Publication Date

1997

Description

Lifting the content and improving the distribution of perennial legumes such as white clover (Trifolium repens L.) of hill pastures in New Zealand is a major objective of a pasture improvement programme. This paper reports on the ecology of white clover over a 2 year post-fallow period. The fallow was a 7 month period without defoliation over spring-summer-autumn. The stolon length and weight of white clover increased from year 1 (94/95) to year 2 (95/ 96) post-fallowing (P<0.1 and 0.05, respectively), while the average internode length declined (P<0.05). However, the white clover growth rate was not significantly increased in the two measurement years. Fallowing significantly increased grass growth rate (P<0.05) in the two years post-fallowing. The grasses seemed to have an immediate response post-fallowing, while the response of white clover was slower and cumulative.

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Impact of a Pastoral Fallow on the Morphology and Growth of White Clover (Trifolium repens L.) in New Zealand Hill Pasture

Lifting the content and improving the distribution of perennial legumes such as white clover (Trifolium repens L.) of hill pastures in New Zealand is a major objective of a pasture improvement programme. This paper reports on the ecology of white clover over a 2 year post-fallow period. The fallow was a 7 month period without defoliation over spring-summer-autumn. The stolon length and weight of white clover increased from year 1 (94/95) to year 2 (95/ 96) post-fallowing (P<0.1 and 0.05, respectively), while the average internode length declined (P<0.05). However, the white clover growth rate was not significantly increased in the two measurement years. Fallowing significantly increased grass growth rate (P<0.05) in the two years post-fallowing. The grasses seemed to have an immediate response post-fallowing, while the response of white clover was slower and cumulative.