The effects of simulated summer-to-winter grazing management on herbage production in a grass-clover sward

Phelan, P. and Casey, I. A. and Humphreys, J. (2014) The effects of simulated summer-to-winter grazing management on herbage production in a grass-clover sward. Grass and Forage Science, 69 (2). pp. 251-265. ISSN 0142-5242

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Abstract

The effects of summer-to-winter simulated grazing management factors, namely defoliation interval (INT: 21, 42, 56 or 84 d), defoliation height (DH: 2·7, 3·6, 5·3 or 6·0 cm) and final defoliation date (FIN: 23 September, 4 November or 16 December) on herbage production in a grass-clover sward were studied. Treatments were imposed between July and December 2008, with all plots under common management in the following March to June 2009. The 42-d INT achieved the highest (P < 0·001) total herbage yield at 11·00 t DM ha-1. Shorter (21 d) and longer (56-84 d) intervals reduced annual clover herbage yield and biological nitrogen fixation estimates. Lowering DH from 6·0 to 2·7 cm in the summer-to-winter period increased sward clover content and clover herbage yield through to the following June, 6 months after treatments ended. Delaying FIN from 23 September to 16 December had no significant effect on annual clover, grass or total herbage yield. Spring-summer clover herbage yield was positively correlated with spring-summer clover stolon mass (R2 = 0·54, P < 0·001) and, to a lesser extent, light penetration through the sward in the previous winter (R2 = 0·16, P < 0·05). A 42-d INT with low DH (2·7-3·5 cm) is therefore recommended for grass-clover swards.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: /dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/1100/1102
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Depositing User: Admin SSL
Date Deposited: 19 Oct 2022 23:07
Last Modified: 07 Jun 2023 18:44
URI: http://repository-testing.wit.ie/id/eprint/4212

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