New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts
Comparative performance of Caucasian clover (Trifolium ambiguum
cv. Monaro) after 11 years under low-input conditions in south-eastern
Australia
J. M. VIRGONA
B. S. DEAR
NSW Agriculture
Agricultural Research Institute
PMB Wagga Wagga
NSW 2650, Australia
Abstract The productivity, composition, and quality of plots
containing four legume cultivars (T. repens cv. Haifa, T.
ambiguum cvs Monaro and Alpine, and T. subterraneum cv.
Woogenellup) was examined 11 years after establishment. The cultivars were sown
in 1981 with 250 kg/ha molybdenum (Mo) superphosphate and after 1 year were
grazed in common with the surrounding paddock. No further fertiliser was added
over the next 10 years. In June 1992, the plots were split with half receiving
280 kg/ha Mo superphosphate (High-Fert) and the other none (Low-Fert), and were
subsequently harvested every 8 weeks from August 1992 until September 1993.
When averaged across harvests, Monaro produced more dry matter (DM) at
High-Fert and had a significantly higher sown-legume content (75%) than Alpine
and Woogenellup. At Low-Fert, total DM production was similar among cultivars
but Monaro had significantly higher legume content (22%). These differences
mainly occurred over spring and autumn. Herbage (unsorted) that accumulated
over October-November 1992 was analysed for in vitro organic matter
digestibility (OMD). The addition of fertiliser increased OMD from 67.8 to
71.5% and crude protein from 9.2 to 15.5% when averaged across cultivars. Plots
containing Monaro had significantly greater OMD (74.1%) and crude protein
content (14.8%) than the other cultivars averaged across fertiliser treatments.
There was no fertiliser by cultivar interaction for OMD or crude protein
content. The main difference in the composition of the readily germinable seed
bank was that Monaro plots contained the least number of germinating seedlings
because of the lower invasion from non-sown legumes. After 11 years of
low-input conditions, plots containing Monaro had superior legume content and
digestibility and were able to productively respond to fertiliser addition.
Keywords Caucasian clover; Kura clover; Trifolium
ambiguum; perennial legumes; digestibility; persistence; low input
New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 1996, Vol. 39: 245-253
0028-8233/96/3902-0245 $2.50/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand
1996
PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (720K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)
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