Grazing management of white clover in mixed pastures

Abstract

Poor performance of white clover in the current climate of innovation farm management practices has become problematical, particularly within the dairy industry. There are as many grazing management systems as there are farmers and management guidelines can only be broad generalisations at best, with little interpretive value in the face of the multitude of options available and variables recognised and unrecognised. The principles of plant growth are used to interpret grazing management strategies in order for farmers to have greater understanding of their pastures and determine for themselves what the expectations and outcomes of various management strategies may be. This is of greater relevance to the dairy industry where innovative changes (pasture covers, grass cultivars, pasture renewal and establishment techniques, fertiliser N) can combine to produce a 'clover unfriendly environment'. Keywords: competition, fertiliser N, grazing management, light, management systems, plant growth, protection, space, white clover.