Most of the perennial dairy forage grown in New England includes mixtures of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and cool season grasses. Forages grown in mixture are exposed to different light, moisture and fertility regimes than when grown in monoculture and this may have an impact on fiber content and digestibility of each component in the mix. The objective of this study was to evaluate the changes in forage quality during the first growth cycle of grasses and alfalfa when grown and managed in pure verses mixed stands. In 2002 and 2003, three cultivars of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), two timothy (Phleum pratense L.) and one reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) were grown alone or in combination with alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and sampled every two weeks during the first growth period. In the mixed stand treatments, alfalfa was hand separated from the grasses and forage analysis was determined for each component. By the typical harvest date for first cutting (early June), the alfalfa grown in mixtures had concentrations of acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber that ranged from 0.5 to 3.0 g kg-1 higher than pure alfalfa. Grass fiber content was not consistently different when grown in pure verses mixed stands. Results will be discussed.
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