Productivity of legume-grass agrophyto-cenosis under heavy use

The article presents the results of three-year studies of agrotechnical methods of forming agrophytocenosis of perennial grasses of heavy use. The research method included conductinga field experiment at the experimental field of the Northwestern Research Institute for Dairy and Grassland Farming in the Vologda Oblast. The soil is drained, medium cultivated, sodpodzolic, medium loam. The experiment scheme included 18 options. The following varieties were used: single-cut clover Permskiy local, double-cut clover Dymkovskiy, variegated alfalfa VEGA 87, meadow fescue Sverdlovskaya 37, reed fescue Losinka, timothy-grass Leningradskaya 204, awnless brome SIBNIISKHOZ 189, perennial ryegrass VIC-66. The aim of the research is to study agricultural practices (composition of grass mixtures, planting methods) of formation of legume-grass agrophytocenosis for heavy use in conditions of the European North of Russia. Scientific novelty of the research in contrast to the works of other scientists is that the influence of effective agronomic practices (planting methods, composition of grass mixtures) on the formation of a highly productive agrophytocenosis of perennial grasses of different ripening periods at three-cut use will be studied on sodpodzolic soils for the first time. The results of the research for the period of 2017-2019, found that the proportion of seeded grasses in the composition of agrophytocenosis was high regardless of species composition and planting method and by the years it made up from 82.9 to 98.5%. The planting method influenced the botanical composition of agrophytocenosis. The proportion of weeds in the herbage of the underseeding planting method is 1.3-1.9 times higher. The composition of agrophytocenosis has definitely influenced the yield. In the first year of use grass mixture of option 3 including clover, timothy and fescue reed significantly exceeded the control for yield. In the second year of use grass mixtures of options 3, 5, 9 provided the yield at the control level at three-cut use. The planting method had no significant effect on the yield. At the three-cut use of the herbs, protein content in plant mass was higher by 7-15% in the first year and by 20-60% in the second year of use in comparison to the double-cut use. The grass mixtures at three-cut use were superior those at double-cut use in protein content by 16-33%. The research will be continued in the framework of Research Theme 151 in order to develop resource-saving technologies of creation of highly productive agrophytocenosis of perennial grasses of different ripening for heavy use. The area of application of the results is agricultural enterprises of the European North of Russia.