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Inorganic Nitrogen Supply Effects on Alfalfa Forage Quality

Department of Animal Science
Department of Soil, Crop, and Atmospheric Sciences
Department of Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-4801

Objectives were to evaluate the nutritive value of alfalfa treated with N. Alfalfa germplasms, Turkistan and Flemish, were grown in three growth chambers with N supplied at 0, 3, 5, and 10 mM N as ammonium nitrate. Alfalfa regrowth was harvested after 34 d. Digestibility, NDF, ADF, and permanganate lignin did not differ among rates of N application or between germplasms. Ammonia and pH of fluid from ruminal incubations also did not differ. Concentration of N of alfalfa increased as rate of N application increased. Nitrate N concentration increased from .17 ± .03% for the rate at 0 mM N to .75 ± .06% for the rate at 10 mM N. Gas production decreased from 19.4 d 100 mg of forage with the rate at 0 mM N to 12.3 ml/100 mg of forage with the rate at 10 mM N. Gas production was correlated with N concentration (r = –.72) and with nitrate concentration (r = –.82). Ruminal microorganisms incubated with alfalfa treated with 10 mM N produced 21% less total VFA and less propionic acid than microorganisms incubated with alfalfa treated with 0 mM N. Nitrate added to untreated alfalfa reduced gas production similarly to treated alfalfa and also had no effect on digestibility. Application of high concentrations of N to alfalfa can lower energy available to ruminants.