Premium
Characteristics of microsites with and without white clover in two field swards
Author(s) -
MATTHEW C.,
CRESSWELL A.,
HAGGAR R. J.
Publication year - 1995
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.1365-2494.1995.tb02311.x
Subject(s) - agronomy , microsite , tiller (botany) , biology , dry matter , seedling
A microsite comparison technique was used to characterize differences between clover and non‐clover patches in two field swards, one grazed by cattle and the other sheep‐grazed. Within clover patches of both swards, ryegrass tiller weight and the percentage of dead dry matter (DM) was lower than in non‐clover patches, while the ratio of other grass DM: ryegrass DM was higher. Leaf senescence rates for ryegrass tillers within clover patch microsites were less than half of those of non‐clover patch microsites, and consequently net leaf production was higher. At clover patch microsites, soil carbon dioxide levels were lower, soil oxygen levels higher and levels of N, Na, Ca, Mg and P in the ryegrass component of the herbage DM were elevated, compared with non‐clover patch microsites.