EFFECT OF CULTIVAR AND MECHANIZATION USED ON ALFALFA HAY PRODUCTION

Alfalfa crop, produced in about 15,000 hectares in Kosovo, is an important product that provides high quality feed for livestock. The average yields of alfalfa hay in Kosovo vary significantly depending upon location, production technology and level of mechanization, rainfall or irrigation, and the season. However the potential for alfalfa hay yield is not achieved due to out-dated cultivars, non-adequate production technology and mechanization. The alfalfa crop production is characterized by a very low yield (between 3?5 t/ha alfalfa hay per year from average of 3 cuts per year), high production cost and poor quality of hay. Field experiments included three high potential cultivars and 3 seeding rates, ranging from 15 to 25 kg seed/ha, that were established in two regions in Kosovo. The objective was to determine the impact of proper technology and mechanization used on alfalfa hay yield. The effect of mechanization for soil preparation, sowing, plant maintaining, harvesting, and hay field drying, were investigated at two regions. The cultivars had a significant effect on forage yield, where Banat reached higher hay yield (16.7 t/ha), Mediana (14.3 t/ha), and OS-66 (13.6 t/ha). The highest forage yield was achieved in higher seeding rate (25 kg/ha) with an average of 14.2 t/ha of alfalfa hay, 13.7 t/ha at seeding rate of 20 kg/ha, and 12.1 t/ha at 15 kg/ha of seeding rate.