Track 2-3-2: Impact of Grass and Legumes on Livestock Production, Soil Conservation and the Nitrogen Cycle in Grassland and Forage Ecosystems
Description
In a climate with winter-dominant rainfall and long dry summers, like in Central Chile, the introduction and use of annual legumes and grasses, to improve productivity of livestock farming systems and to the rehabilitation of degraded agroecosystems have been the main strategies in the last twenty years. Unfortunately, the growth rate of annual legumes is low during autumn and winter, and also plant senescence starts by the end of October due to low soil water availability. As a consequence, the distribution of biomass production is mainly concentrated in spring when temperatures are moderate and soil water is available. In other Mediterranean-type climates, particularly in Western and Southern Australia, research on perennial legumes has been a priority to increase the availability, quality and timing of forage production, and to tackle environmental problems such as salinization and erosion (Humphries et al., 2008). In this paper we present the first results of a new research line oriented to the introduction and assessment of perennial legumes with depth rooting systems in order to improve pasture productivity by extending the production period. The objectives were to introduce and evaluate the productivity and persistence of perennial forage legumes to summer drought in rainfed Mediterranean environments of Chile.
Included in
Herbaceous Perennial Legumes: New Options for Pasture in Dryland Livestock Systems in Sub-Humid Mediterranean Chile
In a climate with winter-dominant rainfall and long dry summers, like in Central Chile, the introduction and use of annual legumes and grasses, to improve productivity of livestock farming systems and to the rehabilitation of degraded agroecosystems have been the main strategies in the last twenty years. Unfortunately, the growth rate of annual legumes is low during autumn and winter, and also plant senescence starts by the end of October due to low soil water availability. As a consequence, the distribution of biomass production is mainly concentrated in spring when temperatures are moderate and soil water is available. In other Mediterranean-type climates, particularly in Western and Southern Australia, research on perennial legumes has been a priority to increase the availability, quality and timing of forage production, and to tackle environmental problems such as salinization and erosion (Humphries et al., 2008). In this paper we present the first results of a new research line oriented to the introduction and assessment of perennial legumes with depth rooting systems in order to improve pasture productivity by extending the production period. The objectives were to introduce and evaluate the productivity and persistence of perennial forage legumes to summer drought in rainfed Mediterranean environments of Chile.
