Meralarda Farklı Otlatma Yoğunluklarının Bastırılmış Ot Katı Yüksekliği ve Ak Üçgülün (Trifolium repens L.) Görülme Sıklığına Etkisi

The aim of this study is to determine and compare of the frequency of sward structure and the frequency of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) between intensively-grazed (MC,Moderate Commertial Stocking) and extensively-grazed (LC,Lenient Commertial Stocking) grasslands. Study was carried out as an EU project at Göttingen University in extensively and continuously grazed Relliehausen Experimental Grassland in Germany in 2002-2003 with three repetitions and commercial castrated simmental breed. Grassland was randomized into two continuous stocking groups as MC (intensive grazing with moderate stocking) and LC (extensive grazing with lenient stocking), and after 1st year grazing, data was collected from second year‟s records. Study was planned as 3 repetitions and each plot was composed of 1 ha. Targetted compressed sward heights (CSH) were 6 cm in MC and 12 cm in LC. CSH measurements were collected from previously fixed 100 points by transect method, spaced 1m in transect line composed of 100 m in each plot with 4 repetitions in 4 period in every 4-5 weeks by using discmeter and identified white clover was also recorded. Measured CSH levels was recoded as CSH1:≤ 4.5 cm, CSH2: 5.0-9.5 cm, CSH3: 10.0-14.5 cm and CSH4:>15.0 cm. The highest incidence was seen in CSH2 group (40.9%) and the lowest one was in CSH4 group(10.7%). In MC system, the highest incidence was seen in CSH2 (41.1%) the lowest in CSH4 (5.7%); in LC system the highest in CSH2 (40.8%), the lowest in CSH1 (9.7%) in respect to grazing system and CSH group interaction. Also the highest incidence was seen in CSH2 and in the 1 st period (53.8%), the lowest in CSH4 and in the 1 st period 1 Ankara Üniv. Ziraat Fak. Tarla Bitkileri Bölümü-Ankara DEMĠRBAĞ N.ġ. “Meralarda farklı otlatma yoğunluklarının bastırılmıĢ ot katı yüksekliği ve ak üçgülün 9 (Trifolium repens L.) görülme sıklığına etkisi” (2.7%) according to CSH group and period interaction. Frequency of white clover was the highest in CSH1 (79.3%), and the lowest in CSH4 (36.7%) and, also showed statistically significant difference in only MC system and 1 st period according to CSH group and period interaction. Frequency of white clover showed a tendency to increase in short CSH groups and in MC than those tall CSH groups and LC. In conclusion, white clover can survive in grasslands in short CSH groups or bare soil sites of grasslands and heterogenious-mosaic sward structure of grassland may effect the growth of white clover positively.