Growth Habit of Rhizoma Peanut Affects Establishment and Spread when Strip Planted in Bahiagrass Pastures

Abstract

Planting rhizoma peanut (RP; Arachis glabrata Benth.) in strips in bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flügge) pastures may be an economical approach to increase sward nutritive value, decrease dependence on N fertilizer, and promote sustainable mixed‐species pastures. Released cultivars and germplasms of RP range in growth habit from decumbent to upright, differences that may affect their spread and response to defoliation in grass pastures. The objectives were to quantify initial establishment characteristics and subsequent spread of RP entries following strip planting. Treatments were the factorial combinations of two defoliation practices after planting (haying or grazing every 28 d) and four RP entries (Arblick, Ecoturf, Florigraze, and UF Peace). By the year after planting, decumbent types Arblick (51%) and Ecoturf (48%) had greater RP ground cover than upright‐growing UF Peace (34%), but they were not different in cover than the intermediate type Florigraze (40%). Haying resulted in greater cover than grazing (51 vs. 31%). Spread of RP into adjacent bahiagrass was reduced by grazing compared with haying during the year of planting (0 and 0.24 m, respectively) and year after planting (0.34 and 0.67 m, respectively). Results suggest that decumbent Ecoturf and Arblick and intermediate growth habit Florigraze can be established successfully in strips in bahiagrass pasture, and establishment is favored when swards are used for hay rather than grazing during the first 2 yr.

Herbage Characteristics of Pintoi Peanut and Paslisadegrass Established as Monoculture or Mixed Swards

“…These data contradicted previous work with Arachis glabrata in Florida that reported significant increases in ground cover and frequency as the experiment progressed (Castillo et al, 2013;Mullenix et al, 2014). These data contradicted previous work with Arachis glabrata in Florida that reported significant increases in ground cover and frequency as the experiment progressed (Castillo et al, 2013;Mullenix et al, 2014).…”

“…However, interspecies competition between C 4 grasses and C 3 legumes during the establishing period can negatively affect the success of grass-legume mixed stands (Dunavin, 1992). into grass swards is an effective practice to establish legumes into warm-season grass swards in subtropical conditions (Castillo et al, 2013;Mullenix et al, 2014). into grass swards is an effective practice to establish legumes into warm-season grass swards in subtropical conditions (Castillo et al, 2013;Mullenix et al, 2014).…”

Herbage Responses and Biological N2 Fixation of Bahiagrass and Rhizoma Peanut Monocultures Compared with their Binary Mixtures

“…2a). Ecoturf is a dual-purpose RP entry, used as ornamental or forage , and it has a prostate growth (Mullenix et al, 2014). Grass monocultures were fertilized with 90 kg N ha −1 harvest −1 as recommended by Mylavarapu et al (2013) for standardized fertilization in bahiagrass hay fields.…”

“…In 2015, proportion of bahiagrass averaged 63%, whereas in 2016, the proportion of bahiagrass averaged 47%. Growth habit (Mullenix et al, 2014), establishment method and management (Castillo et al, 2013aMullenix et al, 2014), and entries and species of RP and warm-season grasses ( Jaramillo et al, 2018) are important factors to consider to achieve an ideal and sustainable RP-bahiagrass mixture. Dunavin (1992) year increased from one in Year 1 and two in Year 2 to three or four in subsequent years.…”

Grazing Management Affects Establishment Performance of Rhizoma Peanut Strip Planted into Bahiagrass Pasture

“…Planting RP in strips into existing bahiagrass pastures was proposed as a strategy to reduce establishment costs and expand use of RP in low-input grazed grassland systems in the US Gulf Coast region (Castillo et al, 2013a,b). Entries of RP with decumbent ('Ecoturf' and 'Arblick') and intermediate ('Florigraze') growth habits were noted to have greater potential for establishment ability and spread potential under the strip-planting approach compared with upright types ('UF Peace') (Mullenix et al, 2014). Entries of RP with decumbent ('Ecoturf' and 'Arblick') and intermediate ('Florigraze') growth habits were noted to have greater potential for establishment ability and spread potential under the strip-planting approach compared with upright types ('UF Peace') (Mullenix et al, 2014).…”