Performance of Townsville stylo (Stylosanthes humilis) lines in pure swards and with the annual grass (Digitaria ciliaris) under various defoliation treatments at Katherine, N.T

1974 ◽  
Vol 14 (69) ◽  
pp. 495 ◽  
Author(s):  
JR Ive ◽  
MJ Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Certified Seed ◽  
Phosphorus Concentration ◽  
Annual Grass ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Matter Production ◽  
Stylosanthes Humilis ◽  
Townsville Stylo ◽  
Better Than ◽  
Late Sowing

Townsville stylo (Stylosanthes humilis) selections collected from twelve naturalized populations, in Queensland and the Northern Territory, and certified seed of the Katherine ecotype ('lines'), were grown for three years in a field experiment at Katherine, N.T. (latitude 14.3�S). In the third year, the experiment was oversown with Digitaria ciliaris. Flowering of all lines was delayed by late sowing, but was hastened by drought. However, the order in which the lines flowered was basically the same for all three years, and similar to that at Lansdown, Queensland (latitude 19.7�S). Although seasonally dependent, highest dry matter production was associated with erect mid- or late mid-season maturity lines which were often lowest in nitrogen and phosphorus concentration. There were no differences between lines in their ability to compete with Digitaria. Grazing reduced the proportion of grass in the swards compared with the forage harvested and non-defoliated treatments largely because Townsville stylo appeared to withstand grazing and trampling better than Digitaria.

Effect of time of cessation of wet season grazing on Townsville stylo-annual grass pasture at Katherine, N.T

1973 ◽  
Vol 13 (64) ◽  
pp. 544 ◽  
Author(s):  
MJT Norman ◽  
LJ Phillips
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Recovery Period ◽  
Dry Matter Yield ◽  
Annual Grass ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Active Growth ◽  
Heavy Grazing ◽  
Stylosanthes Humilis ◽  
Dry Conditions ◽  
Townsville Stylo

A Townsville stylo (Stylosanthes humilis)-annual grass pasture at Katherine, N.T., was subjected to a series of treatments in 1969-70 and 1970-71 under which plots were grazed heavily from the beginning of the wet season for a period and then allowed to recover undefoliated for the remainder of the season. The dates at which heavy grazing ceased were spaced at 2-week intervals from November 24 to March 16. At the end of the wet season, total dry matter yield was linearly related to length of recovery period. Townsville stylo yield declined as recovery period was reduced from 18 to 8 weeks, but showed little response to a further reduction to 4 weeks. In contrast, annual grass yield showed little change as recovery period was reduced from 18 to 8 weeks, but fell with a further reduction to 4 weeks. As a result, the proportion of Townsville stylo in the pasture at the end of the season was high with long and short recovery periods but reached a minimum with an 8 - 10 week recovery period. Dry conditions prevailed in the first half of both seasons. The evidence suggests that young Townsville stylo is sensitive to heavy grazing when under water stress, and that early grazing for grass control should be imposed only during periods of active growth.

Effect of times, height and frequency of defoliation on growth and development of Townsville stylo in pure ungrazed swards at Katherine, N.T

1973 ◽  
Vol 13 (63) ◽  
pp. 389 ◽  
Author(s):  
MJ Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Growth And Development ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Pod Yield ◽  
Matter Production ◽  
Stylosanthes Humilis ◽  
Townsville Stylo ◽  
One Year ◽  
Complete Fertilizer ◽  
Cutting Height

A one-year experiment was done in the field at Katherine, Northern Territory, to determine the influence of defoliation at different times (January, February, and March) and heights (5, 13 and 20 cm) on the growth and development of Townsville stylo (Stylosanthes humilis) in ungrazed swards grown with complete fertilizer and irrigation. Townsville stylo withstood repeated defoliation at 5 cm provided that cutting started in January, but, when the first defoliation was delayed, single cuts at 5 cm in either February or March killed 82 and 53 per cent of the swards. Defoliation to 5 cm early in the season reduced total cumulative yield by less than 450 kg ha-1, and did not affect pod yield or nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations at the end of the growing season. Immediately after defoliation nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations were reduced, but there was rapid recovery to higher levels with 5-cm and the same levels with 13-cm defoliation. Successive defoliation at 4 3 cm in February and March increased yield of pods. Defoliation at both 5 and 13 cm increased relative growth rate compared with the control and less frequently defoliated treatments. Defoliation to 5 cm each four weeks altered the stand morphology to a dense mat of foliage at cutting height. The ability of Townsville stylo to withstand continued defoliation suggests that sustained grazing during the growing season may be successful in controlling grass weeds vulnerable to grazing without greatly reducing pod yield or total dry matter production of Townsville stylo.

The effects of superphosphate on the growth and development of Townsville stylo (Stylosanthes humilis) in pure ungrazed swards at Katherine, NT

1970 ◽  
Vol 10 (47) ◽  
pp. 716 ◽  
Author(s):  
MJ Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Growth And Development ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Maximum Yield ◽  
Wet Season ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Stylosanthes Humilis ◽  
Relative Water ◽  
Townsville Stylo ◽  
Four Levels ◽  
Yield Responses

The effects of four levels of superphosphate (0, 112, 224, and 448 lb an acre) on the growth and development of ungrazed Townsville stylo (Stylosanthes humilis) in pure swards were examined on virgin Tippera clay loam at Katherine, N.T. Yields and distribution of dry matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus, leaf area, and growth rate, were measured every two weeks. Leaf relative water content and soil water extraction were measured at the end of the wet season. Yield responses to superphosphate were curvilinear and fitted regressions of the form y = a nx + bx + c at all harvests. Superphosphate encouraged root exploitation of the soil volume, but phosphorus deficient swards were more resistant to drought. The maximum recovery of phosphorus was 20, 14, and 14 per cent respectively when 112, 224, and 448 lb an acre superphosphate was applied. Loss of 31 per cent dry matter, 34 per cent nitrogen, and 44 per cent phosphorus in the eight weeks following maximum yield was concluded to be due to translocation to the root system. Even with 448 lb an acre superphosphate the phosphorus content of standing material was below the the critical percentage quoted in the literature as indicating phosphorus sufficiency.

Effects of variation in density and phosphate application on growth and composition of Townsville stylo (Stylosanthes humilis)

1970 ◽  
Vol 10 (45) ◽  
pp. 442 ◽  
Author(s):  
KG Rickert ◽  
LR Humphreys
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Concentration ◽  
Phosphorus Concentration ◽  
Dihydrogen Phosphate ◽  
Positive Density ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Stylosanthes Humilis ◽  
Plant Densities ◽  
Townsville Stylo ◽  
Phosphorus Application

Townsville stylo (Stylosanthes humilis) was grown at Brisbane from February to June 1967 at initial densities of 10, 50, 250, 1250, and 6250 plants per m2 in boxes of sand which received basal nutrients and applications of 0, 10, and 50 kg P per hectare as calcium dihydrogen phosphate. Plots were irrigated frequently. Wide differences in dry matter yield between plant densities and a positive density phosphorus yield interaction persisted throughout the experiment. Peak yield was 1050 g per m2 with leaf area index (LAI) of 6.8. Intraspecific plant competition was evident in high densities 35 days after emergence, extending to the lower densities by 58 days. Plant mortality at the highest density was independent of phosphorus treatment. Maximum growth rates were reached earlier at high than at low plant densities ; the subsequent decreases in growth rate were expressed through drifts in both LA1 and NAR and were associated with progressively more unfavourable environmental conditions for growth. Nitrogen and phosphorus concentration of both shoots and roots decreased with increasing density. Phosphorus application did not affect nitrogen concentration. Exploitation of native soil phosphorus and recovery of applied phosphorus was greatest in high density swards. The data illustrate the loss in potential production which may occur in sparse swards of Townsville stylo and the limitations to efficient phosphorus response inherent in low density swards.

The influence of water stress on nitrogen and phosphorus uptake and concentrations in Townsville stylo (Stylosanthes humilis)

1980 ◽  
Vol 20 (103) ◽  
pp. 175 ◽  
Author(s):  
MJ Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Water Stress ◽  
Phosphorus Uptake ◽  
Phosphorus Concentration ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Growth Stresses ◽  
Stylosanthes Humilis ◽  
Influence Of Water ◽  
Nitrogen Concentrations ◽  
Townsville Stylo ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus Uptake

The phosphorus concentrations of Townsville stylo (TS) grown in the Northern Territory are lower than in Queensland, and fall below the requirements of grazing cattle for much of the year. An explanation was sought by measuring N and P in swards subjected to water stress at various times during growth. Stresses during early vegetative (EV), late vegetative (LV) and flowering (F) stages were compared with a well watered control. While nitrogen concentrations were affected little, water stress greatly reduced phosphorus concentrations, the relative effects being EV > LV > F. The EV stress depressed phosphorus concentration to 0.08% compared with 0.20% in the control. Phosphorus level recovered on the relief of stress to the same level as the control. Phosphorus concentration in stems was more sensitive to stress than that in leaves. These results show that if chemical analysis of plants is to be used to indicate the phosphorus status of the soil, the analyses will be unreliable unless the plants have grown without water stress for at least six weeks.

Flowering time and the natural distribution and dry matter production of Townsville lucerne (Stylosanthes humilis) populations

1967 ◽  
Vol 7 (29) ◽  
pp. 501 ◽  
Author(s):  
DF Cameron
Keyword(s):  
Flowering Time ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Growth Habit ◽  
Correlation Coefficients ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Late Flowering ◽  
Matter Production ◽  
Northern Areas ◽  
Stylosanthes Humilis ◽  
Significant Yield

The flowering times of 58 collections of Townsville lucerne from typical sites in northern Australia have been recorded in three spaced plant experiments near Townsville. Thirty-six collections were grown in 1963-64, 15 in 1964-65, and 17 in 1965-66. All the late flowering collections came from sites receiving at least 45 inches annual rainfall. The five collections from south of Rockhampton were all of the early or midseason type and all collections from the far northern areas were late flowering. Partial regression analysis was used to relate the flowering time of a collection to the rainfall (for the five months interval from January to May) and latitude of the collection site. In the first two experiments rainfall, latitude and (latitude)2 all contributed significantly to the regressions, but in the third experiment only rainfall was significant. Correlation coefficients for 1963-64, 1964-65, and 1965-66 were +0.83, +0.97, and +0.93 respectively. A selection was derived from a collection by bulking seed from single spaced plants selected for uniform flowering time and growth habit. The dry matter yields of some collections and selections were compared in two sward experiments near Townsville in 1964-65 and 1965-66. In 1964-65 there were significant yield differences between collections (experiment A, P<0.01) and between selections (experiment B, P<0.001). There were differences in the rates of vegetative growth and differences in the length of growing season, with late flowering types being able to make better growth late in the season when early types were flowering and seeding. Types with erect growth habit had the highest yields and seemed to compete better with sown grasses than the prostrate types. There were no significant yield differences in 1965-66, a very dry year, and the late flowering types failed to set seed.

Effect of time of sowing on flowering and growth of Townsville stylo (Stylosanthes humilis)

1974 ◽  
Vol 14 (67) ◽  
pp. 182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mannetje L t ◽  
KHLvan Bennekom
Keyword(s):  
Low Temperatures ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Sowing Date ◽  
Stylosanthes Humilis ◽  
Maturity Type ◽  
Townsville Stylo ◽  
Late Start ◽  
Spring Sowing

A midseason maturity type of Townsville stylo sown at monthly intervals throughout a year in a glasshouse in Brisbane (27�30' south) started flowering from 42 to 76 days after sowing between February and September, with dry matter yields at flowering ranging from 0.05 to 5.82 g/per plant. Sowings between October and January resulted in flowering after 98 to 157 days, with yields ranging from 26.41 to 54.75 g/per plant. Flowering was mainly determined by daylength, although low temperatures during winter delayed inflorescence elongation. Growth after onset of flowering was measured in plants sown in winter, spring and late summer. Plant weights increased after flowering in all sowings. In the spring sowing this consisted entirely of stem and inflorescence, but in the other sowings leaf was formed after onset of flowering as well. Winter and spring sowings gave the highest, late summer sowing the lowest final yields. The main agronomic implication is that sowing early in the growing season is necessary for obtaining a good first year's yield, but that seed production is little affected by sowing date, ensuring good regeneration even in years with a late start of the growing season.

Herbicides for the control of grass weeds in pastures of Townsville stylo (Stylosanthes humilis)

1970 ◽  
Vol 10 (47) ◽  
pp. 790
Author(s):  
IMW Wood
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Plant Population ◽  
Dry Matter Yield ◽  
Growing Period ◽  
Stylosanthes Humilis ◽  
Annual Grasses ◽  
Total Plant ◽  
Townsville Stylo

The use of herbicides to control annual grasses in pastures of Townsville stylo (Stylosanthes humilis) was studied at Katherine, N.T. The herbicides chlorthal, trifluralin, benefin, sindone B, and siduron all controlled the annual grasses Digitaria adscendens and Brachiaria ramosa. The outstanding herbicide was chlorthal, which at 6 lb a.i. an acre pre-emergence gave a Townsville stylo dry matter yield of 3250 lb an acre compared with 1130 lb an acre for the unweeded control and 2440 lb an acre for the handweeded control. At maturity there was no grass in the chlorthal plots and 1940 lb an acre in the unweeded control plots. The data suggest that, without defoliation during the growing period, total suppression of Townsville stylo can be expected when the grass population at establishment exceeds 37 per cent of the total plant population.

The influence of aluminium on phosphate sorption by whole plants and excised roots of some pasture legumes

1973 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 341 ◽  
Author(s):  
CS Andrew ◽  
PJVanden Berg
Keyword(s):  
Dry Matter ◽  
Phosphorus Uptake ◽  
Dry Matter Production ◽  
Unit Weight ◽  
Phosphorus Concentration ◽  
Sensitive Species ◽  
Pasture Legumes ◽  
Tolerant Species ◽  
Matter Production ◽  
Whole Plants

The effects of aluminium (0, 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 p.p.m.) on dry matter production and subsequent short-term uptake and translocation of phosphorus in whole plants, and on the uptake of phosphorus by excised roots, of six tropical pasture legumes were ascertained. Macroptilium lathyroides, Desrnodiurn uncinaturn, Lotononis bainesii, and Stylosanthes hurnilis were tolerant species in terms of effects on dry matter production. Glycine wightii was a sensitive species and Medicago sativa a very sensitive one. In the whole plant study, plants were grown in Solution culture with a phosphorus concentration of 2 p.p.m., under the above aluminium treatments. Aluminium increased the subsequent uptake of phosphorus (tops+roots) in all species (phosphorus substrate concentration 1 x 10-5M labelled with 32P, 1 and 3 hr uptake periods). Phosphorus uptake in the tops of the four tolerant species was increased by aluminium treatment, and in the two sensitive species it uas reduced. In both the absence and presence of applied aluminium, L. bainesii was the most efficient species per unit weight of root tissue in sorbing total phosphorus, and in addition had the highest efficiency of translocation of phosphorus from roots to tops. S. humilis was also an efficient species. In the excised root study, addition of aluminium to the solution enhanced the sorption of phosphorus by all species. The enhancement was greater in a relatively strong phosphorus solution (2 x 10-4 M) than in a dilute solution (1 x 10-4). The sorption of phosphorus by excised roots of S. humilis from dilute and relatively strong phosphorus substrates was greater than that of other species, both in the absence and presence of added aluminium. L. bainesii was omitted from the excised root experiments.

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