In addition to its high nutritional value, alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) has several health benefits including antioxidant, neuroprotective, antimicrobial, antiulcer, hypocholesterolemic, hypolipidemic, and estrogenic effects. We aimed assess the value antioxidant capacity of leaves at different times year in arid regions. Alfalfa was harvested autumn, winter, spring, summer fresh yield leaf:ste...

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...

Three Latin square trials, with 20 (two trials) or 24 (one trial) multiparous lactating Holstein cows (four in each trial with ruminal cannulae), compared the feeding value of red clover and alfalfa silages harvested over 3 yr. Overall, the forages contained similar amounts of neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber; however, red clover silage contained more hemicellulose, less ash and...

Molting is a process commonly utilized by commercial laying facilities to extend and improve the productivity of a flock. This practice usually involves the deprivation of feed for a period of several days in order to rejuvenate the reproductive system. Due to food safety and comsumer awareness factors, alternatives to this approach are being investigated. Feeding alfalfa as an insoluble fiber ...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of fat supplementation for enhancing milk conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) in early lactation without affecting ruminal fermentation. 24 Holstein dairy cows were assigned to a completely randomized design employing a 2 × 4 factorial arrangement. Factors were particle size (15 and 25 mm) and two different sources of alfalfa supplemented with and wit...

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of cut and irrigation water quality on chemical composition and in situ dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF) degradability of alfalfa. Three fistulated Zel sheep (approximately 2 years old) were used in a complete randomized design to evaluate the in situ rumen degradability. Ruminal in...

Twenty-four lactating Holstein dairy cows (12 first lactation and 12 multiparous; day in milk = 11 ± 5 days) were allotted to a randomised complete block design in a 2 × 3 factorial with four replicates per treatment to evaluate the effects of two methods of alfalfa feeding (dry and reconstituted to achieve a theoretical dry matter (DM) content of 350 g/kg) and three geometric mean (GM) particl...