Establishment, persistence and production of lucerne-perennial grass pastures surface-sown on hill country

1974 ◽  
Vol 14 (69) ◽  
pp. 507 ◽  
Author(s):  
MH Campbell

In a series of experiments on unploughed hill country near Turondale, New South Wales, the effects of rate and type of herbicide on establishment, survival and persistence of surface-sown Medicago sativa, Trifolium subterraneum, Dactylis glomerata and Phalaris tuberosa were ascertained. Measurements of plant density and dry matter production of the pasture under grazing were made for up to seven years after sowing. Establishment was achieved under various rainfall conditions from eleven sowings. Herbicide application proved essential for the establishment and survival of the perennial species. Survival of M. sativa seedlings through their first summer was greater on the 2,2-DPA treatments than on paraquat treatments. The addition of simazine to paraquat increased survival of M. sativa over that on the paraquat-alone treatment. No similar effect was observed when simazine was added to 2,2-DPA. Establishment and survival were not influenced by rates of 2,2-DPA between 4.1 and 12.4 kg a.e. ha-1. Plant density in established swards was increased by up to 1200 per cent by strategic grazing applied after the improved species had completed seeding. Lucerne dominated other species and in the final year of measurement produced 87 per cent of a mean dry matter production of 9719 kg ha-1.

1976 ◽  
Vol 16 (82) ◽  
pp. 739 ◽  
Author(s):  
BJ Scott ◽  
H Brownlee

Dry matter production and seed yields of a range of annual legumes grown in ungrazed swards were measured between 1966 and 1971 on seven sites in the low rainfall wheatbelt of central western New South Wales. Jemalong and Hannaford barrel medics (Medicago truncatula) were the highest yielding medic cultivars tested. Jemalong medic was slightly superior to Hannaford in dry matter production but seed yields were equal. The short season subterranean clovers (Trifolium subterraneum), Dwalganup and Geraldton, yielded much less dry matter and seed than the medics in most experiments. Although the mid-season subterranean clovers, Woogenellup and Clare, persisted for the duration of our experiments, their production was not as consistent as that of the medics, and plant densities decreased. The rose clovers (T. hirtum), Sirint and Kondinin, the cupped clovers (T. cherleri), Beenong and Yamina, and Snail (M. scutellata) and Paragosa (M. rugosa) medics did not produce satisfactory swards.


1993 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 89 ◽  
Author(s):  
MJ Blumenthal ◽  
RL Ison

A field experiment was established at Forbes in central-west New South Wales to investigate the hypothesis that the pattern and efficiency of water use varies between genotypes of both (Trifolium subterraneum) and murex medic (Medicago murex), and that this would affect the success of these genotypes in this environment. To test this hypothesis the productivity of two lines of M. murex (CD26 and CD53) and four cultivars of T.subterraneum (Seaton Park and Woogenellup, and two recently released cultivars, Junee and Dalkeith) were compared. Genotypes were grown both with and without irrigation and soil water was monitored for the duration of the field experiment (1987-1989). Soil water use differed little between genotypes, but when differences did occur they were related to maturity grading of the genotype with the earlier maturing cv. Dalkeith using more water without irrigation, and the later maturing cv. Junee using more water with irrigation. There was no evidence of sub. clover dry matter yield declining with time; total yield over the three years exceeded 18 000 kg/ha for all cultivars. Murex medic dry matter yields were higher than sub. clover in the year of sowing; however, dry matter yield in swards was depressed in the year following sowing and weeds contributed more to total sward yield compared to sub. clover in the third year. Both hard and soft-seeded subclover cultivars proved to be equally successful in terms of dry matter production with different cultivars performing better in different seasons and under different irrigation treatments. Sub. clover cvv. Dalkeith and Junee were able to take greater advantage of available soil water early. in autumn than the other genotypes. It was concluded that water availability is not the only factor limiting sub. clover and murex medic dry matter yield in this environment.


1981 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 99
Author(s):  
VE Rogers

Dry matter production and plant density were measured after seeding lucerne: (Medicago rarii'a) into grassland at two sites in New South Wales having inearl annual rainfalls of 292 and 425 mm. Various methods of minimal tillage establishment were used. Sod-seeding failed to produce a satisfactory stand at either site, even where herbicide had been applied. Survival was best when lucerne was sown in furrows 15 cm wide, the lucerne density after five years being 8 plants ~n'~, or 80,000 plants ha-'. This treat- ment was also superior in dry matter production to the use of furrows of 5 and 10 an width, or to seeding after a single cultivation. The effect on production of a herbicide applied at sowing decreased with increasing width of furrow. The results of this study could also be relevant to the establishment of other species under rangeland conditions.


1990 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 449 ◽  
Author(s):  
GK McDonald

The growth and yield of two lines of uniculm barley, WID-103 and WID-105, were compared over a range of sowing rates (50-400 kg/ha) with the commercial varieties Galleon and Schooner. The experiments were conducted at Strathalbyn, S.A., in 1986, 1987 and 1988 and at the Waite Agricultural Research Institute in 1987. A third tillered variety, Clipper, was included in the comparison in 1988. Over the three years plant populations measured early in the season ranged from 39/m2 to 709/m2, and grain yields from 97 to 41 1 g/m2. Dry matter production at ear emergence increased with greater plant density, and both the tillered varieties and the uniculm lines showed similar responses to higher sowing rates. At maturity, dry matter production of the tillered barleys was greater than or equal to that of the uniculms and the harvest indices (HIs) of the two types were similar. Consequently, grain yields of the tillered types were greater than or equal to the yields of the uniculms. Over the four experiments the tillered varieties had a 6% higher yield. The number of ears/m2 was the yield component most affected by plant density in both the tillered and uniculm barleys. The uniculm lines had more spikelets/ear, but tended to set fewer grains/spikelet and produce smaller kernels. The experiments failed to demonstrate any advantage of the uniculm habit to the grain yield of barley. These results differ from previous experiments that showed that a uniculm line, WID-101, had a higher yield than the tillered variety Clipper. It is suggested that the uniculm habit per se was not the cause of this higher yield, but its higher HI resulted in it outyielding Clipper. Current varieties, however, have HIs similar to the uniculm lines and yield equally to or more than the uniculm barleys examined. To further improve the grain yield of uniculm barley, greater dry matter production is necessary as the HIs of these lines are already high.


2016 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 69 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. McCaskill ◽  
M. C. Raeside ◽  
S. G. Clark ◽  
C. MacDonald ◽  
B. Clark ◽  
...  

Pastures sown to lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) with a perennial non-legume could increase feed supply relative to traditional pastures based on subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.). Such mixtures might also be preferable to pure lucerne pastures, which are prone to weed invasion. Yield and water-use efficiency (harvested dry matter per unit evapotranspiration) of mixtures with lucerne or subterranean clover were compared a field experiment established under rainfed conditions at Hamilton, Victoria. Soil moisture and dry matter production were measured over 2 years. Treatments included chicory (Cichorium intybus L.), cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Shreb.) with either lucerne or subterranean clover; pure lucerne; and phalaris (Phalaris aquatica L.) and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) with only subterranean clover. In the second year, dry matter production from lucerne mixtures exceeded that of equivalent mixtures with subterranean clover in spring, summer and winter. In spring, the lucerne component continued producing for longer than the clover component through its use of deeper stored soil water, and in summer, lucerne continued to grow slowly after the grass component had entered a drought-induced dormancy. In winter, the contribution from the lucerne component complemented, rather than competed with, that from the non-legume component. Water-use efficiencies during winter–spring ranged from 4 kg ha–1 mm–1 for chicory–clover to 27 kg ha–1 mm–1 for a fescue–lucerne mixture, and during summer–autumn from nil for cocksfoot–clover to 13 kg ha–1 mm–1 for a fescue–lucerne mixture. This study demonstrates that lucerne-based mixtures can increase forage supply per unit water use relative to traditional pastures based on subterranean clover.


2002 ◽  
Vol 42 (8) ◽  
pp. 1043 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Seymour ◽  
K. H. M. Siddique ◽  
N. Brandon ◽  
L. Martin ◽  
E. Jackson

The response of Vicia sativa (cvv. Languedoc, Blanchefleur and Morava) and V. benghalensis (cv. Barloo) seed yield to seeding rate was examined in 9 field experiments across 2 years in south-western Australia. There were 2 types of field experiments: seeding rate (20, 40, 60, 100 and 140 kg/ha) × cultivar (Languedoc, Blanchefleur, and Morava or Barloo), and time of sowing (2 times of sowing of either Languedoc or Blanchefleur) × seeding rate (5,�7.5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, 50, 75 and 100 kg/ha).A target density of 40 plants/m2 gave 'optimum' seed yield of vetch in south-western Australia. In high yielding situations, with a yield potential above 1.5 t/ha, the 'optimum' plant density for the early flowering cultivar Languedoc (85–97 days to 50% flowering) was increased to 60 plants/m2. The later flowering cultivar Blanchefleur (95–106 days to 50% flowering) had an optimum plant density of 33 plants/m2 at all sites, regardless of fitted maximum seed yield. Plant density in the range 31–38 plants/m2 was found to be adequate for dry matter production at maturity of Languedoc and Blanchefleur. For the remaining cultivars Barloo and Morava we were unable to determine an average optimum density for either dry matter or seed yield due to insufficient and/or inconsistent data.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robin Boom ◽  
Mike Dodd

A 4-year lime rate trial was established on a hill country sheep and cattle property near Te Akau to determine lime effects on pasture utilisation. Four rates of lime were applied (1.25 t/ha, 2.5 t/ha, 5 t/ha and 10 t/ha) to 2 m × 2 m plots, from which soil Al, Ca and pH, pasture grazing heights, dry matter production, pasture species composition, feed quality and brix levels were measured. Lime application reduced soil Al (14.6 to 1.1 mg/kg), and increased Ca and pH (5.0 to 6.2) over time in the highest application rate. Dry matter production responded to all rates of lime in each year, and by the fourth year it was 27% greater (1.25 t/ha treatment), 35% greater (2.5 t/ha treatment), 69% greater (5 t/ha treatment), and 97% greater (10 t/ha treatment) than in the un-limed plots. Ryegrass and subterranean clover content increased with lime rate, whereas chewings fescue and dicot weed content declined. There were no sustained differences in pasture grazing heights, feed quality or brix levels between the control and rates of lime. On this site, all rates of lime were economic to apply by truck or plane when the benefits were spread over 4 years, with the greatest cost-benefit from thelower rates of lime.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document