Effects of pasture species mixture, management, and environment on the productivity and persistence of dairy pastures in south-west Victoria. 1. Herbage accumulation and seasonal growth pattern

2004 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 625 ◽  
Author(s):  
Z. N. Nie ◽  
D. F. Chapman ◽  
J. Tharmaraj ◽  
R. Clements

An experiment was conducted on 2 contrasting soil types for 4 years (1998–2001) to determine the effects of plant species mixture, management inputs, and environment on sown species herbage accumulation (SSHA) and seasonal growth pattern of pastures for dairy production. Five pasture types, combined with 3 management treatments, were established in south-west Victoria. Three of the pasture types were based on perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.). One pasture type included short-term, winter- or summer-active species in the perennial ryegrass–white clover mixture. The final pasture type was based on the perennial grasses cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), and phalaris (Phalaris aquatica L.). The 3 management treatments involved different levels of fertiliser input and weed/pest control. Pasture type had a significant impact on SSHA in 3 of 4 years. In the first year, the mixture based on cocksfoot, tall fescue, and phalaris had the lowest SSHA, but this pasture matched other types from 1999 onwards and yielded the highest in 2000, the year with the driest summer during the experiment. Ryegrass–white clover mixture based on old cultivars had generally lower SSHA than the other types except in the first year. Higher fertiliser inputs increased SSHA by 16–28% in 1998, 1999, and 2001. There was a significant site × pasture type interaction on SSHA in 2000. The mixture based on cocksfoot, tall fescue, and phalaris produced up to 1–2 t DM/ha.year more than the other types in summer and autumn in dry–normal years. The inclusion of short-term species, or more stoloniferous white clover cultivars, in the ryegrass–white clover mixture, had little effect on SSHA, or on the seasonal distribution of pasture growth. Pastures based on perennial grasses other than perennial ryegrass appear to have potential for altering the seasonality of pasture growth in south-west Victoria, although the benefits resulting from changing pasture type will depend on environment. Overall, increasing management inputs usually had a greater effect on SSHA than changing pasture type, but management responses were also affected by environment, particularly through the effects of a dry season on a sandy soil type.

2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (7) ◽  
pp. 1210 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. D. Lewis ◽  
C. K. M. Ho ◽  
B. R. Cullen ◽  
B. Malcolm

Diversifying farm activities can reduce the business risk of agricultural production. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of diversifying the types of dairy pastures sown on (1) the average seasonal growth rate (kg DM/ha/day) of pasture and (2) the variability of seasonal growth rate of pasture over time by diversifying the types of pastures grown on a dairy farm. This approach is similar to the approach used to assess the diversification of annual cropping activities, although repeated harvest of pasture by grazing animals and the seasonality of pasture DM production complicates the question. The question investigated was ‘How does substituting chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) or tall fescue (Festuca arundinaceae Schreb.) monocultures for a perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)–white clover (Trifolium repens L.) pasture in increasing proportions affect (1) the average growth rate (kg DM/ha.day) of pasture and (2) the variability of growth rate of pasture in each season?’. The biophysical model DairyMod was used to simulate 30 years growth of a mixed sward of perennial ryegrass and white clover and monocultures of chicory and tall fescue for two rain-fed locations in the high-rainfall zone of southern Australia. Including chicory in the pasture base had the potential to increase pasture growth rate during the summer–early autumn period compared with growing perennial ryegrass–white clover alone. This increase in pasture growth rate increased variability, and reduced growth rates in late autumn–winter and spring. The simulated growth rates of tall fescue and perennial ryegrass were strongly correlated in all seasons; hence, tall fescue did not reduce the variability of total DM. Further analysis would include price correlations and variability and consider the whole-farm implications. The analysis presented here for the high-rainfall zone showed that introducing alternative forages may have benefits in terms of increasing pasture growth rates at critical times of the production year, but the variability of the growth rate was not reduced.


2012 ◽  
Vol 63 (10) ◽  
pp. 1026 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. N. Tozer ◽  
E. Minneé ◽  
C. A. Cameron

Yellow bristle grass (Setaria pumila) and summer grass (Digitaria sanguinalis) are summer-active annual grass weeds which infest temperate dairy pastures. A study was undertaken over 2 years to compare hand-sown yellow bristle and summer grass establishment, survival, and seed production in pastures grazed by dairy cows and based on (i) tetraploid perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne), (ii) tetraploid perennial ryegrass and white clover (Trifolium repens), and (iii) tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) and white clover, to determine which pasture type offered the greatest resistance to these grass weeds. Ingress of grass weeds was similar in all three pasture types. Total dry matter production was similar for all pasture types for the first year and lower in tall fescue + clover than perennial ryegrass pasture in the second year. All pasture types had a similar distribution of microsite types (bare ground ± canopy, basal cover ± canopy) in both years. The annual grass weeds were most prevalent in bare ground + canopy microsites, which were also the most frequent of the four microsite types. In the first year, <5% of microsites were occupied within 2 months of sowing, whereas in the second year, microsite occupation remained >13% for all assessments. In the first year, panicle production of yellow bristle and summer grass was similar (averaging 4.1 panicles plant–1); in the second year, panicle production was greater for summer grass (0.80 v. 0.16 panicles plant–1, respectively). Where present, these annual grass weeds are likely to spread in dryland dairy pastures sown with either perennial ryegrass or tall fescue. Variability in their panicle production between years shows how their impact on pasture performance and consequent need for control measures will also vary from year to year.


2010 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 440-445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T. Earlywine ◽  
Reid J. Smeda ◽  
Travis C. Teuton ◽  
Carl E. Sams ◽  
Xi Xiong

Oriental mustard seed meal (MSM), a byproduct generated by pressing the seed for oil, exhibits herbicidal properties. In turfgrass, soil fumigants such as methyl bromide are used to control weeds prior to renovation of turf. Environmental concerns have resulted in deregistration of methyl bromide, prompting the need for alternatives. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of MSM on the establishment of selected turfgrass weeds as well as inhibitory effects on establishment of desirable turfgrasses. Greenhouse experiments were conducted in 2006 and 2007 at the University of Missouri. MSM was amended in soil at 0, 1,350 (low), 2,350 (medium), and 3,360 kg ha−1(high) concentrations. Weed species included annual bluegrass, large crabgrass, buckhorn plantain, white clover, and common chickweed. Turfgrass species included: Rembrandt tall fescue, Evening Shade perennial rye, and Riviera bermudagrass. All species were seeded into soil amended with MSM and either tarped or left untarped. All treatments were compared to dazomet (392 kg ha−1), a synthetic standard. Plant counts and biomass of all species were recorded 4 wk after seeding. Overall, tarped treatments suppressed weed emergence 27 to 50% more compared to untarped treatments, except for large crabgrass. High rates of MSM suppressed emergence of all weeds ≥ 63%. Compared to the untreated control, the density of buckhorn plantain, white clover, and common chickweed was reduced by ≥ 42% at low rates of MSM. Biomass of buckhorn plantain, annual bluegrass, common chickweed, white clover, and large crabgrass was reduced from 37 to 99% at high rates of MSM. MSM at high rates reduced stand counts of tall fescue and perennial ryegrass up to 81% and 77% respectively, compared to the untreated control. Regardless of MSM rates or tarping, suppression of common bermudagrass emergence did not exceed 30%; tarped treatments actually increased bermudagrass emergence by 22%. The biomass for tall fescue, perennial ryegrass, and bermudagrass was reduced by 85, 68, and 10%, respectively, at high rates of MSM. For tall fescue, MSM at all rates strongly suppressed seed germination by 7 d after planting (DAP) (up to 100%), with additional germination observed through 14 DAP, but not thereafter. In both trials, dazomet completely suppressed emergence of all weeds. MSM appears to suppress emergence and growth of a number of weeds common in turf, with potential selectivity for bermudagrass.


Author(s):  
Numan Kılıçalp ◽  
Mustafa Avcı ◽  
Hatice Hızlı ◽  
Rüştü Hatipoğlu

This research was conducted to determine forage yield, chemical composition, milk yield and milk composition in dairy cattle grazing on pasture established with species and mixtures of Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne, Bastion,PR), Orchardgrass(Dactylis glometata, Pizza,OG) and White clover(Trifolium repens, Huia,WC). In this research conducted for two years, the grazing experiment was carried out according to a change over trial design. For this purpose, a total of 6 Holstein Friesian cows (at the 2nd lactation and with an average of 520 ± 26 kg live weight) were used for two periods, each of which consisted of 30 days (8 days of adaptation and 22 days of the basis period). The milk nutritional composition of the animals (dry matter, fat and protein content) was determined in the last three days in the last five consecutive days of each lactation period. The acid detergent fiber (ADF) content of pasture obtained from Perennial ryegrass + White clover mixture (PRWC) was found to be lower than that obtained from the other two (PR and OG) pasture and Net Energy Lactation (NEL) content was found higher in the first grazing period in the first year. However, the effect of the investigated pastures on milk yield was not significant, but it was found that the effects on milk protein yield in the first year and dry matter of milk in the second year were significant. In the first year of grazing period, milk yield, milk fat yield and protein yield were found to be significant. The results of this study showed that under these operating conditions, the botanical composition of the pasture had no effect on the amount and composition of the milk, but the milk yield decreased as the vegetation period advanced.


1993 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 481-488 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. J. Zebarth ◽  
S. Freyman ◽  
C. G. Kowalenko

The use of inter-row ground covers has been suggested to reduce soil degradation in raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) production. The effect after 6 yr of consistent inter-row management of ground covers or roto-tillage in raspberry on soil wet aggregate stability (WAS), bulk density, organic C and total N, and mineralizable nitrogen in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia was studied. Management treatments included no cover crop or cover crops of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), sheep's fescue (Festuca ovina L.), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), and white clover (Trifolium repens L.). A general pattern of perennial grasses > legume and barley > control was observed for soil WAS. Some quantitative and qualitative differences in the organic component of the soil profile to 30 cm were detected among management treatments. The differences were not statistically strong because the changes were small relative to the large pool present, but were relatively consistent overall. The white clover treatment tended to have more organic carbon, particularly in the subsurface, than the other treatments. The four treatments that included inter-row vegetation tended to have a greater amount of total and mineralizable N than the clean-tilled control. Crop vigour, as indicated by cane diameter, was reduced by the perennial grasses, but the inter-row management had only limited effects on berry yield. White clover appears to provide the best compromise between improving soil quality and minimizing competition with the berry crop. Key words: Wet aggregate stability, barley, sheep's fescue, perennial ryegrass, white clover


2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. 170-170
Author(s):  
Romina A Rodriguez ◽  
Cornelia Grace ◽  
Mary B Lynch ◽  
Helen Sheridan ◽  
Stephen Lott ◽  
...  

Abstract Multispecies swards (MSS) for ruminants are increasing in popularity in temperate regions. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of MSS containing grasses, legumes and herbs on lambs faecal egg counts (FEC) compared to a perennial ryegrass monoculture. Over two years (2015 and 2016) lambs (n = 60 per year, n = 120 in total per treatment) grazed one of four sward types. The treatments were: perennial ryegrass only (PRG), perennial grass and white clover (PRGWC), six species sward (perennial ryegrass, timothy, plantain, chicory, white and red clover; 6S) and nine species (9S) additional to the 6S were cocksfoot, greater birdsfoot trefoil and yarrow. Feces samples were collected fortnightly commencing when lambs were six weeks old and FEC were determined by the modified McMaster procedure for quantifying Nematodirus and Trichostrongylus eggs. All lambs were treated with anthelmintic at 12 weeks of age and subsequent anthelmintic treatments were administered when a threshold of 400 egg per gram (epg) was reached. The statistical analysis used was a repeated measures model in PROC MIXED of SAS. Nematodirus FEC did not differ with treatment (P &gt; 0.05). Trichostrongylus FEC was influenced by sward type (P &lt; 0.05), the lambs grazing the PRG sward displaying higher FEC, while the lambs grazing the 9S sward displaying lower FEC compared to other treatments. The lambs offered PRG required fewer days in reach the 400 epg threshold compared to the other treatments (P &lt; 0.05) that did not differ. The repeatability of FEC from one date to the next date was 21.54% and 11.85% for Nematodirus and Trichostrongylus respectively, being considered low. The correlation between FEC (Nematodirus) and ADG (weaning-slaughter) was positive (0.1377), but FEC (Trichostrongylus) and ADG correlation was negative (-0.1084). These results suggest that lambs offered the 9S treatment had lower FEC of Trichostrongylus eggs compared to PRG.


1979 ◽  
Vol 93 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. A. Garwood ◽  
K. C. Tyson ◽  
J. Sinclair

SUMMARYThe yield and quality of herbage produced by six grasses (perennial ryegrass, cocksfoot, timothy, rough-stalked meadow grass, tall fescue and Italian ryegrass) were examined both without irrigation and under two irrigation regimes. Water was applied according to the potential soil water deficit (potential SWD): the soil was either partially returned to field capacity (FC) after each cut or fully returned to FC whenever the potential SWD reached 25 mm. The swards were cut either at 3 (C3) or 6 (C6) week intervals over a 2 year period.Partial irrigation increased yields by 12–14% in the first year and by 36–58% in the second. Full irrigation produced little more growth than partial irrigation in the first year (maximum SWD, 188 mm) but increased yield by 78–93% in the second, very dry, year (maximum SWD, 311 mm). Under treatment C3 response per unit of water applied was similar with both partial and full irrigation, but under C6 the response was greater with partial (2·86 kg D.M./m3) than with full irrigation (1·79 kg D.M./m3).There were marked differences between the species in their ability to grow under drought conditions in the second year of the experiment. Without irrigation, roughstalked meadow grass and Italian ryegrass did not survive the drought. The performance of tall fescue was markedly superior to both perennial ryegrass and cocksfoot in these conditions. Of the surviving grasses timothy made least growth.


1982 ◽  
Vol 99 (1) ◽  
pp. 153-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. A. Davies ◽  
T. E. H. Morgan

SUMMARYHerbage characteristics of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) and timothy (Phleum pratense L.) pastures were obtained whilst rotationally grazed by ewes and their single lambs at a fixed stocking rate of 25/ha on an upland site (305 m O.D.) in mid-Wales. Drymatter production of cocksfoot averaged 32·1 kg/ha/day over the 3-year duration of the trial (1975·7) and was 13·3 kg/ha/day lower than that of the other three grass species. This resulted in a 8 kg/ha/day reduction in dry-matter intake on cocksfoot; this was significantly lower (P < 0·05) than that achieved on the other grasses, which were similar to one another around 36 kg/ha/day.In vitro digestibility of the herbage ranked in the order perennial ryegrass > timothy = cocksfoot > tall fescue. Intake of digestible organic matter (DOMI) was lower on cocksfoot than on perennial ryegrass and timothy. Differences were also detected in crude protein, water-soluble carbohydrates and sodium composition between species.Dry-matter intake was positively correlated with herbage growth rates (r = 0·95, P < 0·001) but not to digestibility of herbage on offer (r = 0·18). Both ewe and lamb live-weight gains were positively related to intake of dry matter and DOMI.Reference is made to comparative yield data between the grasses obtained under cutting trials. In the 2nd and 3rd harvest years (1967–1967) growth rates in the grazing experiment were 76, 61, 81 and 80% of the 66·2, 66·7, 67·8 and 65·0 kg D.M./ha/day obtained under a cutting regime on perennial ryegrass, cocksfoot, tall fescue and timothy swards respectively. This illustrates the danger involved in assessing the potential of grasses based on such information.The results are discussed in relation to the value of the species for use under grazing in the uplands.


1967 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. C. Grimes ◽  
B. R. Watkin ◽  
J. R. Gallagher

1. An experiment was conducted in which lambs grazed on pastures of cocksfoot, ryegrass and tall fescue grown with and without white clover, as well as on pastures of pure white clover.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (4) ◽  
pp. 46-66
Author(s):  
Vladimir Zolotarev

Nitrogen consumption is one of the most important factors and necessary conditions for plant growth and development. The contribution from the biological fixation of N2 by legumes in grass mixtures can reduce or completely replace the need for industrial nitrogen fertilizers for perennial bluegrass grasses. When white clover is cultivated in grass mixtures, the net nitrogen gain to the ecosystem from the atmosphere during the growing season as a result of biological fixation can vary from 100 to 300 kg/ha or more. This is equivalent in effect to the application of mineral nitrogen fertilizers on grass in doses from 150 to 350 kg/ha. Types and varieties of perennial grasses have different competitiveness and complementarity when they are jointly cultivated in mixed crops. The use of grasses to create less lying grass stands allows you to increase the collection of white clover seeds. When cultivating white clover in grass mixtures, there was a decrease in the biological yield of seeds compared to mono-crop by 15–38% due to a decrease in the number of generative shoots. However, seed losses during harvesting decreased by up to 9–23% depending on the type of accompanying cereal crop and the method of harvesting. They were minimal in mixed crops of clover with pasture ryegrass or reed fescue and accounted for 9–11% and 12–13% of the biological yield of seeds, respectively. The highest seed collections were obtained from grass stands of the second year of use without the use of nitrogen fertilizers from crops of pasture ryegrass, reed fescue and meadow fescue: 761, 402 and 373 kg/ha, respectively. Along with the types of cereal components, the nature of plant interaction in grass mixtures and their response to anthropogenic stresses also depend on the genotypes of white clover varieties. A comparative assessment of the effectiveness of cultivating clover varieties mixed with reed fescue showed that the highest collection of legume seeds 188 kg/ha from grass stands of the first year of use was provided by the 'Lugovik' variety – 36–68% more than with grass mixtures of the cv. 'Volat' variety f. giganteum and cv. 'VIK 70' of the f. hollandicum variety.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document