Yield and quality changes in lucerne of different fall dormancy ratings under three defoliation regimes

Ta, Hung; Teixeira, Edmar; Brown, Hamish E.; Moot, Derrick J.

doi:10.1016/j.eja.2020.126012

Cited by 22 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…When comparing the two regrowth intervals, individual plant biomass was greater for 600 GDD plants than 300 GDD plants. Generally, plants (grasses, legumes or herbs) that have reached reproductive stage are more productive in terms of individual plant biomass [15,21,51]. The increased plant weight for 600 GDD plants was related to stem weight.…”

Section: Above Ground Plant Morphology Of Vernalised Chicory Plantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The development of the reproductive stem in winter vernalised chicory plants has slowed its adoption in pastoral systems [6,13]. Mature reproductive stems of perennial herbaceous plants decrease forage quality due to a lowered leaf-to-stem ratio within individual plants and the more structural carbohydrates in mature stems [14,15]. This change in plant biomass partitioning and chemical and structural composition reduces feeding value of the plant [16,17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Functional Traits, Morphology, and Herbage Production of Vernalised and Non-Vernalised Chicory cv. Choice (Cichorium intybus L.) in Response to Defoliation Frequency and Height

Mangwe

Bryant

García

et al. 2020

Plants

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Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) used in pastoral systems has the attributes required of a forage species to reduce animal urinary nitrogen loading to soil, increase milk production, and enhance milk fatty acid profile to improve pastoral farm systems for matching increasing global demand for dairy products and environmental standards of livestock systems. Greater adoption of chicory requires confidence in management decisions that can control risks to farm production, namely bolting after vernalisation or a decline in persistence of chicory swards, which have slowed its adoption in pastoral systems. We, therefore, measured functional traits, morphology and herbage production of chicory under irrigated field conditions before and after vernalisation in Canterbury, New Zealand. The experimental site was laid out in a complete randomized block design with four replications where two regrowth intervals and two defoliation heights were applied. Regrowth interval had a stronger influence over functional traits and herbage production than defoliation height, with more pronounced effects after vernalisation. Plants managed under shorter regrowth intervals had narrower roots with lower concentration of sugars than plants under longer intervals, which might compromise their longevity. In addition, plants managed under shorter intervals remained mostly vegetative with heavier and longer leaves, though with reduced photosynthetic capacity than those managed under longer intervals. The thermal time to initiate stem elongation in plants managed under longer intervals was ~274 growing degree-days, with a mean stem elongation rate increasing linearly at 1.4 ± 0.08 mm/growing degree-days. The key outcomes of this research quantify the growing degree-days to initiate stem elongation post vernalisation, which provides management directive for timing of defoliation of chicory in order to maintain feed quality for grazing livestock. Alternating frequent and infrequent defoliation regimes might be used to optimise vegetative growth, root reserves, and pasture persistence.

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Section: Above Ground Plant Morphology Of Vernalised Chicory Plantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Functional Traits, Morphology, and Herbage Production of Vernalised and Non-Vernalised Chicory cv. Choice (Cichorium intybus L.) in Response to Defoliation Frequency and Height

Mangwe

Bryant

García

et al. 2020

Plants

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“…This taller lucerne in T500 required a higher proportion of structural stem tissue to support the plants (Lemaire et al., 1992). This reduced the overall quality of the feed on offer, through an allometric decline in the leaf to stem ratio (Lemarie, Sinclair, Sadras, & Bélanger, 2019; Ta et al, 2020). In practice, the animals can be expected to select the leaf and the soft stem components of the lucerne (Brown & Moot, 2004), so liveweight gains and the nutritive value of the ingested feed can be higher than the feed on offer.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This result was in line with previous findings reporting that, at similar forage allowance, daily intakes are lower with higher pre‐grazing biomass (Reardon, 1977). This can be explained by the inverse relationship between biomass or canopy height and forage quality observed in lucerne (Fick & Holthausen, 1975; Lemaire & Bélanger, 2020; Ta et al., 2020) but also in grasses (Lemaire & Bélanger, 2020; Nave, Sulc, & Barker, 2013). In fact, the higher pre‐grazing biomass of Year 2 compared with Year 1 (Figure 4a,b) implies a lower leaf proportion (Table 4) and also older less digestible and more lignified stems.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To increase the potential benefits for grazing lucerne, several recent studies have investigated the mechanisms responsible for the relationships between herbage mass and quality ( e.g. Brown & Moot, 2004; Ta, Teixeira, Brown, & Moot, 2020; Lemaire & Bélanger, 2020), seasonal changes in remobilization and partitioning of assimilates (Brown, Moot, & Teixeira, 2006; Khaity & Lemaire, 1992) and drivers of crop growth and development (Teixeira, Brown, Meenken, & Moot, 2011). Collectively, these studies have allowed development of grazing management rules independent of phenological state ( i.e.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Animal and forage responses on lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) pastures under contrasting grazing managements in a temperate climate

Berone

Sardiña

Moot

2020

Grass and Forage Science

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This study determined the impact of a change in grazing system on beef production from lucerne pastures in Argentina. One system (T500) used the traditional recommendation to commence grazing in spring when lucerne was near to 10% flowering. The grazing interval was ~ 500 growing degree‐days (GDD; above a base temperature for growth of 5°C) from mid‐spring to mid‐autumn. In contrast, the T350 system commenced grazing 11–15 days earlier at ~ 1,000 kg DM/ha and the grazing interval was ~ 350 GDD from mid‐spring to mid‐summer, and from mid‐summer to mid‐autumn, it was ~ 500 GDD. Total live‐weight production was ~ 30% or 185 and 115 kg/ha higher in T350 than T500 in Years 1 and 2 respectively. This was due to a higher live‐weight production per head and a higher stocking rate, because T350 produced 1,600 kg DM ha−1 year−1 more forage. Plant population (~70 plants/m2) and perennial biomass (root plus crown) at the end of the second year did not differ between treatments. This suggests that lucerne persistence was not affected by the more intensive spring grazing of T350, because an adequate period of autumn recovery was allowed. This work quantified the live‐weight gain (+30%, +150 kg/ha) when the grazing management of lucerne during the spring–summer period was based on crop growth status (i.e. standing biomass, canopy height) rather than on crop phenology.

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Effect of fall harvest time on forage yield and nutritive value of three alfalfa cultivars with different root types

Foster,

Vera,

Malhi

et al. 2023

Crop Forage & Turfgrass Mgmt

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Warmer than normal late fall temperatures may change standard fall harvest management of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) in western Canada. The objective of this study was to evaluate forage yield and nutritive value of three types of alfalfa cultivars under different harvest managements. A field experiment was conducted from 2013 to 2017 using rhizomatous type (RR), cv. AC Yellowhead (M. sativa subsp. falcata), tap root type (TR), cv. Equinox (subsp. sativa) and creeping root type (CR), cv. Spredor 4 alfalfa (subsp. sativa), at Melfort, SK, Canada. The five harvest treatments were two, 1‐cut systems (Early July or Late July) and three, 2‐cut systems (Early July + Early or Late September, late July + Late September). Total forage yield was greater in TR and CR alfalfa than RR alfalfa, however, RR alfalfa had higher total forage yield under dry growing conditions versus CR alfalfa. The three alfalfa cultivars had a similar response to 2‐cut harvest managements. The first cut yield was affected by the timing of the second cut of the previous year with the early September harvest reducing yield more than the late September. Three alfalfa cultivars had similar CP, TDN, and ADF concentrations. There was a significant nutrient yield benefit of TR and CR alfalfa under 2‐cut system over the RR alfalfa. Although the prairie climate is warming, the findings suggest that a fall rest period until late September is recommended regardless of alfalfa types to maintain high hay yield over multiple years.This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

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Yield and quality changes in lucerne of different fall dormancy ratings under three defoliation regimes

Cited by 22 publications

References 34 publications

Functional Traits, Morphology, and Herbage Production of Vernalised and Non-Vernalised Chicory cv. Choice (Cichorium intybus L.) in Response to Defoliation Frequency and Height

Functional Traits, Morphology, and Herbage Production of Vernalised and Non-Vernalised Chicory cv. Choice (Cichorium intybus L.) in Response to Defoliation Frequency and Height

Animal and forage responses on lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) pastures under contrasting grazing managements in a temperate climate

Effect of fall harvest time on forage yield and nutritive value of three alfalfa cultivars with different root types

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