Effects of cutting frequency on plant production, N-uptake and N2 fixation in above- and below-ground plant biomass of perennial ryegrass-white clover swards

1. Dry-matter and nitrogen yields were recorded from perennial ryegrass-white clover associations which were defoliated 2, 4 or 6 times a year during the period 1963 to 1965.2. The average yearly output of dry matter was approximately 4000, 7000 and 6000 lb/acre for 1963, 1964 and 1965 respectively. Nitrogen harvested amounted to 132, 184 and 179 lb N/acre.3. The mean annual dry-matter yields from 2, 4 and 6 defoliations were 5300, 6100 and 6000 lb/acre and the corresponding figures for nitrogen yields were 112, 166 and 217 lb N/acre.4. Both segregation of the species below ground and increasing the defoliation frequency were responsible for higher contributions towards drymatter and nitrogen yield from the clover component.5. A comparison of the nitrogen yields between the plots with species segregated rather than integrated below ground suggests that the effects of underground nitrogen transference from 30–31 lb N/acre could first be demonstrated in the spring of the third year.

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The effects of frequency of cutting and nitrogen application rates on the yields from perennial ryegrass plus white clover swards

The Journal of Agricultural Science ◽

10.1017/s0021859600069847 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 107 (3) ◽

pp. 687-696 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

D. Reid

Keyword(s):

Perennial Ryegrass ◽

White Clover ◽

Application Rate ◽

Nitrogen Application ◽

Small Leaf ◽

Application Rates ◽

Cutting Frequency ◽

S 100 ◽

Nitrogen Rates ◽

Fertilizer Rates

SUMMARYThe results are presented for a 4-year experiment in which three cutting frequency treatments and four nitrogen fertilizer rates were applied on plots sown with perennial ryegrass and one of three varieties of white clover. The cutting frequencies were three, five and tencuts each year, and the nitrogen rates were 0, 150, 300 and 450 kg/ha annually. Two medium-large leaf clover varieties Blanca and Sabeda were compared with the medium-small leaf Aberystwyth S. 100. Comparison of the present results with those from an earlier experiment (Reid, 1978) suggests that, on average over the clover varieties, the inclusion of white clover in the ryegrass sward results in smaller effects of nitrogen application rate and cutting frequency. Decreasing the number of cuts from ten to five gave a marked increase in the dry-matter yield of mixed herbage and of clover at all nitrogen rates, but the decrease from five to three cuts had little additional effect. These results suggest that white clover may be more suited to conservation systems than previously thought, but for optimum production the interval between cuts should not exceed about 5 weeks. The medium-large leaf varieties of white clover did not appear to be in any way superior to the medium-small leaf varieties for conservation systems.

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Nitrogen fixation by caucasian clover and white clover in irrigated ryegrass pastures

Proceedings of the New Zealand Grassland Association ◽

10.33584/jnzg.2001.63.2423 ◽

2001 ◽

pp. 171-175

Author(s):

K.H. Widdup ◽

R.G. Purves ◽

A.D. Black ◽

P. Jarvis ◽

R.J. Lucas

Keyword(s):

Nitrogen Fixation ◽

White Clover ◽

N2 Fixation ◽

N Uptake ◽

Pastoral System ◽

Pasture Production ◽

Trifolium Ambiguum ◽

Enrichment Technique ◽

15N Enrichment ◽

Clover Content

The N2 fixation ability of caucasian clover was compared with that of white clover in irrigated ryegrass pastures over years 2 and 3 of a grazing experiment, using the 15N enrichment technique. 'Endura' caucasian clover was inoculated with the specific Rhizobium strain ICC148. The N concentration in clover herbage and the proportion of clover N derived from N2 fixation (PN) were similar for both clovers at averages of 4.6%N and 50-60% respectively over the 2 years. The amount of N2 fixed per hectare was directly related to the amount of clover dry matter (DM) produced by the two clover species. Caucasian clover produced four times the DM yield of white clover in year 2 (5400 cf. 1450 kg DM/ha) and four times the amount of N2 fixed in herbage (136 cf. 36 kg N/ ha). In year 3, caucasian clover produced 50% more clover DM (3450 cf. 2370 kg DM/ha) and N2 fixed (98 cf. 66 kg N/ha) than white clover. The increased N input from caucasian clover increased grass %N and N uptake from soil in caucasian clover pastures resulting in higher total pasture production compared with white clover pastures (15.7 cf. 14.2 t DM/ha) by year 3. In this study, caucasian clover demonstrated greater potential than white clover to meet the N demands of high-yielding perennial ryegrass in an intensive pastoral system. Keywords: clover content, Lolium perenne, nitrogen fixation, pasture production, Trifolium ambiguum, T. repens

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Interactions between pesticide treatment, cutting frequency and rate of N fertilizer on white clover grown in mixture with perennial ryegrass

Grass and Forage Science ◽

10.1111/j.1365-2494.1991.tb02400.x ◽

1991 ◽

Vol 46 (4) ◽

pp. 399-403

Author(s):

G. C. LEWIS

Keyword(s):

Perennial Ryegrass ◽

White Clover ◽

N Fertilizer ◽

Pesticide Treatment ◽

Cutting Frequency

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Effect of a spring application of nitrogen on the performance of perennial ryegrass-white clover swards at two sites in the Netherlands

Netherlands Journal of Agricultural Science ◽

10.18174/njas.v45i2.517 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 45 (2) ◽

pp. 263-275

Author(s):

R.L.M. Schils

Keyword(s):

Lolium Perenne ◽

Sandy Soil ◽

Perennial Ryegrass ◽

White Clover ◽

Significant Interaction ◽

Dry Matter ◽

Clay Soil ◽

N Application ◽

N Yield ◽

Cutting Frequency

In a field trial in 1989-93 on clay soil at Lelystad, Netherlands, a mixed sward of Lolium perenne cv. Profit and Magella and Trifolium repens cv. Retor was given annual applications of 0, 25, 50, 75 or 100 kg N ha-1 and was cut 4-5 or 6-7 times a year. In a trial in 1992-94 on sandy soil in Overijssel, a sward of L. perenne cv. Meltra, Citadel and Condesa oversown with T. repens cv. Retor in 1991 was given annual applications of 0, 50 or 100 kg N ha-1. Average annual dry matter (DM) yields were 14.66 and 13.76 t ha-1 year-1 for the clay and sandy soil, respectively. Yields increased with increasing N rate at both sites. Cutting frequency had no consistent effect on DM yield, and there was no significant interaction between N rate and cutting frequency. T. repens contents decreased with increasing N rate, reducing the DM yield in the cuts after the first in the fertilized treatments. Annual N yields were not affected by N application. The higher cutting frequency increased the T. repens content from 36 to 47% and the N yield from 458 to 524 kg ha-1, but did not affect the DM yield.

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Severity of damage to Trifolium repens leaves by certain invertebrate species in mixed perennial ryegrass/white clover swards: response to cultivar, cutting frequency and sward characteristics

Grass and Forage Science ◽

10.1046/j.1365-2494.1999.00161.x ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 54 (2) ◽

pp. 137-143

Author(s):

Li Fengrui

Keyword(s):

Perennial Ryegrass ◽

White Clover ◽

Trifolium Repens ◽

Invertebrate Species ◽

Cutting Frequency

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Long-term effects of multiple applications of nitrogen fertiliser on grazed dryland perennial ryegrass/white clover dairy pastures in south-west Victoria. 1. Nitrogen fixation by white clover

Australian Journal of Agricultural Research ◽

10.1071/ar02187 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 54 (5) ◽

pp. 461 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

F. R. McKenzie ◽

J. L. Jacobs ◽

P. Riffkin ◽

G. Kearney ◽

M. McCaskill

Keyword(s):

Perennial Ryegrass ◽

White Clover ◽

N2 Fixation ◽

Block Design ◽

Positive Association ◽

Late Winter ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Yield Production ◽

Fertiliser Application ◽

The Impact

A 3-year experiment determined the impact of multiple applications of different rates of nitrogen (N) fertiliser, applied over autumn and winter in 1997, 1998, and 1999, on N2 fixation in grazed dryland perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne)/white clover (Trifolium repens) dairy pastures. Four treatments replicated 3 times in a randomised block design comprised: 0 N (A); 3 applications of 25 kg N/ha (B); 3 applications of 50 kg N/ha (C); and 3 applications of 75 kg N/ha (D). Urea (46% N) was the N source and applications were from autumn to late winter. 15N abundance methods, based on herbage samples, were used to estimate N2 fixation. Percentage N derived from the atmosphere (%Ndfa) through white clover N2 fixation decreased as the rate of N fertiliser application increased during 1997, but remained unaffected by treatment during 1998 and 1999. Slight decreases in %Ndfa, associated with an increase in soil nitrate, were offset by the positive association between clover dry matter (DM) and soil ammonium. The amount of N2 fixed by white clover decreased from 43 kg N/ha.year (A) to 23 kg N/ha.year (C) during 1997. The amount of N2 fixed by white clover during 1998 and 1999, however, was unaffected by increasing rates of N fertiliser application and averaged 17 and 12 kg N/ha.year in 1998 and 1999, respectively. White clover sward composition (percentage of DM) was unaffected by the rate of N fertiliser application. The average white clover composition across treatments declined from 23% DM in 1997 to 12% DM in 1999. It is concluded that the DM yield production of dryland perennial ryegrass/white clover dairy pastures is likely to be restricted by available soil N, as the amount of N2 fixed annually by clover is low (approx. 20 kg N/ha.year). There is, therefore, scope to supplement pasture N nutritional requirements with fertiliser N. Further, application of N fertiliser may restrict the ability of white clover to fix N2; however, under the grazing management adopted, N fertiliser had no effect on the percentage of white clover.

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