The Effect of Stage of Growth at Defoliation on White Clover in Mixed Swards

Abstract

Four experiments are described in which various defoliation methods and frequencies were imposed on grass/white-clover swards. Clover was not reduced in any of these hy increasing the length of growth period or hy cutting at a late stage of growth, but intensive sheep grazing reduced clover compared nitb cutting and taking a silage cut in a grazing sequence improved clover yield.These results do not support the contention that cutting a mixed sward for hay or silage suppresses clover because of competition for ligbt: with a *big white' type of clover infrequent defoliation may cause no more shading than frequent. Alternatively, any additional shading may be compensated for by an increase in clover growth, stimulated hy the longer growth period.It is suggested that, in practice, competition for nutrients and moisture also contrihute towards clover suppression when swards are cut for hay or silage.