The effect of cutting frequency, period and intensity on the yield and quality of caoyuan no. 3

This experiment was conducted to explore the influence of cutting frequency (1, 2 and 3 times), cutting time (June, July and August) and subtle height (3cm, 5cm, 7cm) on the dry matter (DM) and quality (crude protein (CP), crude fiber (CF) and ash content) of Caoyuan No.3 (Medicago sativa cv. Caoyuan No.3) in Duolun county, Inner Mongolia. The result shows a) The cutting in June and July had negative effect on dry matter. b) Cutting significantly improved the crude protein and ash content and reduced the CF content, but the difference was not significant among the experiment groups. c) When three factors interacted, the highest crude protein and ash content and lowest CF content was found in different groups (Group 4-3 and 2-1 respectively). d) The negative influence of cutting on dry matter might due to the insufficient rainfall after cutting, while quality varation was more influenced by phenology.