Premium
Forage Production of Grass–Legume Binary Mixtures on Intermountain Western USA Irrigated Pastures
Author(s) -
Cox Steven,
Peel Michael D.,
Creech J. Earl,
Waldron Blair L.,
Eun JongSu,
Zobell Dale R.,
Miller Rhonda L.,
Snyder Don L.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci2016.04.0235
Subject(s) - dactylis glomerata , biology , agronomy , lolium perenne , lotus corniculatus , phleum , festuca arundinacea , forage , bromus , perennial plant , sowing , monoculture , lolium , legume , bromus inermis , poaceae
Well‐managed irrigated pasture production can be optimized without nitrogen (N) fertilizer. The objective was to determine mixture and planting ratios of tall fescue ( Schedonorus arundinacea Schreb.) (TF), meadow brome ( Bromus riparius Rehm.) (MB), orchardgrass ( Dactylis glomerata L.) (OG), timothy ( Phleum pratense L.) (TIM), and perennial ryegrass ( Lolium perenne L.) (PRG) with alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.) (ALF), birdsfoot trefoil ( Lotus corniculatus L.) (BFTF), or cicer milkvetch ( Astragalus cicer L.) (CMV) that maximize productivity. Planting ratios were 0:100 (grass:legume), 25:75, 50:50, 75:25, and three 100:0 grass monocultures fertilized at 0, 67, and 134 kg N ha −1 . Seasonal production of TF–ALF was 12.69 Mg ha −1 , equal to TF fertilized at 134 kg N ha −1 . ALF mixtures with MB, OG, TIM, and PRG produced 12.57, 10.97, 11.77, and 10.74 Mg ha −1 , respectively, and 8 to 40% more than grasses receiving 134 kg N ha −1 . Production of BFTF mixtures with TF, MB, and OG were 11.69, 11.45, and 9.95 Mg ha −1 , respectively, equal to their respective grass monoculture receiving 134 kg N ha −1 . The BFTF–TIM and BFTF–PRG mixtures averaged 12% more forage than grass monocultures receiving 134 kg N ha −1 . Production of CMV‐grass was similar to that of grasses receiving 67 kg N ha −1 . Seasonal forage distribution was more uniform in ALF– and BFTF–grass mixtures, averaging 30% more at the second and third harvests than fertilized grasses. The TF and MB legume mixtures averaged 7% more production in the 50:50 planting ratios than the other two grass–legume mixtures, while the 50:50 and 25:75 ratios of OG and TIM–legume mixtures averaged 12% more than the 75:25 and the 25:75 PRG–legume planting ratio averaged 9% more than the 50:50 and 75:25. Forage production of grass–legume mixtures can equal or exceed fertilized grass monocultures and with more uniform distribution over the growing season.