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GRASSLAND RESEARCH ON BLANKET PEAT IN IRELAND
Author(s) -
OToole M. A.
Publication year - 1968
Publication title -
grass and forage science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1365-2494
pISSN - 0142-5242
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2494.1968.tb00550.x
Subject(s) - holcus lanatus , lolium perenne , sowing , trifolium repens , agronomy , festuca , grazing , dry matter , lolium , seeding , forage , grassland , fertilizer , semis , biology , pasture , peat , chemistry , red clover , zoology , poaceae , ecology
The results from 10 years of grassland research at the Peatland Experimental Station, Glenamoy, are summarized. Grass and legume species were introduced by surface seeding, without cultivation or by direct seeding after rotavation, depending on the specific situation. The rate of establishment was dependent on pretreatment and the management of grazing animals before and after sowing. The most suitable species were Trifolium repens, Lolium perenne, Festuca arumlinacea, Festuca rubra and Holcus lanatus . A level of fertility suited to the introduced species must be reached initially and subsequently maintained. The requirements (per/ac) for Ca, P, K, N, Cu and Co were: 2240 lb (1016 kg) ground limestone, 36 lb (16 kg) P, 112 lb (51 kg) K, 20 lb (9 kg) N, 20 lb (9 kg) CuSO 4 and 2 lb (0–91 kg) CoSO 4 at sowing, with 27 lb (12–25 kg) P and 56 lb (254 kg) K annually. Dry–matter yields of 6000 lb/ac (6720 kg/ha) were obtained from grass–clover swards without fertilizer N, and approximately twice this quantity where 400 lb N/ac (448 kg/ha) had been applied annually. A liveweight gain of 526 lb/ac (589–12 kg/ha) and a starch equivalent output of 2946 lb (3299–5 kg) were obtained with sheep. The relationship between these results and those on peat soils abroad are discussed.