Author:
Ru Y. J.,Fortune J. A.,Bellotti W. D.
Abstract
In winter and early spring in Mediterranean environments, animal production is
often limited by the low herbage availability associated with low growth rates
and short swards, which result in low intake. In the present study, 26
subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) cultivars
were evaluated for herbage availability early in the season. There were large
variations in dry matter yield (0·3-0·7 g/plant), sward
height (2·9-9·3 cm), and leaf area index (1·0-5·1)
among cultivars after 70 days of growth, indicating a possibility for
selection of cultivars based on these parameters.
Increasing plant density from 460 to 4600 plants/m2
increased dry matter yield from 88·5 to 362·8
g/m2 and sward height from 2·6 to 8·3
cm at Day 60.
Early sowing increased dry matter yield, sward height, petiole length, leaf
number, and leaf size by 13, 6, 32, 10, and 23%, respectively, after 70
days of growth. These results indicate that new pastures should be established
early if soil moisture is adequate, and that the time of the season break has
an important influence on early growth of pastures and, consequently, on the
budgeting of feed in farming practice.
Subject
General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Cited by
4 articles.
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