New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts
Herbage production and persistence of Puna chicory (Cichorium intybus
L.) under grazing management over 4 years
G. D. LI
P. D. KEMP1
J. HODGSON
Department of Plant Science
Massey University
Palmerston North, New Zealand
Abstract Three grazing experiments were conducted at the
Pasture and Crop Research Unit (PCRU) and Deer Research Unit (DRU), Massey
University, Palmerston North, New Zealand, from November 1993 to January 1996.
Experiments 1 and 3 examined effects of grazing frequency and grazing intensity
on the herbage production and persistence on year 1 and year 4 chicory stands,
respectively. In Experiment 2, the plant density and plant size (shoots/plant)
were monitored over 3 years starting from the second growing season. Results
showed that year 1 and year 2 chicory accumulated 8460 +/- 668 and 9360 +/- 640
kg DM/ha over 6 months, which was double that of year 4 chicory (4590 +/- 343
kg DM/ha). The average plant densities for year 1 and year 2 chicory were 66
+/- 2.1 and 68 +/- 4.0 plants/m
2, respectively, significantly higher
than those for year 3 and year 4 chicory of 49 +/- 0.6 and 24 +/- 1.3
plants/m
2, respectively. However, plant size increased from 2.9 +/-
0.04 and 2.7 +/- 0.15 shoots/plant for the first 2 years to 4.1 +/- 0.15 and
6.7 +/- 0.21 shoots/plant in year 3 and year 4, respectively. It was concluded
that the characteristics of a grazed chicory crop that had deteriorated to the
point of not being able to produce half of its maximum herbage mass were 25
plants/m
2, six or more shoots/plant, or less than 150
shoots/m
2. The implications for chicory grazing management are also
discussed.
Keywords Cichorium intybus L.; grazing management;
herbage production; plant density; plant population; plant size; Puna chicory
New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 1997, Vol. 40: 51-56
0028-8233/97/4001-0051 $2.50/0 (c) The Royal Society of New Zealand
1997
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