Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) Forage Production, Tissue and Soil Nutrient Concentration Under Three N Based Broiler Litter Regimes.

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is considered as most important forage legume grown in Kentucky. Alfalfa supports many livestock production systems including the beef, dairy, and horse industries in Kentucky. Being a legume, alfalfa typically meets its N requirement through symbiotic N₂ fixation, but has the ability to preferentially utilize mineral N if it is available. As a result, manure application to alfalfa can decrease symbiotic N₂ fixation leading to more efficient use of manure N. Alfalfa’s high N removal potential, ability to recycle other manure nutrients, and strong root system that enables nutrient extraction from deeper soil depths provides economic and environmental justification for using manure on alfalfa production. Here, we will present preliminary forage yield and quality results along with soil nutrient concentration gathered after three N based broiler litter amendment rates (100, 50, and 25% of N uptake) and a control treatment with no external N input during the first growing season.