Yields of perennial grasses growing in mixtures with annual species and the effect of perennials on total yields

1985 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 840 ◽  
Author(s):  
BD Hill
Keyword(s):  
Festuca Arundinacea ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Late Spring ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Annual Species ◽  
Higher Plant ◽  
Phalaris Aquatica ◽  
Plant Densities ◽  
Autumn And Winter

Fifteen perennial grass cultivars were compared in cutting trials in the medium rainfall (about 700 mm/year) area of central New South Wales. The perennial grasses were shown to have different growth patterns. Siro 1146 phalaris (Phalaris aquatica x P. arundinacea), Brignoles cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata) and Demeter fescue (Festuca arundinacea) had the highest dry matter yields in late spring and summer. The phalaris (Phalaris aquatica) cultivars Special Select, Sirosa, Sirocco and El Golea had the highest yields in autumn and winter, while Kangaroo Valley perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and the cocksfoot cultivars, Berber, Brignoles and Currie, yielded well in spring. When the total yields of pastures containing perennial grasses and annual species were compared with the total yields of annual species alone, it was found that the perennials generally did not increase yields when present at relatively low plant densities (5-20 plants/m2) and growing with a vigorous annual species component. When present at higher plant densities (over 20 plants/ m2) perennial grasses only increased total yields in autumn and winter when soil moisture was low and annual species did not grow well. The probable effects on animal production of including perennial grasses in pasture mixes are discussed and it is concluded that the perennials are most likely to be beneficial in late spring and summer when annuals become less palatable and have lower digestibility.

Sources of valuable traits for perennial grass breeding

2021 ◽  
pp. 78-89
Author(s):  
LZ Baistruk-Hlodan ◽  
MM Кhomiak ◽  
HZ Zhapaleu
Keyword(s):  
Festuca Arundinacea ◽  
Trifolium Pratense ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
High Energy ◽  
Phleum Pratense ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Starting Material ◽  
Forage Production ◽  
Daily Growth ◽  
Galega Orientalis

Aim. The purpose was to identify collection accessions – sources of valuable traits to use as starting material for creating varieties of perennial grasses in Western Ukraine. Results and Discussion. Perennial grasses play an essential role in improving the efficiency of forage production. They produce a fodder mass that contains major macro- and micronutrients, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and other nutrients in available forms, with a high energy protein saturation. Practice shows that due to the introduction of varietal crops into production in combination with optimal technologies of their cultivation, which allows revealing the potential of each variety, it is possible to additionally obtain 20-30% higher yields of fodder mass annually and harvest 2 to 3-fold seed yields. In 2016-2020, a search was carried out and 570 new accessions of perennial grasses were recruited, of which 201 were legumes and 369 were graminaceous grasses. The collection contains 1,319 accessions, of which 232 are Trifolium pratense L., 115 are Trifolium repens L., 49 are Trifolium hybridum L., 107 are Lotus corniculatus L., 80 belong to other legume species (Medicago, Galega orientalis L. Galega orientalis L. and Trifolium species), 131 are Phleum pratense L., 187 are Dactylis glomerata L., 146 are Lolium perenne L., 53 are Arrhenatherum elatius (L.) J. et C.Presl., 67 are Festuca rubra L., 28 are Festuca trachyphylla L., 32 are Bromopsis inermis (Leyss.) Holub, 92 belong to other species of other types of graminaceous grasses (Festuca pratensis Huds., Festuca arundinacea Schreb., Agrostis alba L. etc.). Accessions that enter the Department are registered and sown for propagation in the field. After examination, valuable accessions are transferred to the National Depository and registered in the National Catalogue; the rest of the obtained seeds are used in working collections. Conclusions. The best collection accessions were identified by a set of economically valuable traits: sources of daily growth of shoots (30), winter hardiness (28), plant height (22), yield of green mass upon haymaking (28) and pasture (19) use, forage productivity (15), seed productivity (25), foliage (21), and disease resistance (23). They can be recommended as starting material to create varieties of perennial grasses with high yields of forage mass and seeds for various applications.

Initial studies of the growth, nitrogen sequestering, and de-watering potential of perennial grass selections for use as nitrogen catch crops in orchards

2003 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. R. Stork ◽  
P. H. Jerie
Keyword(s):  
Open Field ◽  
Festuca Arundinacea ◽  
Inorganic Nitrogen ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
Fruit Trees ◽  
High Water ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Growth Cycle ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Leaching Losses

Two field trials were established to evaluate the ability of perennial grasses to recoup leaching losses of nitrogen in orchards. A perennial grass was considered suitable for use in orchards if it had a winter active–summer dormant growth cycle. High winter growth would ensure de-watering of the soil profile and nitrate uptake during this period, when an orchard is most vulnerable to leaching losses of nitrate. Low growth in summer would minimise competition for water and nutrients with fruit trees. These traits were studied in 14 varieties of grasses from 8 species in an open field and in an established apricot orchard. Semi-dormant summer growth was observed in species such as Dactylis glomerata L. cv. Kasbah, and Festuca arundinacea L. cv. MK88931. In the open field trial, the sequestration of NO3–-N + NH4+-N between late autumn and early spring, by Kasbah and MK88931, was estimated at 172 and 220 kg N/ha, respectively. Kasbah and MK88931 also demonstrated the driest soil profiles to a depth of 1.5 m in this period. This reflected their high water use and de-watering potential. Therefore, the performance of these grasses demonstrated a model approach to mitigate nitrate leaching below orchard root-zones. They could minimise deep percolation of rainfall and sequestered large amounts of inorganic nitrogen in soil during winter, whilst producing low growth during summer.

The response to moisture and defoliation stresses, and traits for resilience of perennial grasses on the Northern Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia

2003 ◽  
Vol 54 (9) ◽  
pp. 903 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. P. Boschma ◽  
M. J. Hill ◽  
J. M. Scott ◽  
G. G. Rapp
Keyword(s):  
Festuca Arundinacea ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Nitrogen Concentration ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Rooting Depth ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Moderate Drought

A field experiment was conducted to study the effects of defoliation and moisture stresses on perennial pasture grasses and to identify traits associated with their resilience. The experiment, conducted near Armidale on the Northern Tablelands of NSW, studied 4 introduced perennial grass species (Phalaris aquatica, Festuca arundinacea, Dactylis glomerata, and Lolium perenne) and 2 native grass species (Microlaena stipoides and Austrodanthonia richardsonii) subjected to 3 moisture regimes (non-stress moisture, moderate drought, and severe drought) and 2 defoliation intensities (severe and moderate). Basal area, herbage mass, phenological growth stage, nitrogen concentration, root mass, and rooting depth were compared over 2 independent 6-month periods: spring–summer (1 September 1994–28 February 1995) and summer–autumn (1 December 1994–31 May 1995). Multiple regression was used to determine which traits were important for determining plant resilience.The differences between species and their respective responses were evident in the traits measured. In general, basal area tended to increase over summer and show little change during autumn. Severe defoliation stimulated plant growth, resulting in higher harvested herbage mass than from those moderately defoliated. Reproductive development was suppressed by severe drought and reduced by moderate drought. Severe defoliation suppressed flowering of Dactylis and Lolium at both drought intensities, compared with moderate defoliation. Phalaris, Festuca, and Austrodanthonia were the deepest rooting species during spring–summer, and Dactylis the shallowest. All species had similar rooting depths during summer–autumn, with those under severe and moderate drought having the deepest and shallowest rooting, respectively.Carbohydrate reserves and basal area were important traits for determining plant resilience during spring–summer. During summer–autumn, maintaining basal area and plant biomass through moderate grazing was important for resilience.

Effects of continuous grazing and seasonal closures on the performance and persistence of some sown temperate perennial grasses, North-West Slopes New South Wales

2002 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 431 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. M. Lodge
Keyword(s):  
Festuca Arundinacea ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
North West ◽  
Basal Cover ◽  
Crown Density ◽  
Plant Frequency

A split-plot experiment was sown at Tamworth in 1992 to examine the effects of continuous sheep grazing and seasonal closures (autumn, spring, spring + autumn, and summer + winter) on the herbage mass, plant frequency and basal cover of 5 perennial grasses, when sown as monocultures or with a perennial (Trifolium repens cv. Haifa) or annual legume (Trifolium subterraneum var. subterraneum cv. Seaton Park). Plant basal area and crown density data were also collected. The perennial grasses were Phalaris aquatica cv. Sirosa, Festuca arundinacea, cv.� Demeter, Lolium perenne cv. Kangaroo Valley, Austrodanthonia richardsonii (syn. Danthonia richardsonii) cv.�Taranna, and A. bipartita (syn. D. linkii) cv. Bunderra. There was no significant effect of legume presence on the herbage mass or persistence of the perennial grasses. The only treatment that had a significant effect (P< 0.05) on either herbage mass, plant frequency or basal cover data was the grazing treatment × perennial grass interaction in each of the years 1993-98, except for herbage mass in December 1993 and basal cover in October 1998. In all of the grazing treatments examined, Kangaroo Valley ryegrass failed to persist after spring 1994; Demeter fescue had failed by spring 1997 and Sirosa phalaris by spring 1998. Six years after sowing the only temperate grass cultivars that were persisting in all grazing treatments were the native perennials, Taranna and Bunderra. Hence, the data represent the entire stand life from sowing to eventual failure for the 3 introduced cultivars. While grazing treatment effects within years for individual species were significant, overall grazing had little effect on the rate of decline in herbage mass and persistence of Kangaroo Valley, Demeter and Sirosa. By 1998, grazing treatment had no significant effect on the herbage mass and basal cover of Taranna and Bunderra, but their plant frequencies were lowest in the spring rest and summer + winter rest treatments.

The effect of associate perennial grasses on a simple pasture mixture of phalaris and subterranean clover

1956 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 367 ◽  
Author(s):  
WD Andrew ◽  
CA Neal-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Festuca Arundinacea ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Yield Component ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Small Change

Over the period 1952-1954 there was no significant difference in the yield of herbage produced annually by the addition to a Phalaris tuberosa L.–Trifolium subterraneum L. pasture mixture, of any one of the following grasses: Agropyron obtusiusculum Lange., Bromus coloratus Steud., Bromus inermis Leyss., Dactylis glomerata L., or Festuca arundinacea Schreb. There were indications of a small change in seasonal production where certain grasses, notably D. glomerata, were included in the mixture. Over the 3-year period the proportion of the sown grass component, in the mixtures where either D. glomerata, B. inermis, or B. coloratus were included, increased by a greater amount than where the simple mixture of phalaris and subterranean clover was used. The addition of each grass also lessened the amount of P. tuberosa in the sown grass component of the yield. In the third year, despite the varying proportions of the phalaris and associated sown grass species, the mean population of the sown perennial grasses in each treatment did not differ significantly from the mean figure of 1.34 plants/sq. lk. The increased production of the sown grass yield component following the association of certain of the above species with P. tuberosa suggests that the latter does not fully exploit the environment. The principle of including another perennial grass when sowing phalaris and subterranean clover might have wide application as a means of combatting "phalaris staggers".

scholarly journals Root-To-Shoot Ratios of Flood-Tolerant Perennial Grasses Depend on Harvest and Fertilization Management: Implications for Quantification of Soil Carbon Input

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claudia Kalla Nielsen ◽  
Uffe Jørgensen ◽  
Poul Erik Lærke
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Soil Carbon ◽  
Festuca Arundinacea ◽  
Carbon Sink ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
Critical Role ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Total Biomass ◽  
Harvest Frequency

Quantifying soil organic carbon stocks (SOC) is a critical task in decision support related to climate and land management. Carbon inputs in soils are affected by development of belowground (BGB) and aboveground (AGB) biomass. However, uncertain fixed values of root:shoot ratios (R/S) are widely used for calculating SOC inputs in agroecosystems. In this study, we 1) assessed the effect of harvest frequency (zero, one, two, and five times annually) on the root and shoot development of the perennial grasses Phalaris arundinacea (RCG), Festuca arundinacea (TF), and Festulolium (FL); 2) determined the effect of management on the carbon and nitrogen content in AGB and BGB; and 3) assessed the implications of R/S for SOC quantification. We found the highest yields of BGB in zero-cut treatments with 59% (FL)–70% (RCG) of total biomass. AGB yield was highest in the five-cut treatments with 54% (RCG)–60% (FL), resulting in a decreasing R/S with frequent management, ranging from 1.6–2.3 (zero cut) to 0.6–0.8 (five cuts). No differences in R/S between species were observed. Total carbon yield ranged between 5.5 (FL, one cut) and 18.9 t ha−1 year−1 (FL, zero cut), with a higher carbon content in AGB (45%) than BGB (40%). We showed that the input of total organic carbon into soil was highest in the zero-cut treatments, ranging between 6.6 and 7.6 t C ha−1 year−1, although, in the context of agricultural management the two-cut treatments showed the highest potential for carbon input (3.4–5.4 t C ha−1 year−1). Our results highlighted that using default values for R/S resulted in inaccurate modeling estimations of the soil carbon input, as compared to a management-specific application of R/S. We conclude that an increasing number of annual cuts significantly lowered the R/S for all grasses. Given the critical role of BGB carbon input, our study highlights the need for comprehensive long-term experiments regarding the development of perennial grass root systems under AGB manipulation by harvest. In conclusion, we indicated the importance of using more accurate R/S for perennial grasses depending on management to avoid over- and underestimation of the carbon sink functioning of grassland ecosystems.

Effects of grazing interval on basal cover of four perennial grasses in a summer-dry environment

2000 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 299 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Virgona ◽  
A. Bowcher
Keyword(s):  
Tall Fescue ◽  
Festuca Arundinacea ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Basal Cover ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Supplementary Irrigation ◽  
Movement Index ◽  
Dactylis Glomerata L

The response to variation in grazing interval over the spring–autumn period in southern New South Wales was examined on 4 perennial grass species over 2 years. Plots of phalaris (Phalaris aquatica L. cv. Sirolan), cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L. cv. Porto), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Shreb cv. Demeter) and a native danthonia (Danthonia richardsonii cv. Taranna), were grazed by sheep every 2, 5 or 8 weeks, either rainfed or given supplementary irrigation. Basal cover was monitored over this period and is combined with measurements of phenological development and herbage mass to explain differences in persistence. The seasons differed with respect to rainfall, 1994–95 being dry compared to 1995–96. Over the 1994–95 season, the relative change in basal cover [RCBC, the ratio of final (May 1995) to initial (September 1994) basal cover] of the 3 introduced perennial grasses was significantly less than 1, which indicated a decline in basal cover over the measurement period. In contrast, RCBC was 1.55 for danthonia. Grazing interval treatments significantly affected RCBC in 1994–95, RCBC increasing with grazing interval. In the 8-week grazing interval, RCBC did not significantly differ from 1. Changes in density were also measured in 1994–95 and followed a similar pattern to RCBC for species effects although there was no significant effect of grazing interval. In 1995–96, there were interactions between watering and both species and grazing interval. The RCBC (September 1995–May 1996) was significantly greater than 1 for cocksfoot and tall fescue under irrigated conditions but not under rainfed conditions. The response to grazing interval depended on water supply. The 5-week grazing interval led to the highest RCBC under both rainfed and irrigated conditions. However, when rainfed, the 5- and 8-week treatments were not significantly different, whereas under irrigation, the 2- and 5-week treatments did not significantly differ. For the 1995–96 season, a movement index (MI, ratio of newly colonised area to that occupied throughout the season) was measured. There was a strong interaction between species and watering but phalaris was the most mobile (highest MI) of the 4 species under both rainfed and irrigated conditions. The absence of any interaction between species and grazing interval in either 1994–95 or 1995–96 suggests that response to grazing of these species may be similar despite differences in survival mechanisms.

Studies of soil seedbanks in native and sown pastures in northern New South Wales

2001 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 204 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. M. Lodge
Keyword(s):  
New South ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
New South Wales ◽  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Summer Rainfall ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Soil Core ◽  
Phalaris Aquatica ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Native Pasture

Total and germinable soil seedbanks (litter and soil) were studied for a native pasture and three sown pastures (dominated by Phalaris aquatica L. cv. Sirosa) in northern New South Wales from 1993 to 1996. Soil core samples were taken from continuously grazed plots for both pasture types and two oversown treatments in the native pasture and from a spring-autumn rest treatment at the sown pasture sites. At each site above ground herbage mass was also estimated regularly as part of the Temperate Pasture Sustainability Key Program. For all sites and treatments, the proportion of germinable seeds as a percentage of the total (dormant and germinable) seedbank ranged from 1–26% for the native pasture and 1–39% for the sown pastures. Germinable seed numbers ranged from 280 to 26,110 seeds per m2, while total seedbank numbers were from 6700 to 178,360 seeds per m2. Native pasture herbage mass was dominated by native perennial grasses, but seeds of these species were less than 20% of the total seed bank in all treatments in 1994 and 1995. At the sown pasture sites, most of the germinable (51–92%) and total (65–97%) seedbanks were either barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli (L.) Beauv, annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum Gaudin), subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) or wireweed (Polygonum aviculare L.). Since seeds of annuals and other forbs generally dominated both the total and germinable seedbanks of these perennial grass-based pastures, these species were likely to increase over time. Seeds of the sown perennial grass Phalaris aquatica L, cv. Sirosa were less than 1% of the total seedbanks in pastures sown in 1990 and less than 3% of those sown in 1979. With above average summer rainfall at the native pasture site in 1996 and prolific growth of redgrass, seeds of this species were 38–63% of the total and 11–29% of the germinable seedbank in May 1996. Except at this site and time, the species composition of the total and germinable seedbanks did not generally reflect the dominance of the above ground herbage mass of these pastures by perennial grasses.

scholarly journals Root Growth of Two Perennial Grass Types and Musk Thistle (Carduus nutans) in Temperate Grasslands of North America

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 387-397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chengchou Han ◽  
Stephen L. Young
Keyword(s):  
Root Growth ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Invasive Plant ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
Warm Season ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Growth Stages ◽  
Second Year

AbstractRoot architecture of prairie grasslands, which depends on plant phenology and edaphic conditions, strongly influences susceptibility to invasion by nonindigenous plant species. Field studies were conducted to compare in situ root growth patterns of warm-season (WS) and cool-season (CS) perennial grasses and musk thistle during a 2-yr period that included a drought in the second year. In 2 yr, CS grasses had the highest amount of roots (1,296 m roots m−2 [395 ft roots ft−2]) across shallow (0 to 28 cm [0 to 11 in.]), medium (28 to 56 cm), and deep (56 to 98 cm) depths with 65% occurring in the shallow depths. However, roots of WS grasses were always greater at deeper depths compared to roots of CS grasses. The amount of new roots in CS grasses was statistically different in 2011 (F2,43 = 33.3, P < 0.0001) at all depths for vegetative (April to May), inflorescence (June), and dormant (July to November) stages. In 2012, the amount of new roots in CS and WS grasses was statistically different (F2,60 = 81.7, P < 0.0001 and F2,37 = 8.0, P = 0.0013), respectively, for vegetative (April to May), inflorescence (May to June), and dormant (June to November) stages. For both years, the amount of new roots in the CS grasses showed an interaction between the three growth stages and three soil depths (F2,62 = 33.3, P < 0.0001 [2011]; F4,60 = 18.6, P < 0.0001 [2012]). From germination to senescence, the total amount of musk thistle roots was 298 m roots m−2, which was less than the CS (1,296 m roots m−2) and WS (655 m roots m−2) grasses. The largest proportion of new musk thistle roots (61%) (F2,42 = 40.4, P < 0.0001) occurred during the bolting stage (April to June) of the second year. These results show the difference in root distribution of two grass types and the niches that are created underground by extraneous conditions (e.g., drought) in WS grass stands that may contribute to the establishment of musk thistle, an invasive plant species in many North American regions.

scholarly journals The Use of Soil Amendments to Improve Survival of Roadside Grasses

HortScience ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 46 (10) ◽  
pp. 1404-1410 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Nelson Brown ◽  
Josef H. Gorres
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Salt Tolerance ◽  
Rhode Island ◽  
Tall Fescue ◽  
Festuca Arundinacea ◽  
Poa Pratensis ◽  
Perennial Grass ◽  
Kentucky Bluegrass ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Red Fescue

Highway rights-of-way are routinely planted with turfgrasses to prevent erosion, filter runoff, and improve aesthetics. However, the roadside is a harsh environment, and perennial grasses often die within the first year, leading to bare ground and annual weeds, which do not prevent erosion during the winter. To improve the survival of perennial vegetation on the roadside, it is necessary to identify the factors limiting vegetation growth and then to either identify plants that can tolerate those factors or identify ways to ameliorate the stresses while still maintaining safety. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of improved cultivars, salt tolerance, and organic matter amendments on perennial grass survival along two highways in Rhode Island. The amendments tested were processed biosolids and composted yard waste, each applied in a 50:50 mixture by volume with existing roadside soil; plain soil was included as a control. We tested 20 improved turfgrass cultivars and one seed mixture with common creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra L.) as the standard. Turfgrass species tested were perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), red fescue, alkali grass [Puccinellia distans (Jacq.) Parl.], idaho bentgrass (Agrostis idahoensis Nash), tufted hairgrass [Deschampsia cespitosa (L.) P. Beauv.], and kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.). We found that soil amendment was more effective than either improved genetics or salt tolerance. Establishment, vertical growth, and persistence of vegetation cover were significantly improved by amendment with organic matter, particularly biosolids. In Summer 2009 (the second growing season), turf cover exceeded 50% in the biosolids plots but was below 20% in the plain soil plots with complete loss of cover in the plain soil plots at one location. Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, red fescue, and idaho bentgrass showed the best persistence at the species level, and there were no consistent differences among cultivars.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document