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Stay‐green compared with non‐ stay‐green Lolium perenne in field swards with different cutting and nitrogen treatments
Author(s) -
WILMAN D,
IRIANNI RAM,
HUMPHREYS M O
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.2004.tb00321.x
Subject(s) - lolium perenne , perennial plant , biology , forage , agronomy , field experiment , lolium , poaceae
Summary The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the stay‐green trait, originally introduced into perennial ryegrass ( Lolium perenne ) for amenity purposes, in field swards of stay‐green forage perennial ryegrass managed in different ways for agricultural use. The experimental treatments comprised all 18 combinations of two grass selections ( stay‐green and non‐stay‐green ), three intervals between cuts and three N treatments. The conclusions were that the introduction of the stay‐green trait (1) may not always confer greater greenness in the early life of a sward; (2) may confer greater greenness during leaf senescence more because carotenoids are unmasked to a lesser extent than because of a reduction in the length of leaf visibly senescing; (3) may reduce herbage yield, particularly when a long interval is allowed between defoliations; (4) may reduce the decline in the concentration of N in herbage during the latter part of a long period of regrowth; (5) may reduce the concentration of Na in herbage.