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This study evaluates UVC light as an alternative to improve the microbiological quality of seeds intended for sprouting. UVC treatments with light exposure times up to 120 and 180 min were tested to reduce native bacterial population (NBP) in alfalfa, wheat, and chia seeds. The effects of the UVC light treatments on germination yield and rate, growth kinetics and antioxidant activity of sprouts were also evaluated. Results demonstrated that reductions of NBP after 180 min of UVC light exposure were dependent on the type of seed and their physical characteristics. The Weibull model demonstrated good fitness to experimental data (R2 >0.96) for the concave upward inactivation kinetics (n <1). Besides, the tested UVC light treatments did not affect the germination yield of the studied seeds and decreased the germination time to attain the commercial height of alfalfa and chia sprouts. The UVC light treatments applied on the studied seeds influenced positively the antioxidant properties when sprouting. The application of UVC light to alfalfa and wheat seeds destined for sprouting might be an alternative to improve their microbiological quality of seeds, without affecting their germination properties; while the nutritional benefits of its application, primordially focused to enhance its antioxidant properties of sprouts can be considered for chia and alfalfa seeds. • Effective inactivation of native microbiota of alfalfa and wheat seeds by UVC light. • UVC light treatments improves germination rate of alfalfa and chia seeds. • Antioxidant activity is enhanced by UVC light treatments of seeds when sprouting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intercropping pasture with grain crops provides a strategy for diversifying cropping systems and establishing a foundation for mixed crop-livestock farming systems. Investigating the effects of strip design and nitrogen (N) application on interspecific interaction, crop yield, N use efficiency (NUE), and land equivalent ratio (LER) in dryland wheat/alfalfa intercropping. We conducted a four-year field experiment, which tested three intercrops, namely, 2-row wheat with 1-row alfalfa (I21), 4-row wheat with 2-row alfalfa (I42), and 8-row wheat with 4-row alfalfa (I84), as well as sole wheat (SW) and alfalfa (SA). N rates of 150 (HN) and 75 kg ha−1 (LN) were applied for wheat. Winter wheat exhibited earlier spring green-up than alfalfa and maintained dominance during co-growth. Over the four seasons, I21, I42, and I84 resulted in wheat yield (based on the wheat strip area) increases of 19.0%, 16.7%, and 24.0%, respectively, under HN, and 34.1%, 31.9%, and 43.4% under LN. Alfalfa growth was constrained during co-growth but recovered after the wheat harvest. Alfalfa in I42 and I84 maintained forage yield (based on the alfalfa strip area) as high as SA. Intercropping increased wheat NUE under both N conditions but did not significantly affect alfalfa NUE. I84 attained the highest LER of 1.01–1.14 and 1.11–1.25 under HN and LN respectively. Net revenue of I84 was lower than SA but three times higher than SW. Wide-strip wheat/alfalfa intercrop with low-N showed the best performance, which is promising in diversifying farming system and improving agricultural sustainability. • Wheat yield improvement was more significant under low nitrogen. • Intercropping increased both wheat ear density and 1000-grain weight. • Land equivalent ratio of wheat/alfalfa intercrop ranged in 0.79–1.31. • Wheat/alfalfa intercropping had higher yield and land advantage under low nitrogen. • Intercrop of 8-row wheat and 4-row alfalfa with low N was suggested for application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intercropping system has shown great advantages in adverse environments due to balanced use of diverse resources and promotion of sustainable productivity. However, identifying an optimal intercropping practice is still urgently needed in resources-limited areas, i.e., some perennial legume crop and annual cereal crop intercropping in arid areas. This study tested a hypothesis that spring wheat/alfalfa strip intercropping under irrigation could improve land and irrigation water uses compared to sole spring wheat or alfalfa, and, therefore, would ensure reliable agronomic and economic benefits in the arid areas. A three years field experiment was conducted to investigate the yield performance, resource use and economic benefit of irrigated spring wheat/alfalfa strip intercropping in the inland arid area of northwestern China. The intercropping systems with different intercropping ratios were established, including four rows of alfalfa intercropped with twelve rows of spring wheat (W12A4) and with eight rows of spring wheat (W8A4), both of which were compared with sole spring wheat (SW) and sole alfalfa (SA). All these cropping systems were provided with irrigation at four levels: 450 (I450), 360 (I360), 270 (I270), and 180 mm (I180). The grain yield of spring wheat first increased and then decreased with the decrease in irrigation amount, with maximum yield achieved at I360. However, dry matter yield of alfalfa decreased with decreasing irrigation amount. Land equivalent ratio (LER) of the intercropping system was 0.72–1.05, suggesting this intercropping may not effectively save farmland. The W12A4 had higher grain yield, total dry matter accumulation, LER, and irrigation water use efficiency than W8A4. Except for the establishing year, the intercropping system produced 3.37–39.82% higher net income than SW in the other two years. There were no difference in net income and output/input ratio between W12A4 and W8A4. Spring wheat/alfalfa strip intercropping can be used as a productive and sustainable strategy in the arid areas, which can improve irrigation water use, produce higher grain and forage yield, and increase net income. The W12A4 with 360 mm irrigation could be extensively used in the inland arid area of northwestern China. It is recommended that this spring wheat/alfalfa intercropping should be adopted in this and similar arid areas in the world to promote sustainable development of agriculture and animal husbandry in the context of increasing population, resource constraint and climate change. • More intercropping practices are still urgently needed in resources-limited areas. • Spring wheat/alfalfa intercropping had higher irrigation water use efficiency than sole spring wheat. • The intercropping system produced more net income than sole spring wheat. • This intercropping system had less advantage for farmers in saving farmland. • Strip intercropping of 12-row spring wheat and 4-row alfalfa with 360-mm irrigation was recommended in arid areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing demand for high-quality animal protein calls for parts of cereal cropping systems converting to forage or forage-livestock integrated systems. This study aimed at evaluating potential environmental impacts of this transition at the farm level on the Loess Plateau of China through a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. Four dominating crops: alfalfa, wheat, grain maize and silage maize were studied based on the ten impact categories. Based on standard unit land area (1 ha) and timestamp (2018–2020) settings, alfalfa production indicated the lowest environmental impact in nine categories compared to other crops, while wheat indicated better performance in seven of ten impact categories than other crops except alfalfa. With respect to the environmental loads of grain maize and silage maize production, both systems were very comparable. Because of the common adoption of open-land burning of straws (mainly for fuel and winter heating) in the local region, the respiratory inorganics and photochemical oxidant formation potential impact of alfalfa and silage maize per hectare produced is much lower than those of wheat and grain maize. Great differences in environmental impacts between the two types of cropping systems (cereal vs forage) indicate that transitioning from cereal to forage production should effectively reduce air pollution and enhance environmental sustainability on the Loess Plateau. Besides, uncertainty and variability of LCAs results were analyzed in this study. [Display omitted] • Environmental impacts of four types of cropping systems were compared by land unit. • Impact variability among farms was analyzed through 607 LCAs. • Performance of most impact categories was alfalfa>wheat>silage maize>grain maize. • Forage cropping systems incurred less air pollution than cereal systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing demand for high-quality animal protein calls for parts of cereal cropping systems converting to forage or forage-livestock integrated systems. This study aimed at evaluating potential environmental impacts of this transition at the farm level on the Loess Plateau of China through a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach. Four dominating crops: alfalfa, wheat, grain maize and silage maize were studied based on the ten impact categories. Based on standard unit land area (1 ha) and timestamp (2018–2020) settings, alfalfa production indicated the lowest environmental impact in nine categories compared to other crops, while wheat indicated better performance in seven of ten impact categories than other crops except alfalfa. With respect to the environmental loads of grain maize and silage maize production, both systems were very comparable. Because of the common adoption of open-land burning of straws (mainly for fuel and winter heating) in the local region, the respiratory inorganics and photochemical oxidant formation potential impact of alfalfa and silage maize per hectare produced is much lower than those of wheat and grain maize. Great differences in environmental impacts between the two types of cropping systems (cereal vs forage) indicate that transitioning from cereal to forage production should effectively reduce air pollution and enhance environmental sustainability on the Loess Plateau. Besides, uncertainty and variability of LCAs results were analyzed in this study. [Display omitted] • Environmental impacts of four types of cropping systems were compared by land unit. • Impact variability among farms was analyzed through 607 LCAs. • Performance of most impact categories was alfalfa>wheat>silage maize>grain maize. • Forage cropping systems incurred less air pollution than cereal systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Including alfalfa forage with cereal forage diets increases dietary Ca, Mg and Na • In all treatments, plasma Mg, Na, K and P decreased throughout the study, but Ca increased • Supplementation with Na and Mg is required, including when alfalfa is provided. The development of perennial wheat is proposed to increase resource-use efficiency and sustainability of crop production. Annual dual-purpose winter wheat and perennial wheat offer grazing potential, however they both have mineral imbalances due to excess forage K and deficient Na, which may lead to metabolic diseases such as hypocalcaemia and hypomagnesaemia. Notwithstanding a low forage Na concentration, it was hypothesised that the addition of forage lucerne (alfalfa), high in forage Ca and Mg, may overcome calcium and magnesium deficiencies of the wheat varieties. A pen feeding study was conducted using 10-month-old Poll Dorset × Merino ewe lambs (46.4 ± 1.8 kg) to test the effect on plasma and urine mineral status with the addition of lucerne to perennial wheat or annual wheat forage. The lambs (n = 48) were individually fed one of four diets, including perennial wheat (PW), annual wheat (W), perennial wheat + lucerne (alfalfa) (PW + L) or annual wheat + lucerne (W + L) and feed intake was calculated daily. Individual blood and urine sampling commenced on entry to the pens and were repeated at 7-day intervals for 3 further weeks. The addition of lucerne increased the dietary supply of Ca, Mg and Na and decreased K and P. When compared to W, PW offered more Ca, Mg, K, and less Na and P. There were mineral intake differences over time (P < 0.001) for all minerals. All diets offered high dietary cation anion difference (45.0 – 94.9), K: (Na + Mg) (7.3 – 12.8), K: Na (305 – 1137) ratios, while the addition of lucerne increased the Ca: P ratio and improved the K: (Mg + Ca) (Tetany index). Plasma Mg, Na, K and P declined significantly throughout the study, under all diets, to varying degrees. In Week 1, plasma Mg was significantly lower in PW lambs when compared to all other diets, but no further diet effects were observed thereafter. By contrast, plasma Ca increased throughout the study, but without dietary effects. The urinary excretion of Mg was higher with the addition of lucerne in the PW + L and W + L diets after 1-week, although this effect declined in subsequent weeks. The excretion of Ca, Na and P was very low in urine and decreased, while K excretion increased during the study. Taken together the results indicate that the greater dietary intake of Ca, Mg and Na due to the addition of lucerne was insufficient to overcome the primary mineral imbalance of high dietary K and low Na in the cereal forages. Furthermore, the addition of lucerne to the diet further decreased P intake and greatly increased the Ca: P ratio. Our calculations suggest lambs grazing any of the diets in the present study still required supplementation with Na and Mg, but the addition of lucerne alleviated the need for Ca supplementation. The need for supplementation with a source of dietary P requires further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainability of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) − summer maize (Zea mays L.) rotation (W − M), which is commonly practiced in the North China Plain (NCP), is threatened by severe groundwater deficits and environmental pollution due to excessive nitrogen (N) applications. Considering the need for protein-rich forages by local livestock operations and the environmental benefits of growing perennial legumes, we propose that an alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.)-based system is worth introducing for field practice in the NCP. An integrated evaluation was used in this four-year study to compare the agronomic, economic, and environmental performances of the following four cropping patterns: alfalfa monoculture (AA), alfalfa and silage maize intercropping with or without N input which is designed for local climate condition, maize monoculture with or without N input which is much-discussed as a resources-saving substitution and commonly practiced W − M. W − M obtained the highest aboveground dry matter (DM) productivity (P < 0.05) based on the highest irrigation water and N fertilizer consumption (P < 0.05) which caused considerable soil mineral N (Nmin) accumulation. The production cost of maize monoculture was the lowest as well as the DM yield, nitrogen accumulation and the net revenue compared with other systems (P < 0.05), moreover, there was a great risk of N losses during the offseason period. The alfalfa and silage maize intercropping with a low N input (120 kg ha−1 which is close to local practice for maize season) achieved 26.6%–34.9% more DM yield compared with AA and maize monoculture, and 12.5%–163.9% more N output compared with W − M and maize monoculture during four experimental years with same total economic revenue as W − M and AA did. The N input in alfalfa and silage maize intercropping dramatically improved the system productivity by assisting intercropped maize growth while did not lead to excessive Nmin accumulation within 0–210 soil layer compared with the intercropping system without N addition. The planting of alfalfa would not affect the water storage in the 0–60 soil layer after maize harvesting each year. For the effects of interspecific competition, the production of the intercropped alfalfa and maize was significantly decreased in 2020 and a three-year period of production is recommended for optimal use of the alfalfa and silage maize intercropping. Alfalfa and silage maize intercropping with an appropriate N input, which acquired comprehensive performances in terms of productivity, environmental impacts as well as economic profits, would be an optimal alternative system in the NCP. The alfalfa and silage maize intercropping with an appropriate N input (A + M), which achieved high dry matter yield, nitrogen uptake and net revenue with the lowest irrigation water and nitrogen fertilizer use, would be an optimal alternative system in the North China Plain. [Display omitted] • The wheat–maize rotation (W – M) in the North China plain is profitable but has inevitable negative environmental impacts. • Alfalfa and maize intercropping (A + M) was proposed for the high protein productivity and the adaptability to climate. • The agronomic, economic, and environmental performances were compared among A + M, W – M, and monoculture systems. • A + M was more productive than monoculture, and consumed lower groundwater and nitrogen than W–M without net revenue loss. • A + M would be an optimal alternative system in the North China Plain for its comprehensive performances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study compared the effect of a novel perennial wheat forage and a conventional annual wheat forage, fed to lambs with or without lucerne, on the quality and mineral profile of the longissimus lumborum and semimembranosus muscles. This involved 48 Poll Dorset × Merino ewe lambs, 12 per treatment, managed for 28 days within individual pens. Consumer sensory panel scores showed 'good eating quality' for all samples irrespective of diet, a conclusion supported by the shear force, cooking loss, particle size, and intramuscular fat results. Drip loss was affected by a significant interaction between diet and muscle. The ultimate pH of meat from lambs fed annual wheat was highest. Comparable colour stability and purge results suggested that diet did not impact on lamb retail-potential. Sodium, sulphur and zinc concentrations were higher in the meat from lambs fed annual wheat, compared to perennial wheat. Overall, these outcomes support the use of perennial wheat as a forage for lamb production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]