Forage Production on Bermudagrass Sods Overseeded with Tall Fescue and Winter Annual Grasses¹

Abstract

Bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon), widespread in Tennessee, furnishes forage from April to October and is dormant during the remainder of the year. This study was conducted to determine whether the season of forage production from such dormant sods could be extended by overseeding annual and perennial cool‐season grasses, and to determine their effects on warm‐season grass production. Established sods of common and ‘Midland’ bermudagrasses growing on Loring, Grenada, and Falaya soils were overseeded in 50‐cm rows in October 1965, 1966, and 1967, after bermudagrass growth had stopped, with ‘Monon’ wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), ‘Blount’ oats, (Avena sativa L.), ‘Balbo’ rye (Secale cereale L.) and Italian ryegrass (Lolium spp.). ‘Kentucky 31’ tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) was seeded in 50‐cm rows in October 1965 and 1966 and in 25‐cm rows in 1967. Summer production of bermudagrass grown alone, which ranged between 6 and 10 t/ha of dry matter, was depressed by annuals seeded the previous autumn. Overseeded small grains clipped during winter produced 1.4 to 3.0 t/ha dry matter and wheat harvested at late boot furnished 3.5 to 4.4 t/ha. Ryegrass yielded 3.5 to 5.0 t/ha during late winter and spring. Overseeding of the annual species resulted in higher total yields per unit area each year and extended the length of time forage was growing and available. Excellent stands of tall fescue were obtained and maintained through 1972. Fescue decreased Midland bermudagrass production by about 30%, and that of common by about 40%. However, fescue production in spring, summer, and fall compensated for the decreased bermudagrass production, increased total yearly forage production by about 2 t/ha, and extended the potential grazing season from 5 to 8 to 9 months.

Características do dossel forrageiro e acúmulo de forragem em pastagem irrigada de capim-aruana exclusivo ou sobre-semeado com uma mistura de espécies forrageiras de inverno

“…A interação períodos de pastejo x tipos de pastagem também foi significativa (P=0,1000), ocorrendo diferença significativa entre os dois tratamentos apenas no segundo período. Fribourg & Overton (1973), trabalhando com pastagem de capim-bermuda sobre-semeada com espécies de inverno, demonstraram que, em regiões subtropicais, o uso de ambas as espécies temperadas e tropicais proporcionou maior massa de forragem por unidade de área, coincidindo com os resultados deste experimento.…”

“…A introdução de misturas de espécies forrageiras de ciclo hibernal, nas pastagens de gramíneas tropicais, visa combinar os picos de produção de massa seca atingidos em diferentes épocas, para cada espécie, resultando em aumento da produção e do período de utilização da pastagem (Fribourg & Overton, 1973;Postiglioni, 1982;Johnson & Lee, 1997;Lupatini et al, 1998;Roso et al, 1999;Restle et al, 2000;Reis et al, 2001). Isso pode ser uma alternativa para explorar sistemas tropicais de produção com menor dependência da utilização de forragens conservadas e de concentrados.…”

Growth of tropical grass introductions in mixed swards with ryegrass and clover under mowing

“…1) gives a good indication that combining a tropical grass with ryegrassl clover can increase yield relative to ryegrass/clover alone. Other experiments in warm temperate environments have also shown that pastures containing both tropical and temperate species can out yield pastures containing only temperate or tropical species (Fribourg & Overton 1973;Harris & Lazenby 1974;Lambert et al 1979;Percival et al 1979). In the present experiment it could be argued that the ryegrassl clover control is not a good basis for comparison as it was not a balanced ryegrass/clover sward.…”

“…This suppression worsened in each successive spring and the introductions were unable to fully recover later in summer-autumn even though temperatures were warmer and the temperate competitors less active. Trials in Australia (Harris & Lazenby 1974) and North America (Fribourg & Overton 1973;Decker et al 1974), have also shown that tropical grasses will not fully express their summer growth potential if suppressed by temperate competitors. It appears that the earlier, more rapid growth of temperate species under cool spring temperatures gives them an important competitive advantage over tropical species in mixtures (pearcy et al 1981).…”

Effect of winter herbage cover on survival and spring growth of tropical grasses in a temperate environment

“…Plant survival would probably be improved if the overdrilled crops were frequently defoliated, as would occur under a winter grazing systern, for example. The direct drilling of temperate forage species such as oats (A vena sativai into tropical grass stands to provide cool-season grazing has been investigated in North America (Fribourg & Overton 1973;Deckeret al . 1974).…”