Comparison of the Effect of Clipping and Grazing Treatments on the Botanical Composition of Permanent Pasture Mixtures 1

IN evaluating various strains of pasture species in small plots, workers have had to resort to clipping to determine the productivity of these species. Even if time and facilities were available to determine the productivity of new or improved species under grazing, seed stocks are usually inadequate for these tests. Hence, it is highly important that the methods employed in testing new strains approach the grazing practices of that particular region. Robinson, Pierre, and Ackermah (6), a Gardner, et al. (3), and Brown (~) have reported correlated or relatively close agreement between yields of clipped vs. grazed pastures. The literature contains little information as to the comparative effect of clipping and grazing on the botanical composition of permanent pasture mixtures. The studies reported here compare the effects of clipping and grazing on the botanical composition of various pasture mixtures sown at Beltsville, Md.