Effects of white clover and fertilizer nitrogen on herbage production and chemical composition and soil water

1985 ◽  
Vol 104 (2) ◽  
pp. 453-467 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Wilman ◽  
P. A. Hollington
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
The Other ◽  
Deep Soil ◽  
N Content ◽  
Nitrate N ◽  
Grass Growth ◽  
Grass Sward

SummaryEffects of seven levels of N application and three seeds mixtures were studied on two sites for 4 years. One seeds mixture comprised perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and two comprised perennial ryegrass with white clover (Trifolium repens L.). One site (Trefloyne) was 24 m above sea level on deep soil and the other (Pwllpeiran) was 328 m above sea level on relatively shallow soil. The plots were cut seven times per year.White clover grew very strongly at Trefloyne in the first 2 years, fixing 350 kg N/ha/year where no N was applied; the clover declined very markedly during the 3rd year and there was very little in the sward in the 4th year; quite large quantities of clover were harvested in the 1st year even where 600 kg N/ha were applied. At Pwllpeiran the yields of clover were never high, but the clover persisted well where no N was applied. At Trefloyne the indirect contribution of the clover (in increasing the yield of grass) was greater in the first than in the second half of the year; clover was later than grass to grow strongly in the spring, but the extra grass growth compensated for this, so that the seasonal distribution of total herbage yield was similar on a grass-clover sward receiving no fertilizer N to that on a grass sward receiving six applications of N per year. At Pwllpeiran, on the other hand, the indirect contribution of the clover tended to be greater in the second than in the first half of the year where no N was applied.The olover was similar to grass in phosphorus and potassium content and higher than grass in calcium and nitrogen. The clover was higher in nitrate-N content than grass grown without clover, at low levels of applied N, and increased the nitrate-N content of the grass growing with it.Water consumption at Trefloyne was greatest on swards which contained olover and on the swards without clover which received at least 400 kg N/ha/year. The effect of clover on soil water was apparent particularly in the lower horizons of the soil.

scholarly journals 159 The effect of multispecies swards on parasite faecal egg counts of grazing lambs

2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 170-170
Author(s):  
Romina A Rodriguez ◽  
Cornelia Grace ◽  
Mary B Lynch ◽  
Helen Sheridan ◽  
Stephen Lott ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Statistical Analysis ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
The Other ◽  
Birdsfoot Trefoil ◽  
Faecal Egg Counts

Abstract Multispecies swards (MSS) for ruminants are increasing in popularity in temperate regions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of MSS containing grasses, legumes and herbs on lambs faecal egg counts (FEC) compared to a perennial ryegrass monoculture. Over two years (2015 and 2016) lambs (n = 60 per year, n = 120 in total per treatment) grazed one of four sward types. The treatments were: perennial ryegrass only (PRG), perennial grass and white clover (PRGWC), six species sward (perennial ryegrass, timothy, plantain, chicory, white and red clover; 6S) and nine species (9S) additional to the 6S were cocksfoot, greater birdsfoot trefoil and yarrow. Feces samples were collected fortnightly commencing when lambs were six weeks old and FEC were determined by the modified McMaster procedure for quantifying Nematodirus and Trichostrongylus eggs. All lambs were treated with anthelmintic at 12 weeks of age and subsequent anthelmintic treatments were administered when a threshold of 400 egg per gram (epg) was reached. The statistical analysis used was a repeated measures model in PROC MIXED of SAS. Nematodirus FEC did not differ with treatment (P > 0.05). Trichostrongylus FEC was influenced by sward type (P < 0.05), the lambs grazing the PRG sward displaying higher FEC, while the lambs grazing the 9S sward displaying lower FEC compared to other treatments. The lambs offered PRG required fewer days in reach the 400 epg threshold compared to the other treatments (P < 0.05) that did not differ. The repeatability of FEC from one date to the next date was 21.54% and 11.85% for Nematodirus and Trichostrongylus respectively, being considered low. The correlation between FEC (Nematodirus) and ADG (weaning-slaughter) was positive (0.1377), but FEC (Trichostrongylus) and ADG correlation was negative (-0.1084). These results suggest that lambs offered the 9S treatment had lower FEC of Trichostrongylus eggs compared to PRG.

A comparison of silages made from red clover/grass, white clover/grass and high nitrogen grass swards for beef production

1985 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 267-277 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. Stewart ◽  
I. I. McCullough
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Total Yield ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Red Clover ◽  
Dry Matter Yield ◽  
Grass Silage ◽  
Matter Production ◽  
Grass Sward

ABSTRACTSilage cut twice annually (June and August) from a tetraploid red clover/grass sward and three times annually (May, July and September) from a low nitrogen (N) and high N perennial ryegrass/white clover sward was fed in proportion to dry-matter yield from each cut, over a 10-week period, each winter for 3 years to castrated male cattle of initial live weight 401 kg in year 1 and 425 kg in years 2 and 3. The silages were supplemented with 0, 1, 2 and 3 kg concentrate per head daily.Total dry-matter yield from the red clover/grass sward was similar to that from the perennial ryegrass/white clover sward (high N grass) receiving 360 kg N per ha but the digestibility, particularly of first cut material was much lower. Dry-matter production of the low N grass/white clover sward was 0·73 of high N grass sward and produced silages of similar digestibility and fermentation.Dry-matter intakes by the cattle were higher on the legume-based silages in years when clover made a worthwhile contribution to total yield, but this did not significantly improve utilization or animal performance compared with high N grass silage. Mean daily carcass gain per head on red clover/grass silage was 0·41 kg which was significantly less than the 0·61 kg on white clover/grass silage and 0·59 on high N grass (P < 0·001). Carcass output from red clover/grass silage was 618 kg/ha and 629 kg/ha from white clover/grass, both of which were significantly less than the 863 kg/ha from the high N grass silage (P < 0·001). Dressing proportion was also significantly poorer in animals fed red clover/grass silage compared with the other silage types.

Some effects of canopy height on perennial ryegrass and white clover in a field sward

1985 ◽  
Vol 105 (1) ◽  
pp. 79-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Wilman ◽  
S. K. Shrestha
Keyword(s):  
Lolium Perenne ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Trifolium Repens ◽  
Lower Proportion ◽  
Canopy Height ◽  
N Content ◽  
Fixed Area ◽  
Leaf Extension ◽  
Dead Tissue

SUMMARYEight canopy heights, maintained by weekly cutting, were compared during summer and early autumn on a perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)-white clover (Trifolium repens L.) sward.Perennial ryegrass adapted to a taller canopy by increasing the length of its leaf blades much more than it increased the length of its leaf sheaths, and by increasing the length of its blades proportionately more than their width. White clover adapted by increasing the length of its petioles much more than it increased the length of its leaflets. Canopy height did not affect the number of ryegrass leaves emerging or dying per tiller or the number of live, emerged leaves maintained by a tiller. The amount of herbage harvested at the weekly cuts was largely unaffected by canopy height once the swards had adapted to the particular management. Leaf blades in the taller canopies, therefore, lost a much lower proportion of their length to defoliation than those in the shorter canopies. Consequently, the length of blade dying per tiller per week was more strikingly affected by canopy height than was the rate of leaf extension. The increasing amount of material lost by death with increasing canopy height was confirmed by the weights of senescent and dead tissue collected weekly from a fixed area in each plot. Herbage in the lower compared with the upper layers of the taller canopies was much less digestible and lower in N content.

The effects of a wide range of nitrogen application rates on the yields from a perennial ryegrass sward with and without white clover

1970 ◽  
Vol 74 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Reid
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilizer ◽  
Crude Protein ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Growth Curves ◽  
Nitrogen Rate ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Grass Sward ◽  
Nitrogen Rates

SUMMARYA series of twenty-one nitrogen fertilizer rates ranging from 0 to 800 lb nitrogen/acre (897 kg/ha)/annum was applied on a pure S. 23 perennial ryegrass sward and on an S. 23 ryegrass sward containing S. 100 white clover. Total yields of herbage dry matter and crude protein from both swards at all the nitrogen rates were determined each year by cutting the herbage five times at approximately the same stage of growth on each occasion. Four-parameter growth curves relating herbage yield to nitrogen rate were fitted to the data, and are presented for the first 3 years of the experiment. On the pure-grass sward the response of dry-matter yield to nitrogen rate was almost linear between the 0 and 300 lb nitrogen/acre (336 kg/ha) rates, then it decreased steadily, becoming non-significant about the 500 lb/acre (560 kg/ha) rate. In contrast the response of crude-protein yield was virtually linear from the 0 to the 600–700 lb nitrogen/acre (673–785 kg/ha) rates. The inclusion of white clover in the sward increased the yields of dry matter and crude protein at the low nitrogen rates, but decreased the responses, with the result that the yields and responses of the grass + clover sward were not significantly different from those of the pure-grass sward at nitrogen rates above about 300 lb/ acre (336 kg/ha). In terms of profitability at present fertilizer prices the optimum nitrogen rate for dry-matter production on both swards was estimated to be 400–450 lb/ acre (448–504 kg/ha), whereas that for crude-protein production was greater than 600 lb/acre (673 kg/ha). The value of clover in a sward receiving nitrogen fertilizer is discussed.

The effects of including white clover in perennial ryegrass swards and the height of mixed swards on the milk production, sward selection and ingestive behaviour of dairy cows

1998 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 195-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. J. C. Phillips ◽  
N. L. James
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cows ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Milk Fat ◽  
Day Treatment ◽  
Fat Content ◽  
Mixed Grass ◽  
Partial Preference ◽  
Grass Sward ◽  
Ingestive Behaviour

AbstractTwo experiments were conducted with dairy cows to examine the effects of including white clover in perennial ryegrass swards and of offering the cows a choice between tall and short mixed perennial ryegrass/white clover swards. In the first experiment, cows grazed a perennial ryegrass sward (treatment Prg); a mixed sward of perennial ryegrass and white clover (treatment WC); treatment Prg during the night and treatment WC during the day (treatment Prg night/WC day); or they were offered a choice between Prg and WC (treatment Prg/WC). Cows in treatment WC produced more milk than cows in treatment Prg, with cows in Prg night/WC day and Prg/WC intermediate. The milk fat content of cows in treatment Prg was greater than in the other three treatments. When cows were offered both mixed grass/clover and pure grass swards (treatments Prg night/WC day and Prg/WC) they exhibited a partial preference for the WC sward and grazed it to a lower herbage height than the pure grass sward. In the second experiment, cows were offered a WC sward at 6 or 3·5 cm sward surface height, or a choice between pastures at the two heights. Cows offered only the tall sward produced most milk, and those offered only the short sward produced the least. Milk fat content was reduced for cows offered only the tall sward. Cows offered a choice of the tall or short swards spent longer grazing in total than the cows offered only tall or only short swards but there was no difference in the time spent grazing the tall and short swards.

Effects of pasture species mixture, management, and environment on the productivity and persistence of dairy pastures in south-west Victoria. 1. Herbage accumulation and seasonal growth pattern

2004 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. N. Nie ◽  
D. F. Chapman ◽  
J. Tharmaraj ◽  
R. Clements
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Tall Fescue ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
The Other ◽  
First Year ◽  
Seasonal Growth ◽  
Short Term ◽  
South West ◽  
Species Mixture

An experiment was conducted on 2 contrasting soil types for 4 years (1998–2001) to determine the effects of plant species mixture, management inputs, and environment on sown species herbage accumulation (SSHA) and seasonal growth pattern of pastures for dairy production. Five pasture types, combined with 3 management treatments, were established in south-west Victoria. Three of the pasture types were based on perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.). One pasture type included short-term, winter- or summer-active species in the perennial ryegrass–white clover mixture. The final pasture type was based on the perennial grasses cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), and phalaris (Phalaris aquatica L.). The 3 management treatments involved different levels of fertiliser input and weed/pest control. Pasture type had a significant impact on SSHA in 3 of 4 years. In the first year, the mixture based on cocksfoot, tall fescue, and phalaris had the lowest SSHA, but this pasture matched other types from 1999 onwards and yielded the highest in 2000, the year with the driest summer during the experiment. Ryegrass–white clover mixture based on old cultivars had generally lower SSHA than the other types except in the first year. Higher fertiliser inputs increased SSHA by 16–28% in 1998, 1999, and 2001. There was a significant site × pasture type interaction on SSHA in 2000. The mixture based on cocksfoot, tall fescue, and phalaris produced up to 1–2 t DM/ha.year more than the other types in summer and autumn in dry–normal years. The inclusion of short-term species, or more stoloniferous white clover cultivars, in the ryegrass–white clover mixture, had little effect on SSHA, or on the seasonal distribution of pasture growth. Pastures based on perennial grasses other than perennial ryegrass appear to have potential for altering the seasonality of pasture growth in south-west Victoria, although the benefits resulting from changing pasture type will depend on environment. Overall, increasing management inputs usually had a greater effect on SSHA than changing pasture type, but management responses were also affected by environment, particularly through the effects of a dry season on a sandy soil type.

Effects of cutting height on the productivity and composition of perennial ryegrass–white clover swards

1993 ◽  
Vol 121 (1) ◽  
pp. 29-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. H. P. Acuña ◽  
D. Wilman
Keyword(s):  
Soil Water ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
P Application ◽  
Irrigation Treatments ◽  
Harvest Year ◽  
Cutting Height ◽  
Tiller Density ◽  
Field Plots ◽  
Clover Content

SUMMARYAll combinations of five cutting heights (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 cm), two rates of P application (0 and 100 kg P/ha per year) and two irrigation treatments (0 and maximum soil water deficit 35 mm) were compared on field plots sown with a mixture of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.) in Wales. The cutting and P treatments were applied for 4½ years (1986–90) and the irrigation treatments for 2 years (1987 and 1988). The plots were cut at 4-week intervals from April to October each year.Applied P and irrigation had only a small effect on the productivity and composition of the swards. The proportion of white clover in the sward was inversely related to the height of cutting, so that clover was almost eliminated by 3 years of 10 cm cutting. This reduction in clover content led to a 50% reduction in herbage yield. Close cutting increased the tiller density of ryegrass in May and June of the first harvest year, but this effect was subsequently reversed as clover competed more strongly with ryegrass under close cutting. The proportion of unsown species, predominantly Agrostis tenuis, was much higher in the third and fourth than in the first and second harvest years and was positively related to the height of cutting. Close cutting depleted soil K and soil water.

Effect of sward surface height of mixed swards of ryegrass/white clover on the intake and performance by ewes and their twin lambs

1987 ◽  
Vol 1987 ◽  
pp. 37-37
Author(s):  
R.J. Orr ◽  
P.D. Penning ◽  
A.J. Parsons ◽  
T.T. Treacher
Keyword(s):  
Lolium Perenne ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Trifolium Repens ◽  
Continuous Variable ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Animal Performance ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Grass Sward

Mixed swards of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne cv. S23) and white clover (Trifolium repens cv. Huia) were maintained at sward surface heights (SSH) of 3 (GC3), 6 (GC6) and 9 cm (GC9) by continuous variable stocking to examine effects on sward and animal performance. In addition, a pure grass sward of S23 was kept at 6 cm (G6) and fertilized with 14 applications of 30 kg N per ha at fortnightly intervals, beginning on 25 March. The swards were sown in August 1983, cut twice in 1984, in May and June, and then grazed thereafter. Fertilizer was applied to the seedbed at 40 kg N per ha, 20 kg P205 per ha and 20 kg K20 per ha. In March 1984 and 1985, 20 kg per ha each of P205 and K2O were applied to all plots.Dry sheep grazed the paddocks (0.69 ha) to the required SSH's with grazing starting on 4 April, 9 April, 12 April and 24 April for treatments GC3, G6, GC6 and GC9, respectively. On 24 April, two days after lambing, core groups of 8 Scottish Halfbred ewes with twin lambs were put on the plots. Additional ewes, kept on swards similar to the treatment areas, were used to adjust the stocking rate to maintain the SSH's. These were measured three times each week with 200 readings per plot.

Seasonal dynamics of leaf extension and losses to senescence and herbivory in extensively managed sown ryegrass–white clover swards

1999 ◽  
Vol 132 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. A. MARRIOTT ◽  
G. T. BARTHRAM ◽  
G. R. BOLTON
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Plant Competition ◽  
Leaf Tissue ◽  
The Other ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Flow Measurements ◽  
Sward Height ◽  
Leaf Appearance ◽  
Leaf Extension

Tissue flow measurements of leaf material in Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass), Agrostis capillaris or Poa annua, and Trifolium repens (white clover) were made at three upland sites in Scotland (Hartwood, Sourhope and Fasque) in 1992/93 to determine if there were differences in seasonal growth, senescence and losses to herbivory between species in their response to more extensive sward management. The measurements were made monthly from May until October in established predominantly perennial ryegrass/white clover swards receiving three different treatments. One treatment received a conventional annual fertilizer application of 140 kg N/ha plus maintenance P and K and was grazed by sheep at a sward height of 4 cm (4F), whereas the other two treatments were unfertilized and grazed to maintain a sward height of 4 cm (4U) or 8 cm (8U).Significant sources of the variation in leaf appearance, increase in green lamina/petiole length (leaf extension), senescence and losses to herbivory were attributable to site, sward, species and date of measurement. The rate of leaf extension for all three measured species was less in 4U than 4F swards, and less in 4U than 8U swards. Leaf extension of L. perenne exceeded that of the other species, even in unfertilized swards, but rates of leaf appearance were less. There was some evidence in spring of a reduction in net growth as a consequence of removing fertilizer inputs and maintaining a sward height of 4 cm. Species differences in the losses of leaf tissue to herbivory were dependent on sward management. In the 4F treatment, leaf loss to herbivory from L. perenne tillers was greater than that from either A. capillaris, P. annua or T. repens in May, June and September. In the 4U treatment more leaf tissue was also lost from L. perenne than from T. repens. In contrast, there was no difference between grass species in losses to herbivory in either unfertilized sward. The responses of species to changes in fertilizer and grazing management were similar at three sites of differing fertility. The results are discussed in relation to plant competition and species dynamics in extensively managed swards.

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