FORAGE YIELD OF LOTUS (Lotus corniculatus L.) BY VARYING THE CRITERION AT THE TIME OF HARVEST

The management strategy for a forage species is one of the main factors that deteimine the productivity of a meadow. This study was carried out at the Colegio de Postgraduados, Campus Montecillo, in the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 production cycles and the objective was to determine the productivity of Lotus corniculants L., cv. Estanzuela Ganador, different harvest frequency strategies. The experimental design was completely randomized with three repetitions. The treatments comprised four harvest frequencies: 90% (90IL), 95% (95IL), and 100% (100IL) of intercepted light and a Control, depending on the season of the year. The forage yield at 95IL was the highest with 30,848 kg DM ha(-1) year(-1), compared to the Control, without differing from 90IL or 100IL for the second year. The yield was higher in spring than in fall with 8,749 vs 5,485 kg DM ha(-1), average. The leaf was the one that contributed the most to the total annual yield, with an average of 15,086 kg DM ha(-1), followed by the stem (8,825 kg DM ha(-1)), dead material (2,830 kg DM ha(-1)) and weeds (1,174 kg DM ha(-1)). Only with 95IL, the leaf: stem ratio (R:H/T) surpassed throughout the seasons with an annual average of 1.8. Likewise, the highest R:H/T values were observed in fall and winter (2.3 average), and the lowest, in spring and summer (1.5), mainly in the Control. Using 95IL and 100IL, the highest plant height was recorded with 24 cm, mainly in summer, contrary to the Control where the lowest plant height was recorded with 22 cm in fall and winter, In conclusion, the best productive characteristics of Lotus corniculatus L., var. Estanzula Ganador, were manifested at harvests at 90, 95 and 100IL, regarding to a Control defined by season.