Red clover for silage: management impacts on herbage yield, nutritive value, ensilability and persistence, and relativity to perennial ryegrass

2016 ◽  
Vol 72 (3) ◽  
pp. 414-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Clavin ◽  
P. Crosson ◽  
J. Grant ◽  
P. O'Kiely
Author(s):  
T. Moloney ◽  
H. Sheridan ◽  
J Grant ◽  
E.G. O’Riordan ◽  
P. O’Kiely

Binary grass-clover and multi-species swards can increase herbage yields or facilitate reduced inputs of inorganic fertiliser nitrogen (N) compared with perennial ryegrass monocultures. However, the efficiency of the ensilage process and the nutritive value of silage produced from multi-species swards has not been documented. Replicate samples from grass-red clover binary mixture and multi-species mixture swards were ensiled in laboratory silos to assess the ensilability, fermentation characteristics, conservation losses and silage nutritive value compared with grass monocultures produced using inorganic N fertiliser. The results suggest that assessment of the ensilability and subsequent ensilage characteristics of binary and multi-species mixtures should be based on direct sampling from such mixtures rather than being predicted from values obtained from monocultures of constituent species. Under favourable ensiling conditions, unwilted binary mixtures and multi-species mixtures are satisfactorily preserved as silage, comparable to a perennial ryegrass monoculture receiving inorganic N fertiliser. However, when ensiled under more challenging crop conditions the mixtures exhibited a greater requirement for their preservation to be aided, compared with the perennial ryegrass monoculture. Despite the application of inorganic N reducing the legume content of multi-species mixture swards, it had relatively little effect on herbage ensilability or silage preservation. For all species treatments, silage nutritive values were primarily dependent on the pre-ensiling values, although herbage digestibility values declined during ensilage where the ensilage process was inefficient. The current study suggests that in order to be satisfactorily preserved as silage, binary grass-clover and multi-species swards have a greater requirement for an adequate rapid field wilt and/or effective preservative application compared with perennial ryegrass produced using inorganic fertiliser N.


2015 ◽  
Vol 77 ◽  
pp. 89-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
L.M. Cranston ◽  
P.R. Kenyon ◽  
S.T. Morris ◽  
P.D. Kemp

Many farmers are sowing mixed swards containing chicory (Cichorium intybus), plantain (Plantago lanceolata), red clover (Trifolium pratense) and white clover (T. repens) (hereafter termed herb and clover mix). This herb and clover mix has comparable annual dry matter (DM) production to perennial ryegrass white clover pasture (rye/wc), however, it has a different pattern of growth, producing more DM during summer and autumn. The herb and clover mix also has a higher nutritive value and is able to support greater rates of animal production, especially over summer, than rye/ wc in both sheep and cattle. The herb and clover mix is most suited to a rotational grazing interval of 3-4 weeks to an 8 cm residual height, with no winter grazing. When managed appropriately the herb and clover mix is able to persist for at least 2 years and up to 5 years under both sheep and cattle grazing. Keywords: Cichorium intybus, Plantago lanceolata, Trifolium pratense, Trifolium repens, legume, perennial, nutritive value.


Author(s):  
A. John ◽  
J.A. Lancashire

Daily weight gains of sheep in pure sward grazing trials showed relative feeding values to be in the order: white clover (100) > sainfoin (97), Maku lotus (87) > lucerne, red clover (78) > perennial ryegrass (52). The high feeding value of lotus and sainfoin may be due to the presence of condensed tannins which have been shown to improve protein digestion and utilization in indoor feeding trials.


1979 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-147 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Moseley ◽  
J. R. Jones

1. Three sheep fitted with duodenal re-entrant cannulas and three with large rumen fistulas were given red clover, perennial ryegrass and a 2:1 (w/w) mixture of grass and clover in two Latin square arrangements. Measurements were made of voluntary intake, digestibility, flow of nutrients into the duodenum and the flow of Cr-EDTA marker through the reticulo-rumen.2. Organic matter (OM) digestibility was similar for the three feeds but the voluntary intake decreased in the order mixture > red clover > perennial ryegrass. There was an increase in the rate of marker flow from the rumen and a decrease in retention time of the same order. Rumen volume did not change significantly.3. There was a reduction in the mean particle size of rumen contents in the order perennial ryegrass > clover > mixture. The in vitro digestibility of particles decreased with size; the reduction being more rapid for clover than perennial ryegrass.4. The proportion of ingested digestible OM appearing at the duodenum increased from 18.4% to 26.7% to 30.0% for perennial ryegrass, clover and the mixture respectively.5. A higher proportion of digestible cellulose and hemicellulose disappeared over the stomach for the perennial ryegrass feed compared to the clover and the mixture but over 96% of water soluble carbohydrates and starch disappeared over the stomach for all three feeds.6. The apparent digestibility of nitrogen was similar for all three feeds but the proportion of undigested feed N appearing at the duodenum was calculated to be greater by a factor of 1.71 and 2.52 for clover and mixture feeds compared to grass.7. It was concluded that the higher nutritive value of red clover compared to perennial ryegrass was due to an increased rate of flow of nutrients througth the reticulo-rumen and an increase in the proportion of digestible OM digested post ruminally.


2010 ◽  
Vol 149 (1) ◽  
pp. 73-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. KLEEN ◽  
F. TAUBE ◽  
M. GIERUS

SUMMARYProtein in forage legumes is often poorly utilized by ruminants and high nitrogen (N) losses are expected. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effects of forage legumes (white clover, WC; red clover, RC; lucerne, LG; and birdsfoot trefoil, BT) in binary mixtures with perennial ryegrass (G) under different defoliation systems (silage, simulated grazing and grazing) on agronomic performance and forage quality. A high proportion of legumes may favour dry matter (DM) yield and the defoliation system may reduce the persistence of certain forage legumes, with a negative influence on the energy and N yield. Annual DM yield under grazing was highest for WC mixtures (WC+G, 1059·2 g DM/m²) compared to all other mixtures, confirming its adaptation to grazing. Mixtures with RC (RC+G) and LG (LG+G) performed similarly to WC+G, whereas BT mixtures (BT+G) were less competitive under more intensively used systems. Analyses of crude protein, cell wall characterization and protein fractionation showed a three-way interaction between year, mixture and defoliation system. RC and BT resulted in a positive protein quality of the mixtures, probably due to their content of secondary plant compounds. In conclusion, different forage legumes did not perform equally in the cutting and grazing systems, and both legume species and defoliation systems interacted in the production of forage of high protein quality for ruminant nutrition.


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.


2014 ◽  
Vol 44 (10) ◽  
pp. 1845-1852 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Schalemberg Diehl ◽  
Clair Jorge Olivo ◽  
Carlos Alberto Agnolin ◽  
Ricardo Lima de Azevedo Junior ◽  
Vinícius Felipe Bratz ◽  
...  

The objective of this research was to evaluate of three grazing systems (GS) with elephant grass (EG), Italian ryegrass (IR) + spontaneous growing species (SGS); EG + IR + SGS + forage peanut (FP); and EG + IR + SGS + red clover (RC), during the winter and summer periods in rotational grazing with dairy cattle. Experimental design was completely randomized with three treatments, two replicates with repeated measures. Lactating Holstein cows receiving 1% BW-daily feed supplement with concentrate were used in the evaluation. Eight grazing cycles were performed during the experimental period. The values of pre forage mass and stocking rate were 2.52, 2.60 and 2.99 t ha-1 and 2.64, 2.77 and 3.14 animal unit ha-1, respectively for GS. Samples of forage were collected by hand-plucking technique to analyze the crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), in situ dry matter digestibility (ISDMD), in situ organic matter digestibility (ISOMD) of forage present between rows of elephant grass, in the rows of elephant grass and the legumes. Higher value of CP, ISOMD and lower of NDF were observed for the grazing systems mixed with legumes forage.


2013 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 276-284 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. E. M. Lindström ◽  
B. E. Frankow-Lindberg ◽  
A. S. Dahlin ◽  
M. Wivstad ◽  
C. A. Watson

PLoS ONE ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. e0206571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christophe Verwimp ◽  
Tom Ruttink ◽  
Hilde Muylle ◽  
Sabine Van Glabeke ◽  
Gerda Cnops ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
S.L. Woodward ◽  
K.A. Macdonald ◽  
W.A. Carter ◽  
J.P.J. Eerens ◽  
J.R. Crush

1999/2000 and 2000/2001 were the first two complete seasons of a replicated farm systems trial designed to measure the effects on whole farm profitability (Economic Farm Surplus (EFS) of mixtures of ryegrasses and white clovers released on to the market recently, or at least 15 years ago, and rotationally grazed by dairy cows. All the pastures were sown in late autumn 1998. There were four treatments with all combinations of 1980s (80R), and late 1990s (98R) ryegrasses, and 1960s (60C)and late 1990s (98C) white clovers, each replicated 3.0 times in a randomised block design giving twelve 4-ha, self-contained farmlets stocked with three Friesian cows/ha. Milksolids production was unaffected by either ryegrass or clover cultivar age, but there was a significant ryegrass x clover cultivar interaction reflected as higher milksolids production on the 80R/98C treatment than the 98R/98C treatment in 1999/2000. This was a result of a higher clover content in the 80R/98C pastures compared with other treatments. Although the difference in clover content was still present in 2000/2001, the wetter summerÂ-autumn meant the ryegrass maintained a higher nutritive value than in the previous season under dry conditions, so clover content did not affect milksolids production in 2000/2001. There were no main treatment effects on EFS in either season, but there was a significant ryegrass x clover interaction in 1999/2000 shown as a higher EFS on the 80R/98C treatment than on the 98R/98C treatment. Keywords: cultivars, dairying, Economic Farm Surplus, milksolids, perennial ryegrass, white clover


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