The effects of grazing management on perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) herbage mass and persistence in south-eastern Australia

2000 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 207 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. F. Graham ◽  
T. Prance ◽  
R. P. Thompson ◽  
D. Borg ◽  
P. Ball ◽  
...  

The effect of various grazing management treatments on newly sown and degraded perennial ryegrass pastures was studied at 6 different locations in the temperate high rainfall zone of southern Australia, as part of the Temperate Pasture Sustainability Key Program. The sites were located at Hamilton (2 sites, 1 grazed by cattle, 1 grazed by sheep) and Cavendish, western Victoria, Victor Harbor (Delamere), South Australia, and Ross and Parattah in Tasmania. Grazing management treatments significantly influenced the ryegrass mass and persistence of the pasture, but effects were not always consistent across sites. Autumn closure increased the perennial ryegrass content at Cavendish and Ross, as did the winter and summer closures at Ross. Spring closure increased the perennialryegrass content at Hamilton, Cavendish and Ross, but decreased it at Parattah, as did the summer closures at Parattah and Delamere. Fodder conservation decreased the ryegrass only at Parattah. At the Hamilton sheep site, and at Ross, mob stocking increased the ryegrass content, as did increased superphosphate treatments at Hamilton. Rotational grazing at Cavendish and Delamere increased the ryegrass content, as did the late spring or a late summer closure with a short autumn deferment at Cavendish and Ross, but both these treatments decreased ryegrass at Parattah. The treatments that had a negative effect at Parattah may have had a positive effect on cocksfoot at that site, creating competition for, and decreasing the ryegrass content. At most sites, treatments that included some spelling during spring to foster seed shedding, and spelling again in the following autumn to encourage germination seem to have been of benefit to the perennial ryegrass.

1996 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. 975 ◽  
Author(s):  
FR McKenzie

Lolium perenne L. (perennial ryegrass) exhibits poor persistence in subtropical environments. Grazing management may enhance the vigour and hence persistence of this species. Perennial ryegrass was subjected to various grazing treatments, and its vigour, indexed by etiolated growth, was evaluated over 2 years. Pasture and individual tiller vigour were monitored under 5 combinations of grazing frequency and intensity, applied rotationally, and 1 treatment of continuous grazing. The vigour of infrequently grazed plots was greater than that of frequently or continuously grazed plots; however, grazing intensity did not influence vigour. Seasonally, vigour declined during mid (December and .January) to late (February and March) summer of the establishment year and from early summer (October) to autumn (May) during the second year. Poor vigour in frequently grazed plots was associated with low growth reserves rather than a lack of active tiller growth points. Towards the end of the second year, however, a lack of active tiller growth points also limited vigour in frequently grazed plots. Tillers from infrequently grazed plots (regardless of grazing intensity) had greater vigour than tillers from the frequently grazed plots. To enhance the vigour of perennial ryegrass in subtropical environments, the frequency of grazing should be reduced, particularly in summer.


1999 ◽  
Vol 39 (3) ◽  
pp. 265 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Waller ◽  
P. E. Quigley ◽  
G. R. Saul ◽  
G. A. Kearney ◽  
P. W. G. Sale

The survival of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) plants was studied in sheep pastures in south-western Victoria during the dry summer of 1996–97. Recruitment of perennial ryegrass seedlings into the pasture sward was also monitored in the autumn–winter periods in 1997 and 1998. The objective was to investigate whether a tactical stocking strategy, consisting of variable length summer, autumn and winter rotations and continuous stocking in spring, might increase perennial ryegrass tiller survival and seedling recruitment in the autumn, compared with continuous stocking all year. The grazing strategies were compared on 2 contrasting pastures: an upgraded pasture [sown with newer cultivars of perennial ryegrass and subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) with 26 kg phosphorus/ha.year as applied fertiliser] and a naturalised perennial ryegrass pasture receiving 6 kg P/ha.year. Paddocks were grazed by Border Leicester × Merino ewes, mated to a terminal sire so as to lamb in September. Perennial ryegrass tiller density was higher on the upgraded pasture with a mean density of 7750 tillers/m2 in early summer which declined to zero live tillers by mid summer. Live tillers began to reappear before the opening rains and then increased after the rain. Mean tiller density in the upgraded pasture declined over the 2 summers, with only 2050 tillers/m2 being present 2 months after the opening rains in 1998. There were no effects (P>0.05) of pasture type or grazing strategy on the number of tagged tillers that survived the summer period. Only 12% of the vegetative tillers, randomly tagged in December 1996, survived to May 1997. More than half of the tillers (56%) that produced a seedhead produced daughter tillers which survived the dry summer–autumn period. A significant (P<0.05) interaction between grazing strategy and pasture type occurred with the number of perennial ryegrass seedlings that had established 4 weeks after the opening rains in 1997. There was a 5–11-fold increase in seedling numbers which regenerated in the tactically stocked, upgraded pasture compared with the other treatments. Seedling recruitment was considerably lower in the autumn of 1998, due presumably to an overall decline in perennial ryegrass density relative to annual grasses in 1997. A second experiment investigated the effect of excluding sheep from grazing at anthesis until seedhead maturation or until the opening rains, together with a mechanical seed dislodgment treatment at seed maturity. All exclusion treatments increased seedling recruitment 4–7-fold, compared with continuous stocking. The results suggest a possible mechanism by which perennial ryegrass density can be increased without expensive reseeding.


2014 ◽  
Vol 54 (8) ◽  
pp. 1023 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. C. Raeside ◽  
Z. N. Nie ◽  
M. Robertson ◽  
D. L. Partington ◽  
R. Behrendt

Ewe nutrition during pregnancy and lactation is a key determinant of ewe and lamb performance. A paddock-scale field experiment in western Victoria, Australia, tested the hypothesis that grazing maiden ewes on plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) from mid-pregnancy until lamb weaning (July 2010–January 2011) would increase ewe liveweight and condition score during this period, reduce worm egg counts, and increase lamb liveweights at birth, marking and weaning, relative to tetraploid perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), but that further increases would be achieved by offering a spatially arranged sward of plantain and perennial ryegrass. The experiment tested three treatments: plantain (PL), perennial ryegrass (PR), and a 50 : 50 (by area) spatially separated mixture of perennial ryegrass and plantain (PR + PL). Plots were ~1 ha in size arranged in a randomised complete block design with four replications. The ewes were Coopworth composites joined at 8 months of age. Feed-on-offer levels (kg DM/ha) did not differ (P > 0.05) between treatments, with 2.3–3.0 t DM/ha being available pre-grazing. Twin-bearing ewes had higher (P < 0.05) liveweights when offered PR + PL compared with PR or PL at late-pregnancy and higher (P < 0.05) liveweights than PR but not PL (P > 0.05) at lamb marking. At weaning, single-born lambs were heavier (P < 0.05) on PR than PR + PL, with the PL being intermediate. There were no other significant differences (P > 0.05). This experiment has found that feeding plantain to ewes during pregnancy and lactation, or offering ewes spatially separated mixes of plantain and perennial ryegrass, offers no clear liveweight or worm egg count improvement for ewes and lambs relative to a tetraploid perennial ryegrass under Western Victorian conditions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wendy Griffiths ◽  
Mike Dodd ◽  
Barbara Kuhn-Sherlock ◽  
David Chapman

In parts of the upper North Island, farmers frequently report perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) pastures failing within 3 or 4 years post-sowing. This appears to be related to interactions between several factors: climatic (drier, hotter summers), biotic (insect pest), soil (texture, water-holding capacity) and grazing management factors that vary spatially and temporally. The efficacy of three management interventions for recovering ryegrass populations and production in runout pasture was assessed in an experiment initiated in 2018/19 in central Waikato. Treatments were a long-spring rotation (LSR), a longer grazing deferral during late spring and summer (pasture deferral, PD) and under-sowing with perennial ryegrass (US), each applied to pastures of four ryegrass cultivars. In the year after the treatments were implemented, the yield of ryegrass in PD was 2.4 t DM/ha greater than for the control (7-year-old pasture), and ryegrass tiller populations initially doubled but later declined. Yields in US and LSR were intermediate but not significantly different from the control. Ground score changes responded more positively to PD compared with the other treatments. Relative to the baseline prior to initiation of the study, tiller populations increased for PD and US but declined for control and LSR. There were no interactions between management treatment and cultivar for any of the variables measured. Pasture deferral shows promise as an intervention for recovering failing ryegrass pastures through natural reseeding. However, the longevity of the benefits observed here has yet to be determined.


1997 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 337 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. R. McKenzie

Use of Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass) in subtropical environments has been limited by its lack of persistence, possibly resulting from poor grazing management. Perennial ryegrass tiller appearance rates (TAR) and tiller death rates (TDR) were monitored under sheep grazing for 2 years. There was a tillering ‘flush’ during the cool-season months, relative to summer. This flush was highest for spring, with a minor trough in winter, and was associated with high TAR and low TDR for these periods. Summer was characterised by high TDR and low TAR. Seasonal patterns of tillering and death were largely unaffected by grazing, although the magnitude of TAR and TDR was manipulated by grazing within a given season. Frequent intense grazing initially produced high TAR, but these were not sustained. Frequent intense grazing resulted in the highest TDR relative to other treatments. Infrequent grazing, irrespective of intensity, resulted in the lowest TDR, particularly during summer, and should be considered by managers to enhance persistence of perennial ryegrass in the subtropics.


Author(s):  
C. Matthew ◽  
S.J. Quilter ◽  
C.J. Korte ◽  
A.C.P. Chu ◽  
A.D. Mackay

In a pot trial to investigate stolen formation in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). 4 genotypes of ryegrass tested all formed stolons. After burial with approximately 30 mm soil in August, cutting and burial, or cutting alone, stolen numbers in November were 18.8 and 3 (SED 3) per plant, respectively. In a grazed ryegrass sward stolen lengths were measured at intervals between May 1987 and April 1988, and for hard and lax grazed plots respectively, were 58 and 96 m/m2 in May, increased to 137 and 164 m/m2 in December, then declined to 47 and 74 ml m2 in April 1998. Active stolon formation in the field began when tillers were buried by earthworm activity and stock trampling in winter. It appears that stolen formation in ryegrass is a response to a seasonal cycle of burial similar to that for white clover. Studies of tagged tillers indicated a pattern of sward renewal in early summer by rapid production of large numbers of tillers from stolons at the base of dying flowering tillers. Other research results suggest that this pattern of sward renewal in perennial ryegrass may be widespread. Implications for grazing management are briefly discussed. Keywords: tiller appearnace rate, perennation, carbohydrate, perennial ryegrass, stolen formation


2011 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 219-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anita Jakab ◽  
János Kátai ◽  
Magdolna Tállai ◽  
Andrea Balláné Kovács

A tenyészedényes kísérletünket a DE AGTC MÉK Agrokémiai és Talajtani Intézet tenyészházában állítottuk be 2010. május 27-én. A kísérletben Debrecen-Látókép környékéről származó mészlepedékes csernozjom vályogtalajt alkalmaztunk, amely az alábbi jellemzőkkel rendelkezett: KA: 37,5; leiszapolható rész: 51%; pH(KCl): 5,5; pH(H2O): 6,6; Hu%: 2,8; AL-P2O5: 140 mg·kg-1; AL-K2O: 316,3 mg·kg-1. Az adatok alapján a kísérleti talaj gyengén savanyú, vályog kötöttségű, közepes nitrogén- és foszfor-, valamint jó kálium-ellátottsággal rendelkezett. A kísérletben kontroll-, műtrágya-, valamint szalmakezelést alkalmaztunk, melyeket bizonyos kombinációkban három különböző baktériumkészítménnyel (Bactofil A, EM-1, Microbion UNC) egészítettünk ki. A kísérletet három ismétlésben véletlenblokk elrendezésben állítottuk be. A tesztnövény angolperje (Lolium perenneL.) volt. A kísérlet kezdetétől számított 8. héten a talaj-, valamint a növényminták begyűjtésére került sor. Meghatároztuk a növényminták száraztömegét, a növény foszfor- és káliumtartalmát, valamint a talajminták nitrát-, valamint AL-oldható foszfor- és káliumtartalmát. Eredményeink alapján főbb megállapításaink a következők: – Az angolperje száraztömegét a műtrágyakezelés szignifikánsan növelte. A hatás a tápelem-ellátottság javulásával magyarázható. – A növény foszforkoncentrációja a műtrágyázás következtében csökkent, amelyet a hígulási effektussal magyarázhatunk. – A növény káliumkoncentrációját a műtrágya-, valamint a műtrágya+baktériumtrágya kezelések szignifikánsan serkentették. – A talaj nitráttartalma szignifikánsan növekedett a műtrágyakezelés kivételével minden kezelésben. – A talaj AL-P2O5-tartalma az NPK-műtrágyázás és az EM-1 kezelés következtében statisztikailag igazolható mértékben megnövekedett, míg az AL-K2O-tartalom kizárólag a szalmakezelés hatására nőtt. A baktériumkészítmények önmagukban alkalmazva általában nem eredményeztek jelentős változást a vizsgált paraméterekben, azonban a készítmények szerves/ásványi anyagokkal kombinált adagolása esetében különböző mértékben befolyásolták a vizsgált mutatókat.


Author(s):  
M Gonzalez Yanez ◽  
R Mcginn ◽  
D H Anderson ◽  
A R Henderson ◽  
P Phillips

It Is claimed that the use of the correct enzyme system as an additive on grass silage will satisfactorily control the fermentation and reduce the cell-wall fibre content, thus preserving the nutrients In the silage and aiding their utilisation by the animal (Henderson and McDonald, 1977; Huhtanen et al, 1985; Raurama et al, 1987; Chamberlain and Robertson, 1989; Gordon, 1989;).The aim of the present experiment was to assess the effect of biological additives, enzymes or a combination of enzymes with an Inoculum of lactic acid bacteria, on the composition of silage and on its nutritive value when offered to store lambs as the sole constituent of their diet.On 1st June 1988, first cut perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L) at pre-ear emergence was ensiled direct cut untreated (U), treated with a commercial enzyme (E) or with a commercial inoculum of lactic acid bacteria with enzymes (I) in 6t capacity bunker silos. The grass was cut with a mower and lifted with a New Holland precision chop forage harvester. The additives were pumped onto the grass using a dribble bar sited over the pick-up drum.


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