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Orchardgrass and perennial ryegrass with applied nitrogen and in mixtures with legumes
Author(s) -
SOLLENBERGER L. E.,
TEMPLETON W. C.,
HILL R. R.
Publication year - 1984
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.1365-2494.1984.tb01691.x
Subject(s) - perennial plant , legume , agronomy , dactylis glomerata , lotus corniculatus , trefoil , forage , biology , loam , lolium perenne , pasture , dry matter , poaceae , soil water , ecology
Botanical composition of swards can markedly affect their productivity, forage quality, and acceptance by animals. The objective of this research was to determine the amounts of dry matter (DM) and N harvested in the different botanical components of swards where perennial ryegrass and orchardgrass were sown alone and fertilized with N, or sown in mixture with legumes. Broadcast sowings were made on conventionally prepared seedbeds in August 1979 and May 1980 on a Hagerstown silt loam soil (fine, mixed mesic Typic Hapludalf). When seeded alone, orchardgrass cv. Pennlate and perennial ryegrass cv. Reveille received rates of N ranging from 0 to 448 kg ha −1 a −1 . The grasses were also grown in mixtures with alfalfa cv. Arc, red clover cv. Arlington, or birdsfoot trefoil cv. Viking. The same legumes were sown alone. Four legume seed rates were used in both the pure legume and mixed stands. Legume DM harvests were greater in mixtures with perennial ryegrass than in legume‐orchard‐grass swards. An exception occurred in the first year as birdsfoot trefoil harvested DM was lower in trefoil‐ryegrass swards than in trefoil orchardgrass mixtures, probably owing to vigorous competition from ryegrass in the seedling stage. As legume seed rates were increased, both the legume and grass components of mixed swards produced more DM and N. Grass DM and N harvested in orchardgrass mixtures exceeded those of ryegrass mixtures for the 3‐year period. Sward weediness, most prevalent in pure legume stands planted at low seed rates, was sharply reduced by including either grass with the legumes. Volunteer legumes contributed to DM harvested only when the grasses were sown alone and not fertilized with N. Species differences in crude protein (CP) concentration were significant. Birdsfoot trefoil had the highest CP of the legumes, averaging 241 g (kg DM) −1 . Alfalfa and red clover averaged 219 and 208 g CP (kg DM) −1 respectively. Perennial ryegrass herbage had a higher CP concentration than that of orchardgrass in both pure and mixed swards. Grass CP increased significantly in response to fertilizer N and to higher legume seed rates.