Establishment studies V. The effect of method of establishment on the behaviour of long-term leys in the seeding year

Abstract

1. In the seeding year the total dry-matter yield in swards sown without a cover crop was increased by infrequent defoliation, but the yield of crude protein was decreased. The highest production of starch equivalent was obtained when a cover crop was used.2. In the absence of a cover crop, the yield of red clover was higher under infrequent defoliation, but the yield of white clover was higher under frequent grazing.3. Frequent grazing, and the use of a cover crop, reduced the ingress of weeds more than infrequent defoliation. Nitrogen applied to the cover crop also reduced the growth of weeds.4. Nitro-chalk increased the total yield of herbage except when under a cover crop; it reduced the growth of red and white clovers, but this was not so marked under frequent grazing.5. Nitro-chalk increased the annual yield of crude protein under frequent grazing, but decreased it in all herbage mixtures under infrequent defoliation; nitrogen had no effect when a cover crop was used. The increase in yield of starch equivalent due to the application of nitrogen and its apparent recovery was greater under frequent grazing than under the other two managements. Under infrequent defoliation, in the absence of a cover crop, the recovery of nitrogen was particularly low.6. The ryegrass mixture and ryegrass-dominant general-purpose mixture made more growth, and suppressed clover and weeds to a greater extent than did the timothy and cocksfoot mixtures. This was modified by management in that ryegrass was particularly aggressive under frequent grazing (management 1) but not under managements 2 and 3.7. In the autumn of the seeding year the yield of total herbage was highest under infrequent defoliation, particularly in the cocksfoot, and general-purpose swards. All undersown mixtures gave lower yields than when no cover crop was used.8. Nitrogen increased the yield of herbage in May and June under frequent grazing, and in the August cut under infrequent defoliation, but in the autumn particularly it was reduced where a cover crop was used.9. The application of nitrogen decreased the protein content in all herbage mixtures when a cover crop was used or when defoliation was infrequent. Under frequent grazing the nitrogen increased the percentage of crude protein in the first two grazings, but decreased it in the September grazing.10. The production from the various mixtures was modified by management: under frequent grazing in May the ryegrass-dominant mixtures were higher yielding than the others, but in July the general-purpose and cocksfoot swards were the most productive. Under infrequent defoliation in August the timothy mixture had the highest yield and cocksfoot the lowest, and under this management cocksfoot and timothy swards had the highest yield in the autumn of the seeding year.