Publication Date
1989
Description
In Southland, New Zealand, a wide range of grazing systems are practised, from continuous set-stocking to year round rotational grazing. A problem is the apparent decline in contribution of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) to total sward production in older pastures. Cereal and brassica crops, which depleted soil N, were traditionally sown each year and used to ensure that about 20 % of any farm consisted of clover-dominant two and three year old pastures. Carran (pers. comm.) suggests that all-grass-farming has removed the N-deficit incentive for clover growth. Farmlet trials at the Gore Regional Station, DSIR, have shown that 3 years after sowing, the clover contribution to sward DM yield is often in the 10-13 % range, a level too low for optimal animal performance (Hook 1978). Various winter management treatments had no effect on subsequent white clover production in pastures at Gore (Harris, Turner and Hickey) (pers. comm.). It was therefore decided to impose various grazing treatments during spring, a time when manipulation of sward morphology may influence later growth of pasture (Hay and Baxter, 1984).
Citation
Hay, R.J M. and Baxter, G S., "Manipulating the Plastic Response of White Clover Through Grazing, in a cool, Temperate Climate in New Zealand" (2025). IGC Proceedings (1989-2023). 21.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1989/session9/21
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Manipulating the Plastic Response of White Clover Through Grazing, in a cool, Temperate Climate in New Zealand
In Southland, New Zealand, a wide range of grazing systems are practised, from continuous set-stocking to year round rotational grazing. A problem is the apparent decline in contribution of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) to total sward production in older pastures. Cereal and brassica crops, which depleted soil N, were traditionally sown each year and used to ensure that about 20 % of any farm consisted of clover-dominant two and three year old pastures. Carran (pers. comm.) suggests that all-grass-farming has removed the N-deficit incentive for clover growth. Farmlet trials at the Gore Regional Station, DSIR, have shown that 3 years after sowing, the clover contribution to sward DM yield is often in the 10-13 % range, a level too low for optimal animal performance (Hook 1978). Various winter management treatments had no effect on subsequent white clover production in pastures at Gore (Harris, Turner and Hickey) (pers. comm.). It was therefore decided to impose various grazing treatments during spring, a time when manipulation of sward morphology may influence later growth of pasture (Hay and Baxter, 1984).
