scholarly journals Liveweight changes in lambs grazing six perennial ryegrass cultivars

1999 ◽  
pp. 31-35
Author(s):  
C.T. Westwood ◽  
M.G. Norriss
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Moisture Stress ◽  
Botanical Composition ◽  
Independent Research ◽  
Ewe Lambs ◽  
Research Organisation ◽  
Clover Content

Liveweight changes were measured for lambs grazing six high endophyte perennial ryegrasses, in a grazing experiment run by an independent research organisation in Canterbury, New Zealand. Ryegrass cultivars were sown under code in a binary mix with white clover in February 1997. Plots were strategically irrigated to avoid moisture stress, and stocked at approximately 27 Coopworth ewe lambs per ha in May 1997. Common pasture residual mass was maintained across cultivars by strategic addition of extra lambs, with extra grazing days recorded for each replicate. Lamb liveweight gains and botanical composition of replicates were assessed quarterly. Lamb liveweight gains differed significantly between treatments in Years 1 and 2 of this ongoing 3 year study. Lambs grazing 'Quartet' tetraploid perennial ryegrass gained, on average, 37.4 kg and 36.1 kg liveweight during Years 1 and 2 respectively, and together with 'Aries HD' (35.0 and 35.9 kg) produced significantly greater liveweight gain compared with 'Grasslands Nui' (22.0 and 23.7 kg) and 'Bronsyn' (22.5 and 24.1 kg), LSD0.05 = 6.0 and 7.4. Lambs grazing 'Embassy' gained 31.6 kg and 28.7 kg, and 'Vedette' 29.8 kg and 28.0 kg. Extra grazing days expressed as a percentage of base grazing days were between 3.8 and 6.7% across cultivars for Year 1 and between 2.0 and 6.5% across cultivars for Year 2. This study demonstrated significant differences in animal productivity between perennial ryegrass cultivars that produce comparable yields of dry matter. Differences may reflect variation in forage quality, endophyte toxins, clover content in the sward or other unidentified cultivar characteristics. Keywords: digestibility, endophyte, lamb, liveweight, perennial ryegrass, tetraploid

scholarly journals Yield and botanical composition of four dryland pastures at Ashley Dene Research Farm over 8 years

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Breanna Taylor ◽  
Anna Mills ◽  
Malcolm Smith ◽  
Richard Lucas ◽  
Derrick Moot
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Dry Matter Yield ◽  
Botanical Composition ◽  
Meadow Fescue ◽  
Dry Conditions ◽  
Spring Yield

Dry matter yield and botanical composition of four grazed dryland pasture types were compared over 8 years in summer-dry conditions at Ashley Dene, Canterbury, New Zealand. The experiment was sown in March 2013 to evaluate cocksfoot (CF)- or meadow fescue/ryegrass hybrid (RG)-based pastures established with either subterranean (Sub) or subterranean and balansa (S+B) clovers. Plantain was included in all pasture types. Perennial ryegrass established poorly on the low soil moisture holding capacity Lismore soil and in Year 2 was re-broadcast into the RG pastures. Despite this, plantain was the main sown species in RG pastures beyond Year 3. Total spring yield was greatest in Year 5 at 6720 kg DM/ha and varied with spring rainfall. Cocksfoot-based pastures had 60% of sown species present in the spring of Year 8, compared with 28% in RG-based pastures. Balansa clover was only present up to Year 5 after a managed seeding event in the first spring. White clover did not persist in the dryland environment past Year 2. Sub clover yield depended on the time and amount of autumn rainfall but contributed up to 45% of the spring yield. Cocksfoot-sub clover pastures appear to be most resilient in this summer-dry environment with variable spring rainfall.

scholarly journals EFFICIENCY OF UTILIZATION OF NITROGEN AND PHOSPHORUS BY YORKSHIRE FOG (HOLCUS LANATUS)

1973 ◽  
pp. 288-302
Author(s):  
R.S.Scott A. Hardacre
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Moisture Stress ◽  
The Other ◽  
Yield Response ◽  
Holcus Lanatus ◽  
Nitrogen And Phosphorus ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Pot Experiments

Two pot experiments compared the yield response and uptake of N and P by five New Zealand, two exotic ecotypes and one bred cultivar of Yorkshire fog and Ruanui perennial ryegrass under varying levels of applied N and P. One experiment was conducted in a heated glasshouse and the other under controlled climate conditions. Of the Yorkshire fog strains examined, the bred cultivar 'Massey Basyn' and an ecotype from Rotorua provided highest yields of dry matter. Their superiority was attributed in part to their ability to extract greater amounts of N and P from the soil. The former was more efficient under high levels of applied N and the latter under high levels of applied P. Under two distinct climatic environments, 'Massey Basyn' Yorkshire fog gave similar yields and uptake of N and P to Ruanui perennial ryegrass. Under a third climate, with higher temperatures and moisture stress, 'Massey Basyn' outyielded Ruanui. This was associated with a greater ability by 'Massey Basyn' to utilize absorbed P.

Grass-white clover relationships during pasture development. 1. Effect of superphosphate

1973 ◽  
Vol 13 (64) ◽  
pp. 567 ◽  
Author(s):  
EC Wolfe ◽  
A Lazenby
Keyword(s):  
White Clover ◽  
Tall Fescue ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
New South ◽  
Major Effect ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Botanical Composition ◽  
Seeding Rate ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Clover Content

The effects of superphosphate (0, 42, 125, and 375 kg ha-1 year-1), grass species (tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, and phalaris) and grass seeding rate (0, 1.1, 4.5, and 17.9 kg ha-1) on the productivity and botanical composition of grass-white clover pastures were investigated from 1967 to 1970 on a previously unfertilized site at Armidale, New South Wales. In all years, total pasture yields were increased by each additional increment of superphosphate applied. During the establishment year, the addition of 375 kg ha-1 superphosphate increased clover dry matter yield by more than 3500 kg ha-1, whereas grass production was low (< 1500 kg ha-1) on all treatments. Thereafter, the increases in grass yields at each level of superphosphate were the equal of, or exceeded, the clover responses, which were mainly linear throughout the experiment. Neither grass seeding rate nor grass species had a major effect on total pasture productivity. Their effects on the relative yields of the grass and clover components were most evident at the highest rate of superphosphate. At SP0, grass and clover percentages declined from 1967 to 1970 and at SP125 the proportions of grass, clover and weeds were about equal in all years. At SP375, the strong overall trend from clover-dominance in 1967 to grass-dominance in 1970 was most rapid in treatments sown with 4.5 or 17.9 kg ha-1 grass and least rapid in phalaris-white clover pastures. In 1969 and 1970, when most pastures at SP375, had reached the grass-dominant stage of their development, within-year fluctuations in grass and clover content were least in the fescue-white clover pastures.

scholarly journals Managing white clover for productive and profitable sheep farming in Southland

2000 ◽  
pp. 137-140
Author(s):  
J.P.J. Eerens ◽  
D.L. Ryan
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Fixation ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Research Station ◽  
Pasture Management ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Clover Root ◽  
Pastoral Farming

White clover is often listed as one of the factors contributing to profitable pastoral farming in New Zealand. The positive aspects of white clover have been presented in a balanced manner in publications by scientists, environmentalists and farmers able to exploit these positive aspects. Increasingly, pastures contain sub-optimal levels of clover, as a result of pasture management that is detrimental to clover, including the increasing use of fertiliser nitrogen. In some regions of New Zealand, farmers can legitimately point to pests such as the clover root weevil and factors such as the ryegrass endophyte as causing restrictions in clover production, but this is less the case in Southland. Environmental conditions in Southland are well suited for ryegrass-white clover pastures. Wellmanaged ryegrass-white clover pastures containing the best regional cultivars can achieve high financial returns. A number of trials at the Gore Research Station are reviewed; they demonstrated that on mixed ryegrass-white clover swards farmers can produce nearly 25% more dry matter, 40% more carcass weight and 25% more wool than on pastures with ryegrass alone receiving 270 kg N/ha/year. The yield advantage would have been greater still if they were compared with typical Southland pastures. Not only was 180 kg more carcass and 17 kg more wool produced per hectare on mixed swards, but nitrogen fixation by clover produced more than $300 worth of nitrogen per hectare. The yield advantage achievable from the ryegrass-white clover swards requires specific pasture management, particularly in spring- summer and the use of adapted white clover cultivars. Keywords: cultivars, Lolium perenne, nitrogen, pasture production, perennial ryegrass, set stocking, Trifolium repens, white clover, wool

Effect of defoliation frequency on an irrigated perennial pasture in northern Victoria. 1. Seasonal production and sward composition

1997 ◽  
Vol 48 (6) ◽  
pp. 811 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. Lawson ◽  
P. W. G. Sale ◽  
K. B. Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Defoliation Frequency ◽  
Clover Content ◽  
Pasture Yield ◽  
Clover Pasture ◽  
Ryegrass Growth

A field experiment was carried out to investigate whether changes in winter and post-winter defoliation frequency would increase the white clover content of an irrigated perennial ryegrass–white clover pasture in northern Victoria. Pastures defoliated every 4 weeks during winter had higher white clover growing point (stolon apices with at least 2 nodes) density at the end of winter than pastures defoliated every 8 weeks or those receiving a single defoliation after 16 weeks, but these differences did not affect the clover content in the spring. Reasons for this are suggested. Pastures defoliated at 8-week intervals in winter were the most productive over winter{early spring. Less frequent defoliation (4 v. 2 weeks) during the post-winter, September–May period reduced white clover growing point and perennial ryegrass tiller densities. However, the white clover growth rate during this period was increased by less frequent defoliation, whereas the ryegrass growth rate was reduced, resulting in an increase of 10% in the white clover content, and a 1·9 t dry matter (DM)/ha increase in total DM produced. This higher clover content and pasture yield during spring–autumn with less frequent defoliation has important implications for the management of irrigated perennial pastures for the dairy industry in northern Victoria.

Diversified pastures at the front line of climate change in Northland: farmers experiences, new directions and wider implications for other parts of the country

2021 ◽  
Vol 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kieran McCahon ◽  
Allister McCahon ◽  
Gavin Ussher
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Total Yield ◽  
Moisture Stress ◽  
Future Climate Change ◽  
First Year ◽  
Dry Conditions ◽  
The Right

The persistence of both perennial ryegrass and white clover is challenged under summer-dry conditions. Future climate change projections indicate greater incidence and severity of summer moisture stress for many regions in New Zealand, and therefore, greater pressure on our traditional pasture base. The ‘Northland Diversified Forages Project’ aimed to identify alternative pasture species that provide an advantage in terms of dry matter yield, quality and/or timing of growth within a summer-dry environment, with a particular focus on legumes. A series of mown-plot trial and paddock demonstrations were established across a range of soil types to assess the potential of a wide variety of forage species. Perennial ryegrass and white clover both failed to persist, comprising less than 25% of the sward within 3 years of establishment. Cocksfoot demonstrated potential as a more persistent alternative to perennial ryegrass. However, whilst a range of legumes were successful at increasing the proportion of legume in the sward and total yield in the first year, significant challenges were identified in maintaining functional legumes across multiple years. This raises questions around whether we currently have the right species in New Zealand to adapt to a changing climate.

Long-term performance of white clover varieties grown with perennial ryegrass under rotational grazing by sheep with different nitrogen applications

2003 ◽  
Vol 140 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. A. WILLIAMS ◽  
D. R. EVANS ◽  
I. RHODES ◽  
M. T. ABBERTON
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilizer ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Rotational Grazing ◽  
General Decline ◽  
Considerable Impact ◽  
High Yields ◽  
Clover Content ◽  
Applied Nitrogen

Three experiments were carried out to investigate the dry matter production of nine white clover (Trifolium repens L.) varieties grown with the same variety of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and subjected to rotational grazing by sheep over a period of 10 years. The experiments differed only in the nitrogen fertilizer added: no nitrogen, 100 kg/ha per year and 200 kg/ha per year. Dry matter (DM) yields of white clover and perennial ryegrass components of the sward were recorded at approximately 6-week intervals during the growing season.Without applied nitrogen, 10-year mean white clover annual DM yields ranged from 2·89–4·54 t/ha. Mean clover content for all varieties ranged from 31–50% for the first 9 years, declining to 20% in the 10th year. The most consistently high yielding variety, AberVantage, gave yields greater than 3·5 t/ha in every year. Similar results were observed for the variety Aran. The 10-year mean annual DM yield of the perennial ryegrass companion (variety Talbot) ranged from 4·41–5·57 t/ha depending on the white clover variety in the mixture. Variation in perennial ryegrass DM yield was of a similar range and pattern as for white clover.In the experiment in which 100 kg N/ha per year was added, 10-year mean white clover annual DM yields ranged from 2·27–3·87 t/ha. The varieties AberVantage and Aran showed yields that fell below 3 t/ha per year in only 1 or 2 years, respectively. Mean clover content for all varieties ranged from 26–38% for the first 9 years, declining to 17·5% in the 10th year. There was no consecutive annual decline in white clover DM yields. The 10-year mean annual DM yields of the perennial ryegrass companion ranged from 6·03–7·57 t/ha.With applied nitrogen fertilizer of 200 kg N/ha per year (Experiment 3), 10-year mean white clover annual DM yields ranged from 1·21–2·67 t/ha. Mean clover content ranged from 12–27% for the 10 years. AberVantage and Aran showed yields consistently above 2 t/ha. No general decline in white clover DM yields was observed although some varieties showed consecutive annual reductions in years 8, 9 and 10. The 10-year mean annual DM perennial ryegrass yields ranged from 7·27–8·68 t/ha.The results show that, under rotational grazing by sheep, white clover can give reliably high yields over a 10-year period. With moderate to high applications of nitrogen fertilizer white clover yields were lower than without nitrogen but they were consistent and sufficient to make a considerable impact on forage quality. There was no evidence for a general decline in clover content until the 10th year of the experiment and no cyclical pattern of annual variation in white clover yield was observed. The implications of these results for the role of white clover in UK agriculture are discussed.

scholarly journals Different combinations of perennial ryegrass and white clover phenotypes do not affect mixture yield under cutting management during establishment

2017 ◽  
Vol 79 ◽  
pp. 251-256
Author(s):  
L. Rossi ◽  
D.F. Chapman ◽  
G.R. Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Dry Matter Yield ◽  
Botanical Composition ◽  
Population Densities ◽  
Nitrogen Fertiliser ◽  
Significant Yield ◽  
Cutting Management ◽  
Pasture Yield

Abstract A field experiment was conducted for 12 months under irrigation and cutting management to determine if interactions between perennial ryegrass and white clover cultivars of different phenotypes could affect pasture yield and botanical composition during establishment. Four ryegrass and four clover cultivars, differing in leaf and tiller/stolon traits, were grown in all combinations (n=16), along with monocultures of each (n=8), as sub-plots under two nitrogen fertiliser levels (100 or 325 kg N/ha/ year). Dry matter yield and botanical composition were measured on nine occasions and ryegrass and clover population densities were determined four times. Total annual yield was similar for all mixture combinations due to substitution between the sward components. While there were significant yield differences among ryegrass or clover cultivar monocultures, these seldom explained differences in mixture yields. Mixtures yielded more DM than ryegrass monocultures under both N treatments (+1.3 to +3.9 t DM/ha/year). Keywords: perennial ryegrass, white clover, dairy, dry matter yield, nitrogen fertiliser, phenotype, competition

EVALUATION OF NEW ZEALAND BRED WHITE CLOVER CULTIVARS UNDER ROTATIONAL GRAZING AND SET STOCKING WITH SHEEP

1988 ◽  
pp. 203-206 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.L. Brock
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
White Clover ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Moisture Stress ◽  
Early Summer ◽  
Summer Drought ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Rotational Grazing ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Clover Content

The four New Zealand bred white clover cultivars. Tahora, Hula, Pltau and Kopu were evaluated for two years under a high stocking rate in self contained sheep grazed farmlets comparing year round rotational grazing with set stocking. Tahora was clearly superior under set stocking, yielding 50% more than Huia and 140% more than Pitau and Kopu. Under rotational grazing all performed well with only Kopu showing a 20% advantage. An unseasonal early summer drought in the second year showed all cultivars to be highly susceptible to moisture stress at this time under rotational grazing. Large scale death of clover occurred reducing clover content to 2-3% in autumn with no recovery by mid winter. Under set stocking, although severely wilted, all clovers quickly recovered to their former level following rain The management implications are discussed. Keywords: Tahora. Huia, Pitau, Kopu, grazing management, drought, cultivar choice

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