'MaxClover' grazing experiment: I. Annual yields, botanical composition and growth rates of six dryland pastures over nine years. (18th July 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Mills, A.; Lucas, R. J.; Moot, D. J.
• Is Part Of: Grass and forage science. Volume 70:Number 4(2015:Dec.)
• Page Start: 557
• Page End: 570
• Publication Date: 2014-07-18
• Subjects: Grasses -- Periodicals; Forage plants -- Periodicals; Grasslands -- Periodicals; 633.2
• DOI: 10.1111/gfs.12132
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0142-5242

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="gfs12132-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Six dryland pastures were established at Lincoln University, Canterbury, New Zealand, in February 2002. Production and persistence of cocksfoot pastures established with subterranean, balansa, white or Caucasian clovers, and a perennial ryegrass‐white clover control and a lucerne monoculture were monitored for nine years. Total annual dry‐matter (10.0–18·5 t DM ha<sup>−1</sup>) and sown legume yields from the lucerne monoculture exceeded those from the grass‐based pastures in all but one year. The lowest lucerne yield (10 t ha<sup>−1</sup> yr<sup>−1</sup>) occurred in Year 4, when spring snow caused ungrazed lucerne to lodge and senesce. Cocksfoot with subterranean clover was the most productive grass‐based pasture. Yields were 8·7–13·0 t DM ha<sup>−1</sup> annually. Subterranean clover yields were 2·4–3·7 t ha<sup>−1</sup> in six of the nine years which represented 26–32% of total annual production. In all cocksfoot‐based pastures, the contribution of sown pasture components decreased at a rate equivalent to 3·3 ± 0·05% per year (<italic>R</italic><sup>2 </sup>= 0·83) and sown components accounted for 65% of total yield in Year 9. In contrast, sown components represented only 13% of total yield in the ryegrass‐white clover pastures in Year 9, and their contribution declined at 10·1 ± 0·9% per year (<italic>R</italic><sup>2 </sup>= 0·94). By Year 9, 79% of the 6.6 t ha<sup>−1</sup> produced from the ryegrass‐white clover pasture was from unsown species and 7% was dead material. For maximum production and persistence, dryland farmers on 450–780 mm yr<sup>−1</sup> rainfall should grow lucerne or cocksfoot‐subterranean clover pastures in preference to ryegrass and white clover. Inclusion of white clover as a secondary legume component to sub clover would offer opportunities to respond to unpredictable summer rainfall after sub clover has set seed.</p> </abstract>