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A comparison of Italian ryegrass ( Lolium multiflorum ), hybrid ryegrass ( Lolium perenne × L. multiflorum ) and timothy ( Phleum pratense ) under different systems of management
Author(s) -
SWIFT G.
Publication year - 1977
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.1365-2494.1977.tb01435.x
Subject(s) - lolium multiflorum , hay , silage , grazing , scots pine , agronomy , lolium perenne , dry matter , phleum , forage , biology , botany , poaceae , pinus <genus>
Abstract An Italian ryegrass (cv. RvP), a tetraploid hybrid ryegrass (Sabrina), and an early heading timothy (Scots), were compared under 3‐cut silage plus aftermath, 5‐cut early bite‐hay‐aftermath and 6‐cut simulated grazing managements over 2 harvest years 1974–75. Annual nitrogen applications totalled 375 kg ha −1 N for the silage and grazing systems and 325 kg ha −1 for the early bite‐hay‐aftermath treatment. In 1974, the first harvest year, RvP and Sabrina outyielded Scots timothy. In the dry summer of 1975 the drought tolerance and persistency of Sabrina was superior to RvP, but both grasses gave low yields (approx. 10·0 ha −1 DM under the conservation managements) and showed a marked fall in production compared with the first year, by RvP of 35% and by Sabrina of 25%. Scots timothy in the second year equalled the ryegrass in total DM yield under the hay management system. Over the 2 years RvP and Sabrina gave similar yields, which were 10% better than Scots timothy, under all managements. RvP and Sabrina are equally suitable for silage production, but second and third silage cuts of RvP require shorter regrowth periods than Sabrina for good quality herbage. Sabrina will also provide leafier grazing than RvP.