Offered Papers Theme A: Efficient Production from Grassland
Description
Low abundance and poor persistence of legumes is a generalised problem in hill country pastures in New Zealand, even at adequate soil phosphorus levels (Woodfield & Caradus, 1996). Likely causes of low legume contents in swards include lack of soil moisture, high temperatures (Barker et al., 1993), frequency and intensity of defoliation (Suckling, 1975; (Lambert et al., 1982) and increased grass competition due to increasing fixed nitrogen in the soil (Lambert et al., 1982). On this later point there is anecdotal evidence that suppression of the grass component with herbicide will boost clover content, colloquially called 'chemical topping'.
Citation
Hepp, Christian; Valentine, I.; and Kemp, P. D., "Effects of Grass Suppression on Legume Abundance in a Naturalised Pasture" (2023). IGC Proceedings (1993-2023). 431.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/20/themeA/431
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Effects of Grass Suppression on Legume Abundance in a Naturalised Pasture
Low abundance and poor persistence of legumes is a generalised problem in hill country pastures in New Zealand, even at adequate soil phosphorus levels (Woodfield & Caradus, 1996). Likely causes of low legume contents in swards include lack of soil moisture, high temperatures (Barker et al., 1993), frequency and intensity of defoliation (Suckling, 1975; (Lambert et al., 1982) and increased grass competition due to increasing fixed nitrogen in the soil (Lambert et al., 1982). On this later point there is anecdotal evidence that suppression of the grass component with herbicide will boost clover content, colloquially called 'chemical topping'.
