New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research abstracts
Herbage production, persistence, nutritive characteristics and
water use of perennial forages grown over 6 years on a Wakanui silt loam
H. E. Brown
D. J. Moot
K. M. Pollock
Agricultural and Life Sciences Division
P.O. Box 84
Lincoln University
Canterbury, New Zealand
Abstract Herbage production, persistence,
nutritive characteristics and utilisation of chicory, lucerne, and red
clover swards grown under irrigated and dryland conditions were
compared over a 6-year period on a Wakanui silt loam soil in
Canterbury, New Zealand. Under irrigated conditions, annual yields of
lucerne (16–28 t DM/ha) were 30% greater than chicory or red
clover. Lucerne yielded 17.5–21 t DM/ha under dryland
conditions, which was also 30–50% greater than chicory or red clover.
The yield advantage of irrigated lucerne came from greater cool season
growth, with 15 kg DM/ha per day higher growth rates in
September and 10–30 kg DM/ha per day higher growth rates from
March to May. The yield advantage of dryland lucerne was due to higher
growth rates during September (non-limiting soil moisture) and during
periods of high soil water deficit in summer. Lucerne also had superior
persistence, being 94% (dryland) and 55% (irrigated) of the botanical
composition of swards in the sixth year, compared with 61% (dryland)
and 55% (irrigated) for chicory and 0% for red clover. All three
forages had similar metabolisable energy (ME) content in utilised
herbage (10.9–11.6 MJ/kg), but red clover and lucerne had higher
crude protein (CP) content (25–29%) than chicory (18%). The combination
of herbage nutritive characteristics with production and utilisation
data showed that grazing stock consumed 30% more CP and ME annually
from lucerne than either chicory or red clover swards. Water use (WU)
was measured to investigate the production differences in dryland
swards. Chicory and red clover extracted water to a maximum depth of
1.9 m whereas lucerne extracted at least 50 mm per annum of
water between 1.9 and 2.3 m depth (maximum depth measured), and
evidence is presented to show it also extracted water below this.
Comparisons of WU showed no differences in water use efficiency but
revealed greater dryland production from lucerne due solely to greater
soil water extraction.
Keywords chicory; Cichorium intybus;
herbage production; herbage nutritive characteristics; lucerne; Medicago
sativa; persistence; red clover; Trifolium pratense; water
extraction patterns; water use
A05021; Received 23 May 2005; accepted 8 August 2005; Online
publication date 11 October 2005
New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research, 2005, Vol. 48:
423–439
0028–8233/05/4804–0423 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2005
PDF file of entire paper: Print-quality
(1802K) | screen-quality (840K)
This year's abstracts |
Journal home page |
All abstracts |
Publishing home page
