Theme 1: Grassland Ecology
Description
Climate change has decreased rainfall in Southern Chile affecting the productivity of the grasslands that sustain the dairy and beef cattle industries. These grasslands are mainly mixtures of Lolium perenne L. and Trifolium repens L. Thus, we study the response on the establishment of a mixture of these two species to three levels of soil water content and two levels of nitrogen (N) fertilization. The trial was carried out in containers sowed in a complete randomized block´s design. Soil moisture measurements were taken daily. N fertilizations was applied at the establishment and every 60 days. Leaf appearance rate was measured every 3 days. Intercepted radiation, plant water potential, botanical composition, dry matter content and nutritional forage quality were measured at each harvest. Soil samples were taken at the beginning, peak and end of the establishment period to study the microbial communities. Results showed that the rate of leaf appearance of L. perenne and T. repens were not influenced by soil water content, nor by nitrogen fertilization level. L. perenne yield was influenced by soil water content and N fertilization level. T. repens yield was affected only by the soil water content. All the variables measured were affected by the harvest date. Soil water content and abundance of T. repens had a significant effect on the nutritional quality of the pasture. Soil water content and nitrogen fertilization level modified the microbial communities in the soil.
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Effect of Soil Nitrogen and Water Content on the Establishment of a Lolium perenne L. and Trifolium repens L. Pasture
Climate change has decreased rainfall in Southern Chile affecting the productivity of the grasslands that sustain the dairy and beef cattle industries. These grasslands are mainly mixtures of Lolium perenne L. and Trifolium repens L. Thus, we study the response on the establishment of a mixture of these two species to three levels of soil water content and two levels of nitrogen (N) fertilization. The trial was carried out in containers sowed in a complete randomized block´s design. Soil moisture measurements were taken daily. N fertilizations was applied at the establishment and every 60 days. Leaf appearance rate was measured every 3 days. Intercepted radiation, plant water potential, botanical composition, dry matter content and nutritional forage quality were measured at each harvest. Soil samples were taken at the beginning, peak and end of the establishment period to study the microbial communities. Results showed that the rate of leaf appearance of L. perenne and T. repens were not influenced by soil water content, nor by nitrogen fertilization level. L. perenne yield was influenced by soil water content and N fertilization level. T. repens yield was affected only by the soil water content. All the variables measured were affected by the harvest date. Soil water content and abundance of T. repens had a significant effect on the nutritional quality of the pasture. Soil water content and nitrogen fertilization level modified the microbial communities in the soil.
