird’, ‘Green call’, and ‘Greenfarm2ho’ over two consecutive growing seasons. Growth traits such as cold tolerance, lodging resistance, disease resistance, and insect resistance were assessed, along with plant height. Forage yield was measured as both fresh and dry matter yields, and feed value was analyzed in terms of CP, NDF, ADF, DMI, DDM, RFV and CA content. Among the tested cultivars, ‘Earlybird’ demonstrated superior performance in several key traits. It showed the greatest lodging resistance and plant height, along with the highest fresh and dry matter yields, although differences in yield were not statistically significant. In terms of feed quality, ‘Earlybird’ had the highest CP (10.8%), lowest NDF (54.7%), and highest RFV (109), indicating excellent palatability and digestibility. ‘Greenfarm2ho’ showed intermediate values across all parameters, suggesting balanced productivity and quality. In contrast, ‘Green call’ showed relatively lower lodging resistance and feed value. Overall, ‘Earlybird’ was identified as a promising cultivar for forage production in temperate climates, combining stable yield performance with high nutritional value. These findings offer valuable guidance for cultivar selection in livestock forage systems aiming to improve both productivity and feed efficiency.
Field drying remains the primary bottleneck to consistent alfalfa haymaking under Korea’s humid, rain-prone summers. This study evaluated how dry matter (DM) yield and tedding frequency shape seasonal drying trajectories and leaf shatter in Cheonan during 2024. The experiment was conducted in May, June, August, September, and October 2024 with three DM yield levels (3, 5, and 7 ton/ha) and three tedding regimes (no tedding, once daily, and twice daily). Favorable May–June weather enabled swaths to reach <20% moisture within 100 h, whereas in September–October, moisture commonly remained ≥50%, indicating conditions unsuitable for dry hay. Yield effects on drying were generally small except in August, when re-wetting events accentuated between-group differences. Tedding effects were season-dependent: treatment differences emerged after rainfall in August and were evident in September, with twice-daily tedding producing the lowest moisture among tedding treatments. Leaf dropout rose with greater tedding frequency and higher DM yield; significant tedding effects were detected in June and September, and twice-daily tedding often exceeded no-tedding for leaf losses, particularly at 7 ton/ha. Collectively, omitting tedding is a viable option for May–June hay (4 days to ~20% moisture), while for post-June harvests, tedding offers limited drying benefits and may elevate leaf shatter; ensiling is therefore recommended when drying conditions are suboptimal.
A new barnyard millet (Echinochloa esculenta L.) cultivar, ‘Da-on’ (line BM3), was developed by the National Institute of Animal Science (NIAS) through pedigree selection using local germplasm collected from Jeju Island in 2016. After four years of line separation (2017–2020), a yield trial (2022), and regional adaptability tests across three sites (2023–2024), its agronomic performance and forage quality were evaluated. ‘Da-on’ is a mid-maturing cultivar with a heading date of August 5, which is 11 days later than the check cultivar ‘Borajik’. It exhibits an erect growth habit, purple panicles, and strong lodging resistance. The average plant height was 178.8 cm, which was 40.8 cm taller than that of ‘Borajik’. The dry matter yield of ‘Da-on’ was 16,858 kg/ha, representing a 130% increase compared with ‘Borajik’. Forage quality traits showed lower ADF (34.0%) and NDF (63.7%) contents, while total digestible nutrients (TDN) were higher (62.0%) than in the check. Crude protein content was comparable between the two cultivars. In addition, ‘Da-on’ showed resistance to lodging and leaf blight during field trials, confirming its stability across diverse environments. These results demonstrate that ‘Da-on’ is a promising summer forage crop cultivar suitable for nationwide cultivation, providing higher productivity and nutritive value to enhance forage self-sufficiency in Korea.
This study reports the development of a new alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) variety, ‘Alfaone’, at the Forage Production Systems Division, National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Korea, from 2015 to 2023. The variety originated from an artificial cross between Xun Lu (maternal parent) and RadarⅡ Brand (paternal parent), followed by pedigree selection and performance testing. The elite line ‘MsCB01’ was subsequently released as ‘Alfaone’. Regional adaptability trials were conducted for two years (2022–2023) across four representative sites in Korea (Cheonan, Pyeongchang, Jeongeup, and Jinju) to evaluate agronomic traits, forage yield, and quality. Evaluated characteristics included plant height, regrowth ability, winter survival, and lodging resistance. The average dry matter yield of ‘Alfaone’ was 20,811 kg/ha, approximately by about 3% higher than that of the standard cultivar ‘Vernal’ (20,236 kg/ha). Yield superiority was particularly evident in Pyeongchang, suggesting excellent cold tolerance and winter hardiness. Assessment of forage nutritive traits indicated that ‘Alfaone’ was comparable to ‘Vernal’, demonstrating that its yield advantage did not come at the expense of quality. Overall, ‘Alfaone’ is a promising cultivar that combines high productivity with strong adaptability to unfavorable environments, particularly cold-prone regions. Its release is expected to promote the expansion of alfalfa cultivation, enhance forage self-sufficiency, and reduce dependence on imported hay in Korea.
Molecular markers have been widely applied in population genetics, diagnostic taxonomy, and genetic mapping, and they can also be used for classifying varieties of Italian ryegrass during field selection. In this study, genome-wide sequence information was generated for 10 Italian ryegrass cultivars (40 samples), including ‘Kowinearly’ (KW), using next-generation sequencing (NGS). Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis revealed that only three SNP loci were sufficient to distinguish KW from the other cultivars. Furthermore, 21 alternative barcode sets, each consisting of three SNPs, were identified. These SNP barcode sets provide a reliable criterion for cultivar discrimination in Italian ryegrass and can contribute to the protection of domestic varieties and the advancement of the forage industry in Korea. More broadly, the development of distinguishing markers across Italian ryegrass cultivars will enhance genetic resource identification and support the breeding of high-quality new varieties.