Publication Date
1993
Location
New Zealand
Description
Continuously cropped regosols in the semi-arid Central Chaco are deficient in organic matter and prone to wind erosion. Ley-farming with self-regenerating legumes may be a sustainable alternative land use. In a 2-year field trial Stylosanthes hamata cv. Verano (V) and a 1: 2 mixture of S. humllis cv. Paterson and S. guianeuis var. intermedia cv. Oxley (P+O) were tested for their: preceding crop values to silage sorghum (S) as compared with continuously cropped S; and potential to recover spontaneously after a reduced tillage intermediate crop of S with weed control (we) or with the voluntary style underseed allowed to grow during the cropping phase (ua). Silage sorghum yielded 4.8, 2.6, (we) and 3.1, l.S, Uha of DM (tia) after V, and P+O, and 4.4 Uha after S. Undersowing Verano at the one-node stage of sorghum did not affect sorghum yield. Second year's voluntary and sown style underseed recovery after sorghum harvest was good for all treatments. Total forage (sorghum plus legume) dry matter yield was highest when V was the preceding crop or sown underseed. It is concluded that V has a real potential to integrate in a short rotation ley farming system with sorghum, provided voluntary underseed in the sorghum crop is controlled. However, competition by P+O for sorghum was unacceptably high, even when checked with a cultivator.
Citation
Glatzle, A, "Potential Suitability of Spontaneously Reseeing Stylosanthes spp. for Ley Farming in the Central Chaco of Paraguay" (1993). IGC Proceedings (1985-2023). 5.
(URL: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1993/session60/5)
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Potential Suitability of Spontaneously Reseeing Stylosanthes spp. for Ley Farming in the Central Chaco of Paraguay
New Zealand
Continuously cropped regosols in the semi-arid Central Chaco are deficient in organic matter and prone to wind erosion. Ley-farming with self-regenerating legumes may be a sustainable alternative land use. In a 2-year field trial Stylosanthes hamata cv. Verano (V) and a 1: 2 mixture of S. humllis cv. Paterson and S. guianeuis var. intermedia cv. Oxley (P+O) were tested for their: preceding crop values to silage sorghum (S) as compared with continuously cropped S; and potential to recover spontaneously after a reduced tillage intermediate crop of S with weed control (we) or with the voluntary style underseed allowed to grow during the cropping phase (ua). Silage sorghum yielded 4.8, 2.6, (we) and 3.1, l.S, Uha of DM (tia) after V, and P+O, and 4.4 Uha after S. Undersowing Verano at the one-node stage of sorghum did not affect sorghum yield. Second year's voluntary and sown style underseed recovery after sorghum harvest was good for all treatments. Total forage (sorghum plus legume) dry matter yield was highest when V was the preceding crop or sown underseed. It is concluded that V has a real potential to integrate in a short rotation ley farming system with sorghum, provided voluntary underseed in the sorghum crop is controlled. However, competition by P+O for sorghum was unacceptably high, even when checked with a cultivator.
