Influence of fertiliser and grazing management on North Island moist hill country 3. Performance of introduced and resident legumes

Abstract

Abstract A grazing trial was conducted on 99 ha of steep, low fertility hill country in southern Hawke's Bay, during 1975–81. There were 2 fertiliser treatments: low (LF) and high (HF) superphosphate application (plus lime on HF), and 3 grazing managements — rotational grazing by sheep (RGS) or cattle (RGC), and set stocking by sheep (SSS). A white clover (Trifolium repens L.) similar to Kent wild white, and annual suckling clover (T. dubium Sibth.) were already present in the pastures in small amounts. ‘Grasslands Huia’ white clover, ‘Grasslands Turoa’ red clover (T. pratense L.), ‘Grasslands Maku’ lotus (Lotus pedunculatus Cav.), and Woogenellup subterranean clover (T. subterraneum L.) were oversown into the pasture in 1974. Huia, Turoa, and Grasslands 4703 lotus were oversown again in 1977. Woogenellup subterranean clover was found to be unsuited to the environment. Lotus plants established, but contributed little to total herbage accumulation. Red clover was most important in RGC pastures. Its contribution was short-lived in sheep-grazed pastures, but was significant in the year after oversowing where fertiliser application history was short. Suckling clover produced a significant amount of herbage on steep NW sites during spring. Huia white clover was the most productive of the oversown legumes. However, the resident white clover was more productive than Huia in sheep-grazed pastures but not in RGC pastures. Huia was more responsive to HF (compared with LF) application in RGC than in sheep-grazed pastures — the converse applied for the resident genotype.