White clover incorporation at high nitrogen application levels: results from a 3-year study

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 187 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. Guy ◽  
D. Hennessy ◽  
T. J. Gilliland ◽  
F. Coughlan ◽  
B. McClearn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Clover ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
High Nitrogen ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Intensively Managed ◽  
Fertiliser Application ◽  
Grass Growth ◽  
Stocking Rates ◽  
Clover Content

Context High nitrogen (N)-fertiliser application levels and high stocking rates have been shown to optimise herbage dry-matter (DM) production in grass-only systems. Conversely, swards including white clover (Trifolium repens L.) are commonly suited to production systems at low N-fertiliser application levels (<150 kg N/ha) and low stocking rates (fewer than two livestock units (LU) per hectare). Despite this, the use of N fertiliser on grass–clover swards has generally increased during the past few decades, particularly in more intensively managed swards under dairy farming. Increasing inorganic N decreases sward white clover content in grass–clover swards, and increasing stocking rate on grass–clover swards can result in damage to white clover plants. However, under high N-application levels, a high stocking rate can also potentially minimise the negative effects of increased grass growth on sward white clover content. Aims The objective of the present study was to investigate the persistency of white clover in an intensive animal-grazing system, under a high N-fertiliser application level (250 kg N/ha) and at a high stocking rate (2.75 LU per hectare) over a 3-year period (2014–2016). Methods The study was a 2 × 2 factorial design, consisting of two perennial ryegrass ploidies (diploid, tetraploid) and two white clover treatments (grass-only, grass–clover). Four sward treatments (diploid-only, tetraploid-only, diploid + clover, tetraploid + clover) were evaluated over a full grazing season at a system scale. Sward measurements were taken at each grazing occasion for 3 years. Key results Over the 3 years, grass–clover swards produced an additional 1468 kg DM/ha when compared with grass-only swards. Sward white clover content decreased by 17% over the three study years. Conclusions This decrease in sward white clover content led to a decrease in contribution to cumulative herbage DM production. Implications Although the present study showed that white clover inclusion can increase herbage DM production at high N-fertiliser application levels, in association with high stocking rates, the initial extra herbage DM production on grass–clover swards decreased each year. Further studies should be undertaken to investigate whether the decline in white clover persistence observed is progressive over a longer time period.

Herbage and animal production from native pastures and pastures oversown with Stylosanthes hamata. 1. Fertiliser and stocking rate effects

1993 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 561 ◽  
Author(s):  
CJ Gardener ◽  
MR McCaskill ◽  
JG McIvor
Keyword(s):  
Animal Production ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Heteropogon Contortus ◽  
Stylosanthes Hamata ◽  
Stylosanthes Humilis ◽  
Native Pasture ◽  
Utilisation Rate ◽  
Native Pastures ◽  
Fertiliser Application ◽  
Stocking Rates

Native pastures dominated by Heteropogon contortus (speargrass) were sown to Stylosanthes hanzata cv. Verano in 1972, and herbage production and steer growth rates were compared with those of native pastures from 1973 to 1985. The native pastures also contained naturalised Stylosanthes humilis, but its contribution to pasture yield diminished rapidly, after infection by Colletotrichum gloeospoirioides (anthracnose) in 1973. The experiment was a factorial design of 2 pasture types (native, native plus Verano) x 2 stocking rates (0.6, 1.2 steers/ha) x 2 superphosphate treatments (nil, 300 kg/ha.year) x 2 replicates. Fertiliser application decreased the proportion of legume but had no significant effect on herbage or animal production on this comparatively fertile site (extractable P, 18 mg/kg). Annual liveweight gains at the high and low stocking rates, respectively, on the native pasture averaged 100 and 120 kg/steer. Sowing to Verano did not affect herbage yields but increased annual liveweight gains by 28 and 36 kg/steer at low and high stocking rates. The high stocking rate of 1.2 steers/ha was sustainable for the first 9 years of the experiment, when above-average rainfall was received. However, in the following 3 below-average years, there was a shift to less-desirable species, and a decline in pasture productivity. Relative to the low stocking rate, herbage production on the native pasture in the final season was reduced by 60% and on the Verano pasture by 26%. The highest annual herbage utilisation rate that appeared sustainable in the long term was about 45%, which corresponded to a utilisation rate of 30% during the growing season (about November-May). When oversown with Verano, speargrass tended to decline in favour of annual grasses, weeds, and the introduced grass Urochloa mosanzhicensis, which had been sown on an adjacent experiment. Urochloa appeared to be a more suitable companion species than speargrass for Verano.

scholarly journals Simulating the impact of fertiliser strategies and prices on the economics of developing and managing the Cicerone Project farmlets under climatic uncertainty

2013 ◽  
Vol 53 (8) ◽  
pp. 806 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl Behrendt ◽  
James M. Scott ◽  
Oscar Cacho ◽  
Randall Jones
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
High Rainfall ◽  
Efficient Management ◽  
Fertiliser Application ◽  
The Cost ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Stocking Rates ◽  
Future Management

The application of fertilisers to pastures in the high rainfall regions of southern Australia has contributed to large increases in carrying capacity following the widespread adoption of the practice since the late 1940s. Recently, large shifts in the worldwide demand for fertiliser inputs have lead to large rises in the cost of fertiliser inputs. These increasing costs have significant potential ramifications on the future management of soil fertility and its interaction with the persistence and profitability of sown pastures, especially during periods of climatic uncertainty. A dynamic pasture resource development simulation model was used to investigate the implications of fertiliser rates and costs on the efficient management of soil fertility under climatic uncertainty. The framework also allowed the investigation of how the management of soil fertility interacts with the utilisation of pasture resources through different stocking rates. In the application of this method to the Cicerone Project farmlets case study, fertiliser input costs were found to influence the optimal combination of fertiliser inputs and stocking rate. Analyses of the dynamic interaction between fertiliser application and cost, stocking rate and the persistence of desirable species enabled the identification of the most risk-efficient strategies. The implications for grazing industries in the high rainfall regions of southern Australia are discussed.

Nitrogen fertiliser effects on white clover in dairy pastures

1996 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 119-124
Author(s):  
S.L. Harris ◽  
D.A. Clark ◽  
C.D. Waugh ◽  
F.H. Clarkson
Keyword(s):  
White Clover ◽  
Plant Density ◽  
Plant Morphology ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
N Application ◽  
N Rates ◽  
And Control ◽  
Stocking Rates ◽  
Clover Content ◽  
Clover Plant

Effects of high N fertiliser rates on white clover content in the sward and clover plant morphology were monitored over two years (June1993-June 1995) at the DRC, Hamilton. The clover study was part of a farmlet trial aimed at increasing milksolids (MS) production to 1750 kg MS/ha using urea (0, 200 or 400 kg N/ha/yr) to increase pasture production at low (3.2 cows/ha) or high (4.5 cows/ha) stocking rates. On low stocked farmlets clover contents declined to 10.6% (200 kg N/ ha/yr) and 2.2% (400 kg N/ha/yr) by June 1995 compared with 16.8% under no N. Decreased clover content was a result of increased competition from N-boosted ryegrass. At the high stocking rate, N application resulted in clover contents of 14.9% (200 kg N/ha/yr) and 6.8% (400 kg N/ha/yr) compared with 15.4% under no N. Pasture utilisation was better on these farmlets, suggesting the improved utilisation and control of additional feed, particularly during spring, was responsible for the higher clover content. Measurements of clover plant density supported the clover content observations. By June 1995 there were 438, 227 and 26 plants/m2 under 0, 200 and 400 kg N/ha/yr respectively. High N rates also affected clover plant morphology; plants developed fewer axillary buds and stolons, and had lower stolon dry weights under 400 kg N/ha/yr. Keywords: clover content, dairying, morphology, nitrogen, plant density, Trifolium repens, white clover

Optimal management of fertiliser and stocking rate in temperate grazing systems

2010 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karel Mokany ◽  
Andrew D. Moore ◽  
Phillip Graham ◽  
Richard J. Simpson
Keyword(s):  
Cash Flow ◽  
Application Rate ◽  
Optimal Management ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Grazing Systems ◽  
Fertiliser Application ◽  
Gross Margins ◽  
Stocking Rates

Phosphorus (P) fertilisers are one of the key tools available for increasing pasture production and the profitability of grazing enterprises. However, recent rapid changes in fertiliser price have increased the importance of developing optimal management strategies for applying P fertiliser and setting stocking rates. We applied a novel combination of process-based grazing systems modelling and randomised cash flow analyses to examine how changes in fertiliser price affect optimal fertiliser application rates and stocking rates for sheep grazing systems in south-eastern Australia, simultaneously taking into account long-term economic viability and environmental sustainability. We used ‘GrassGro’, a grazing systems decision support tool, to simulate three sheep enterprise types (Merino wethers, Merino ewes, crossbred ewes) at two locations (Hamilton, Victoria; Bookham, New South Wales). Gross margins from each year simulated in GrassGro (1966–2007) were randomised 500 times and input to a cash flow analysis that identified the financially optimal stocking rate for a range of fertiliser applications and the financial risk frontiers (combinations of stocking rate and fertiliser input for which the enterprise becomes financially unviable). For all enterprises examined at both locations, the optimal combinations of stocking rate and fertiliser application rate did not vary markedly as fertiliser price changed. Regardless of enterprise type or location, the fertiliser application rate at which the highest gross margins were achieved provided the greatest range of stocking rates that were both financially viable and environmentally sustainable. Increases in fertiliser price reduced the combinations of stocking rate and fertiliser application rate that were viable in the long term, emphasising the importance of well informed grazing management decisions.

scholarly journals Supplementation of Dairy Cows Grazing Intensively Managed Tropical Grass Pastures at Two Stocking Rates.

1969 ◽  
Vol 63 (3) ◽  
pp. 281-293
Author(s):  
J. A. Yazman ◽  
R. E. McDowell ◽  
H. Cestero ◽  
F. Román-García ◽  
J. A. Arroyo-Aguilu
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Intake ◽  
Expected Returns ◽  
Lactation Period ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Expected Return ◽  
Tropical Pastures ◽  
Intensively Managed ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Stocking Rates

The effects of stocking rate and level of supplementation with concentrate on cows grazing intensively managed tropical pastures were measured with four treatments: grazing alone at 2.5 head per ha per year (T1); grazing plus concentrate at the rate of 1 kg per 2 kg of milk irrespective of daily yield (T2); grazing plus concentrates at the rate of 1 kg per 2 kg above 10 kg daily (T3); and grazing at 5 head per ha plus concentrates at the same level as cows in T2 (T4). All three supplemented groups (T2, T3 and T4) produced significantly greater yields of milk and fat. Average milk yields (kg, M.E. basis) were 3450, 5568, 4709 and 5462 for cows on T1, T2, T3 and T4, respectively. Cows on the higher level of supplement (T2 and T4) gained significantly more weight over the lactation period than cows on T1 and T3. The effect of the supplement appears to be greatest during the early part of lactation when physiological limitations on the consumption of pasture prevent sufficient nutrient intake to supply demand. Cows on T2 produced only 105 kg more milk than cows on T4, while the expected difference, based on increased pasture availability, was over 455 kg. The reduced difference in level of production is postulated as an effect of excessive pasture growth on both intake and diet selection. While milk production was highest for cows receiving the high levels of supplement (T2 and T4), expected return per lactation in income over the cost of supplements, lime and fertilizer were greatest for T3 (medium supplement). Expected returns on a per ha basis were greatest for T4 with 5 cows per ha. Results indicate that where land costs are high, most efficient use of pasture and concentrate resources may be reached by grazing at the rate of 5 head per ha and supplementing with concentrate at 1 kg per 2 kg of milk.

scholarly journals Evaluation of nitrogen fertiliser in a beef production system

1990 ◽  
pp. 89-92
Author(s):  
S.T. Morris ◽  
A.F. Mcfrae
Keyword(s):  
Beef Cattle ◽  
Production System ◽  
Individual Animal ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Beef Production ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Nitrogen Fertiliser ◽  
Stocking Rates ◽  
Objective Being ◽  
Clover Content

This paper reports and discusses the results of 4 years of trials (1985-1988) involving 2 farmlets, one receiving 3 nitrogen applications (50 kg /ha) in autumn, winter and spring (+N) and one receiving no N fertiliser (-N). Stocking rags were 3.3 animals/ha on -N farmlet and 4.3 animals/ha on the +N farmlet for the first 3 years, with the objective being to utilise the extra N-boosted grass with extra animals/ha but not to sacrifice individual animal performance. In the fourth year the stocking rates were kept the same on each farmlet (3.3 animals/ha) in an endeavour to utilise the extra grass grown on the +N farmlet by way of increased per head performance. In 2 of the 3 years (1985 and 1987) where the +N farmlet supported the higher stocking rate, liveweight gain (LWG) did not differ between animals. In 1986 the extra animals on the -l-N farmlet had a lower LWG, whereas in 1988 the LWGs were similar for the 2 farmlets stocked at the same rate. The apparent DM responses (kg DM/kg N applied) ranged from 2 to 12. The rates of N fertiliser used in this trial do not appear to result in economic increases in pasture production for the beef production system reported here. Nitrogen fertiliser did not reduce the clover content of pastures rotationally grazed by beef cattle. Keywords beef production, nitrogen fertiliser, pasture composition, livewieght gain, economics.

scholarly journals Root system and resistance to penetration of Mombaça grass fertilized with nitrogen and irrigated

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (5) ◽  
pp. 3243
Author(s):  
Tatiane Beloni ◽  
Vanessa Cristina Piotto ◽  
Gracielle Caroline Mari ◽  
Alyson Andrade Pinheiro ◽  
Cassio Antonio Tormena ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Root System ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Penetration Resistance ◽  
Panicum Maximum ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Root Characteristics ◽  
Grass Sward ◽  
Stocking Rates ◽  
Resistance To Penetration

High stocking rates in intensive pasture-based animal production systems may compromise the development of the forage roots due to increased resistance in the surface layer. This study tested the hypothesis that an increase in stocking rate resulting from different levels of nitrogen fertilization in irrigated Mombaça grass (Panicum maximum Jacq. cv. Mombaça) pasture under intermittent grazing could increase resistance to penetration and consequently the growth of the root system. A split-plot design with randomized blocks and subplots was used, including three replications and the following four treatments: 0, 200, 400 and 800 kg N ha?1 year. Evaluations performed in spring, summer and fall seasons were assigned as subplots. The highest values for area, diameter, length and percentage of root biomass (91.4%) were concentrated at the 0-10 cm soil depth, which is explained by the lower penetration resistance in this layer. Increased stocking rate resulting from increased levels of nitrogen in the Mombaça grass sward does not directly affect the penetration resistance of the soil or root characteristics. However, in the rainy season, higher nitrogen levels lead to increased resistance, as they provide higher cumulative stocking rates in this period.

scholarly journals The composition, richness, and evenness of seedlings from the soil seed bank of a semi-arid steppe in northern China are affected by long-term stocking rates of sheep and rainfall variation

2019 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 23 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Hu ◽  
J. Zhang ◽  
X. J. Chen ◽  
J. P. Millner ◽  
S. H. Chang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Bank ◽  
Soil Seed Bank ◽  
Seedling Emergence ◽  
Northern China ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Rainfall Variation ◽  
Arid Steppe ◽  
Stocking Rates ◽  
Semi Arid

The soil seed bank has a large influence on the potential for grassland restoration. This study aimed to characterise the composition, density, richness, and evenness of seedlings emerging from the soil seed bank under different sheep stocking rates, in a summer grazing system, in semi-arid China. Soil was sampled in 2015, a year with extreme drought conditions and in 2016, a normal rainfall year. The soil seed bank was assessed by measuring seedling emergence under laboratory conditions. Comprising 16 species, 85.4% of the seedlings were concentrated within a depth of 0–5cm. Drought significantly reduced the density and richness of the seedlings. Grazing increased the richness of seedlings by increasing the richness of aboveground species, and grazing significantly reduced the evenness of the seedlings by reducing the evenness of aboveground species. Drought significantly reduced the similarities between the seedlings and the aboveground species, whereas grazing increased similarities in both years. This study revealed that the density and richness of seedlings were higher in higher stocking rate in drought year. We conclude that negative effects on density, richness and evenness of the seedlings caused by drought can be overcome by rotational grazing especially at higher stocking rate.

Effect of superphosphate, white clover and stocking rate on the productivity of natural pastures, Northern Tablelands, New South Wales

1976 ◽  
Vol 16 (79) ◽  
pp. 209 ◽  
Author(s):  
GG Robinson ◽  
A Lazenby
Keyword(s):  
White Clover ◽  
New South ◽  
Animal Production ◽  
First Year ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Bare Ground ◽  
Species Frequency ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Stocking Rates ◽  
Different Levels

The species frequency, pasture availability and animal production on natural pastures oversown with white clover were examined over the five year period 1968-73. Superphosphate was applied annually at different levels (0, 250 and 500 kg ha-1) and the plots were grazed continuously at two stocking rates (7.8 and 15.6 wethers ha-1). An increase in the frequency of white clover (Trifolium repens) and a decrease in bare ground, Panicum spp-Eragrostis spp. and Sporobolus elongatus (in the case of the latter two the effect was particularly evident at the low stocking rate) followed the application of superphosphate. Increasing stocking rate resulted in a reduction in white clover and an increase in the frequency of Panicum spp.-Eragrostis spp. and bare ground. Pasture availability and animal production were increased by superphosphate. Apart from the first year, when the season was unusually dry, supplementary feeding was minimal on all topdressed treatments but was essential at the high stocking rate where no superphosphate was applied. Over the five year period animals on the pastures receiving superphosphate averaged 15 per cent heavier and gave 18 per cent more wool than those that were unfertilized. Wool production at the high stocking rate averaged 17.8 kg ha-1 (49 per cent) more than that from the low stocking rate.

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