Length of rhizome and depth of burial affects the regeneration of bent grass (Agrostis castellana Boiss. et Reuter)

1998 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 1141 ◽  
Author(s):  
M-G. Batson
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Advantage ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Single Node ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Shoot Production ◽  
Agrostis Castellana ◽  
Depth Of Burial ◽  
Measurement Period

Renovation of pastures dominated by bent grass (Agrostis castellana), by killing the vegetation with herbicides followed by cultivation and re-sowing, according to current recommendations, can kill up to 95% of the bent grass. To improve the success of killing bent grass and reducing the likelihood of regeneration from rhizomes after renovation, the behaviour of rhizomes after fragmentation was studied in pots. Rhizomes were cut into different lengths (15, 40, and 100 mm) to contain 1, 3, and 8 nodes per section and planted at depths of 25, 50, 75, 100, and 200 mm in cultivated soil, with or without competition from establishing seedlings of perennial ryegrass and white clover. The proportion of bent grass shoots developing from buried rhizomes was reduced to <10% when rhizomes were broken into sections containing only a single node and buried at or below 75 mm. Even after 3 months burial, an average of 0, 0·2, and 0·4 nodes in 1-node, 3-node, and 8-node sections, respectively, were still viable after fragmentation and could potentially develop, should conditions change, ensuring regeneration. The presence of newly sown pasture did not affect either the development of nodes or the vigour of shoots of bent grass during the 3-month measurement period. Pasture production, however, was reduced with increasing bent grass shoot production such that 8-node sections buried at 25 and 50 mm produced up to 3 times more dry matter per pot than other pasture components, giving bent grass a competitive advantage.

Effects of irrigation frequency and transient waterlogging on the production of a perennial ryegrass - white clover pasture

1997 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 165 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. S. Dunbabin ◽  
I. H. Hume ◽  
M. E. Ireson
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Dry Matter Production ◽  
Irrigation Frequency ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Absolute Increase ◽  
Irrigation Interval ◽  
Matter Production

Summary. Perennial ryegrass–white clover swards were irrigated for 3 years every 50, 80 and 120 mm of crop evapotranspiration minus rainfall (ETc–R) and water ponded on the soil surface for either 4, 12 or 24 h at each irrigation. Pasture production and clover content were highly seasonal, peaking in spring and autumn. Frequent irrigation increased dry matter production by an average of 56%. When irrigating at 50 mm ETc–R, dry matter production was decreased by ponding water on plots, 17% for 12 h ponding and 14% if ponded for 24 h. However, when irrigating at an interval of 80 mm ETc–R ponding increased dry matter production by 7% for 12 h ponding and by 25% for 24 h ponding. Ponding also increased production at an irrigation interval of 120 mm ETc–R by 25% for 12 h ponding but only by 2.4% for 24 h ponding. While these increases in dry matter production are large in relative terms the absolute increase in production is small. More water infiltrated per irrigation at longer irrigation intervals, and at longer ponding times. Frequently irrigated, rapidly drained swards used irrigation water most efficiently. The small gain in dry matter production achieved by prolonging ponding at longer irrigation intervals is an inefficient use of water and likely to recharge regional groundwater systems. Oxygen diffusion rate measurements suggested that ponding for as short as 4 h was likely to cause waterlogging stresses and that these stresses were higher when irrigating frequently. The relative increase in waterlogging stress by extending the period of ponding from 4 to 24 h was small.

scholarly journals Managing white clover for productive and profitable sheep farming in Southland

2000 ◽  
pp. 137-140
Author(s):  
J.P.J. Eerens ◽  
D.L. Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Fixation ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Pasture Management ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Clover Root ◽  
Pastoral Farming

White clover is often listed as one of the factors contributing to profitable pastoral farming in New Zealand. The positive aspects of white clover have been presented in a balanced manner in publications by scientists, environmentalists and farmers able to exploit these positive aspects. Increasingly, pastures contain sub-optimal levels of clover, as a result of pasture management that is detrimental to clover, including the increasing use of fertiliser nitrogen. In some regions of New Zealand, farmers can legitimately point to pests such as the clover root weevil and factors such as the ryegrass endophyte as causing restrictions in clover production, but this is less the case in Southland. Environmental conditions in Southland are well suited for ryegrass-white clover pastures. Wellmanaged ryegrass-white clover pastures containing the best regional cultivars can achieve high financial returns. A number of trials at the Gore Research Station are reviewed; they demonstrated that on mixed ryegrass-white clover swards farmers can produce nearly 25% more dry matter, 40% more carcass weight and 25% more wool than on pastures with ryegrass alone receiving 270 kg N/ha/year. The yield advantage would have been greater still if they were compared with typical Southland pastures. Not only was 180 kg more carcass and 17 kg more wool produced per hectare on mixed swards, but nitrogen fixation by clover produced more than $300 worth of nitrogen per hectare. The yield advantage achievable from the ryegrass-white clover swards requires specific pasture management, particularly in spring- summer and the use of adapted white clover cultivars. Keywords: cultivars, Lolium perenne, nitrogen, pasture production, perennial ryegrass, set stocking, Trifolium repens, white clover, wool

Nitrogen and white clover impacts on the management of perennial ryegrass–clover swards for grazing cattle

2017 ◽  
Vol 155 (9) ◽  
pp. 1381-1393 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. McDONAGH ◽  
T. J. GILLILAND ◽  
M. McEVOY ◽  
L. DELABY ◽  
M. O'DONOVAN
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
N Application ◽  
Rotation Length ◽  
Annual Total ◽  
Major Factors ◽  
N Use

SUMMARYPerennial ryegrass and white clover (WC) have been shown to form compatible mixtures for pasture production under temperate climates. The inclusion of WC has the potential to enhance the performance of grass swards, but the extent of the improvement under contrasting grazing management strategies is unclear. Grazing rotation and fertilizer nitrogen (N) use have been identified as two major factors that can influence the performance of grass–clover swards. The objective of the current study was to examine the effect of differing grazing rotation lengths and the level of N application on the dry matter (DM) yield performance of grass–clover and grass-only swards as well as on WC productivity and persistency under animal grazing. Swards were managed by N application and grazing rotation length: High-N swards were managed on a 21-day grazing rotation (Man 1) and low-N swards were managed on a 30-day grazing rotation (Man 2). The four treatments were: 250 kg N/ha without WC (HN−C), 250 kg N/ha with WC (HN+C), 100 kg N/ha N without WC (LN−C) and 100 kg N/ha with WC (LN+C). There was a significant management × WC interaction over the 3 years for annual DM yield. The LN−C swards produced lower DM yield (−1917 kg DM/ha) than the swards of the other three treatments (11 167 kg DM/ha). Management had a significant effect on annual DM yield with Man 1 swards yielding 801 kg DM/ha more than Man 2 swards (10 288 kg DM/ha). The inclusion of WC yielded significantly more annual DM yield (+1009 kg DM/ha) than grass-only swards. Notably, LN+C produced the same annual total DM yield as swards under High N and a 21-day grazing rotation. Total WC DM yield and proportion across the year was altered significantly by management. Higher N fertilized swards at shorter grazing intervals had a lower WC DM yield (−1544 kg DM/ha) and proportion (−0·13). Dry matter yield of WC with low N application can be similar to that at high N levels if rotation length is used as a mechanism to determine grazing timing. Variations in WC productivity into the final year of the experiment indicate that persistence of significant contributions to DM yield by WC under low N at longer grazing intervals remains unclear after 3 years.

Strategic nitrogen fertiliser use on perennial ryegrass and white clover pasture in north-western Tasmania

1998 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 155 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. Eckard ◽  
D. R. Franks
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Application Rate ◽  
Nitrogen Efficiency ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
N Availability ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
N Application ◽  
Clover Pasture

Summary. The strategic application of nitrogen (N) fertiliser on temperate pasture is a popular management tool for boosting pasture production, particularly when low soil temperatures limit clover-derived N availability. The responsiveness of a perennial ryegrass and white clover pasture to increasing rates of N fertiliser (0, 15, 30, 45 and 60 kg N/ha), applied as a single application, was investigated for 5 pre and 5 post mid winter N application dates. The trial was laid out in a randomised split-plot design, replicated 4 times, with N application date in the whole plots and N fertiliser rate in subplots. Herbage yields were estimated by mowing small plots, with animals excluded for the duration of a single regrowth period on each plot. The data are presented as averages for the 5 pre and 5 post mid winter responses separately, as the means of the pre and post winter partitions were significantly (P<0.001) different at all rates of N fertiliser for both years. Significant (P<0.05) yield responses were noted between increments of N fertiliser up to the 45 kg N/ha application rate. In contrast, no significant (P>0.05) increases in dry matter yield were noted between the 45 and 60 kg N/ha rates in all but one response, consistent with diminishing returns. The efficiency with which N fertiliser was utilised ranged between 9.0 and 15.9 kg N dry matter/kg. Nitrogen efficiency was consistently lower at the 60 kg N/ha rate than for lower rates of N fertiliser. The application of N fertiliser increased pasture dry matter yields by between 582 and 703 kg dry matter/ha. Based on the 1997 cost of urea, the additional forage produced cost between 6.4 and 10.1 cents/kg dry matter. The data are reviewed in terms of the potential for strategic N fertiliser applications during the winter, while still maximising utilisation of clover-derived N during the warmer months.

Low rates of phosphorus fertiliser applied strategically throughout the growing season under rain-fed conditions did not affect dry matter production of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)

2010 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 353 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. L. Burkitt ◽  
D. J. Donaghy ◽  
P. J. Smethurst
Keyword(s):  
Lolium Perenne ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Dry Matter Production ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Lolium Perenne L ◽  
Matter Production ◽  
Extractable P ◽  
Intensively Managed

Pasture is the cheapest source of feed for dairy cows, therefore, dairy pastures in Australia are intensively managed to maximise milk production and profits. Although soil testing commonly suggests that soils used for dairy pasture production have adequate supplies of phosphorus (P), many Australian dairy farmers still apply fertiliser P, often by applying smaller rates more frequently throughout the year. This study was designed to test the hypotheses that more frequent, but lower rates of P fertiliser applied strategically throughout the growing season have no effect on dry matter production and P concentration in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), when soil extractable P concentrations are above the critical value reported in the literature. Three field sites were established on rain-fed dairy pasture soils ranging in P sorption capacity and with adequate soil P concentrations for maximising pasture production. Results showed that applied P fertiliser had no effect on pasture production across the 3 sites (P > 0.05), regardless of rate or the season in which the P was applied, confirming that no P fertiliser is required when soil extractable P concentrations are adequate. This finding challenges the viability of the current industry practice. In addition, applying P fertiliser as a single annual application in summer did not compromise pasture production at any of the 3 sites (P > 0.05), which supports the current environmental recommendations of applying P during drier conditions, when the risk of surface P runoff is generally lower. The current results also demonstrate that the short-term cessation of P fertiliser application may be a viable management option, as a minimal reduction in pasture production was measured over the experimental period.

scholarly journals Buğdaygil ve Baklagil -Buğdaygil Karışımı Meraların Süt İneklerinin Verim Performansı ve Sütün Bileşimine Etkileri

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 7
Author(s):  
Numan Kılıçalp ◽  
Mustafa Avcı ◽  
Hatice Hızlı ◽  
Rüştü Hatipoğlu
Keyword(s):  
Milk Yield ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Live Weight ◽  
Operating Conditions ◽  
Protein Yield ◽  
First Year ◽  
Lactation Period ◽  
Grazing Period

This research was conducted to determine forage yield, chemical composition, milk yield and milk composition in dairy cattle grazing on pasture established with species and mixtures of Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne, Bastion,PR), Orchardgrass(Dactylis glometata, Pizza,OG) and White clover(Trifolium repens, Huia,WC). In this research conducted for two years, the grazing experiment was carried out according to a change over trial design. For this purpose, a total of 6 Holstein Friesian cows (at the 2nd lactation and with an average of 520 ± 26 kg live weight) were used for two periods, each of which consisted of 30 days (8 days of adaptation and 22 days of the basis period). The milk nutritional composition of the animals (dry matter, fat and protein content) was determined in the last three days in the last five consecutive days of each lactation period. The acid detergent fiber (ADF) content of pasture obtained from Perennial ryegrass + White clover mixture (PRWC) was found to be lower than that obtained from the other two (PR and OG) pasture and Net Energy Lactation (NEL) content was found higher in the first grazing period in the first year. However, the effect of the investigated pastures on milk yield was not significant, but it was found that the effects on milk protein yield in the first year and dry matter of milk in the second year were significant. In the first year of grazing period, milk yield, milk fat yield and protein yield were found to be significant. The results of this study showed that under these operating conditions, the botanical composition of the pasture had no effect on the amount and composition of the milk, but the milk yield decreased as the vegetation period advanced.

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.

Comparative growth of white clover sown into pots of soil from old pastures and adjacent roadsides

1990 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 1083 ◽  
Author(s):  
AA McGowan
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Allelopathic Effect ◽  
Roadside Soils ◽  
Average Growth ◽  
Pests And Diseases ◽  
Matter Production ◽  
Different Levels

It is often claimed that improved pastures grow better in the early years after initial establishment than after many years of fertilization and grazing. A pot experiment was conducted to compare the dry matter production of white clover and perennial ryegrass when sown into soil from old established pastures and into soil taken from adjacent roadsides which had not previously been cultivated, fertilized, sown or grazed. On 8 out of 10 sites, white clover growth was consistently poorer when sown into the paddock soil than into the roadside soil. The average growth on paddock soil from these 8 sites was only 61% that of growth on the roadside soils. With perennial ryegrass there was no similar depression; in fact, the overall average growth of grass on the paddock soils was 121% that on the roadside soils. The explanation for this difference in growth of clover on the two soil types was apparently not due to any difference in the N status of the clover plants, as at no harvest was this difference significantly reduced when N fertilizer was regularly applied to the clover. The economic importance of these findings depends on confirmation of the results in the field. Possible, but untested, explanations may lie in different levels of soil-borne pests and diseases, or a residual allelopathic effect of improved pasture species on the growth of clover on the old pasture soil.

The effect of cutting frequency and root segregation on the yield from perennial ryegrass-white clover associations

1967 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 391-397 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. F. Bland
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
The Third ◽  
Nitrogen Yield ◽  
Cutting Frequency ◽  
Nitrogen Yields ◽  
Below Ground ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Defoliation Frequency

1. Dry-matter and nitrogen yields were recorded from perennial ryegrass-white clover associations which were defoliated 2, 4 or 6 times a year during the period 1963 to 1965.2. The average yearly output of dry matter was approximately 4000, 7000 and 6000 lb/acre for 1963, 1964 and 1965 respectively. Nitrogen harvested amounted to 132, 184 and 179 lb N/acre.3. The mean annual dry-matter yields from 2, 4 and 6 defoliations were 5300, 6100 and 6000 lb/acre and the corresponding figures for nitrogen yields were 112, 166 and 217 lb N/acre.4. Both segregation of the species below ground and increasing the defoliation frequency were responsible for higher contributions towards drymatter and nitrogen yield from the clover component.5. A comparison of the nitrogen yields between the plots with species segregated rather than integrated below ground suggests that the effects of underground nitrogen transference from 30–31 lb N/acre could first be demonstrated in the spring of the third year.

scholarly journals Liveweight changes in lambs grazing six perennial ryegrass cultivars

1999 ◽  
pp. 31-35
Author(s):  
C.T. Westwood ◽  
M.G. Norriss
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Moisture Stress ◽  
Botanical Composition ◽  
Independent Research ◽  
Ewe Lambs ◽  
Research Organisation ◽  
Clover Content

Liveweight changes were measured for lambs grazing six high endophyte perennial ryegrasses, in a grazing experiment run by an independent research organisation in Canterbury, New Zealand. Ryegrass cultivars were sown under code in a binary mix with white clover in February 1997. Plots were strategically irrigated to avoid moisture stress, and stocked at approximately 27 Coopworth ewe lambs per ha in May 1997. Common pasture residual mass was maintained across cultivars by strategic addition of extra lambs, with extra grazing days recorded for each replicate. Lamb liveweight gains and botanical composition of replicates were assessed quarterly. Lamb liveweight gains differed significantly between treatments in Years 1 and 2 of this ongoing 3 year study. Lambs grazing 'Quartet' tetraploid perennial ryegrass gained, on average, 37.4 kg and 36.1 kg liveweight during Years 1 and 2 respectively, and together with 'Aries HD' (35.0 and 35.9 kg) produced significantly greater liveweight gain compared with 'Grasslands Nui' (22.0 and 23.7 kg) and 'Bronsyn' (22.5 and 24.1 kg), LSD0.05 = 6.0 and 7.4. Lambs grazing 'Embassy' gained 31.6 kg and 28.7 kg, and 'Vedette' 29.8 kg and 28.0 kg. Extra grazing days expressed as a percentage of base grazing days were between 3.8 and 6.7% across cultivars for Year 1 and between 2.0 and 6.5% across cultivars for Year 2. This study demonstrated significant differences in animal productivity between perennial ryegrass cultivars that produce comparable yields of dry matter. Differences may reflect variation in forage quality, endophyte toxins, clover content in the sward or other unidentified cultivar characteristics. Keywords: digestibility, endophyte, lamb, liveweight, perennial ryegrass, tetraploid

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