Offered Papers Theme A: Efficient Production from Grassland

Description

The lifespan of individual grass tillers usually does not exceed 12-15 months, because of death of tillers after floral induction and development, or randomly from disease or other factors. Persistence of the tiller population over several years, and associated long term maintenance of the sward, thus depends on the rate of turnover of individual tillers. This study aimed to characterise seasonal and management conditions critical for tiller turnover and its components, tiller birth and tiller death. Two grasses were investigated: Festuca arundinacea and Lolium multiflorum, having high and low persistence, respectively.

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Long Term Tiller Population Dynamics in Swards of Grasses with Contrasting Persistence Strategy

The lifespan of individual grass tillers usually does not exceed 12-15 months, because of death of tillers after floral induction and development, or randomly from disease or other factors. Persistence of the tiller population over several years, and associated long term maintenance of the sward, thus depends on the rate of turnover of individual tillers. This study aimed to characterise seasonal and management conditions critical for tiller turnover and its components, tiller birth and tiller death. Two grasses were investigated: Festuca arundinacea and Lolium multiflorum, having high and low persistence, respectively.