An experiment was conducted on 2 contrasting soil types for 4 years (1998–2001) to determine the effects of plant species mixture, management inputs, and environment on sown species herbage accumulation (SSHA) and seasonal growth pattern of pastures for dairy production. Five pasture types, combined with 3 management treatments, were established in south-west Victoria. Three of the pasture types were based on perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.). One pasture type included short-term, winter- or summer-active species in the perennial ryegrass–white clover mixture. The final pasture type was based on the perennial grasses cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), and phalaris (Phalaris aquatica L.). The 3 management treatments involved different levels of fertiliser input and weed/pest control. Pasture type had a significant impact on SSHA in 3 of 4 years. In the first year, the mixture based on cocksfoot, tall fescue, and phalaris had the lowest SSHA, but this pasture matched other types from 1999 onwards and yielded the highest in 2000, the year with the driest summer during the experiment. Ryegrass–white clover mixture based on old cultivars had generally lower SSHA than the other types except in the first year. Higher fertiliser inputs increased SSHA by 16–28% in 1998, 1999, and 2001. There was a significant site × pasture type interaction on SSHA in 2000. The mixture based on cocksfoot, tall fescue, and phalaris produced up to 1–2 t DM/ha.year more than the other types in summer and autumn in dry–normal years. The inclusion of short-term species, or more stoloniferous white clover cultivars, in the ryegrass–white clover mixture, had little effect on SSHA, or on the seasonal distribution of pasture growth. Pastures based on perennial grasses other than perennial ryegrass appear to have potential for altering the seasonality of pasture growth in south-west Victoria, although the benefits resulting from changing pasture type will depend on environment. Overall, increasing management inputs usually had a greater effect on SSHA than changing pasture type, but management responses were also affected by environment, particularly through the effects of a dry season on a sandy soil type.
Poor persistence of perennial pastures, particularly perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne)-based pasture, is a major problem for the dairy industry in southern Australia. The effects of pasture species mixture, management and environment on plant population density and persistence were studied in a field experiment at 2 sites for 4 years (1998–2001). Five pasture types, combined with 3 management treatments, were established on a light-textured soil at Naringal, and on a heavier-textured soil at Terang in south-west Victoria in April 1998. The 5 pasture types were: (1) Old persistent type; (2) District mix; (3) Stoloniferous clover; (4) Alternative grasses; and (5) High producing. Most of the types were ryegrass-based except for Alternative grasses that consisted of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea), cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.), and phalaris (Phalaris aquatica L.). The 3 management treatments involved different levels of fertiliser input and weed/pest control. There were significant differences in sown grass tiller density between pasture types in all years. Tiller density of the Alternative grasses remained at around the same level (95–105%) as its establishment tiller density, compared with only 55–62% for ryegrass-based pastures 3–4 years after sowing. Inclusion of stoloniferous white clover cvv. Prestige and Sustain significantly increased sown legume density in 3 out of 4 years. However, the overall legume density was low across all treatments. There was a significant negative exponential relationship between density of sown and volunteer species (predominantly annual grasses and broadleaf weeds). Soil fertility did not affect pasture persistence due to a high basal fertility level at both sites. Pasture persistence was poorer on the light-textured soil than on the heavier soil where soil moisture stress was a major limiting factor. Higher endophyte incidence in perennial ryegrass pasture appeared to improve its persistence. The results suggest that the sown species density should be maintained at >3000 growing points/m2 for ryegrass-based pasture types and >2300 growing points/m2 for Alternative grasses, to achieve a pasture composition with over 70% of sown species.
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