Abstract
In a hill pasture in New Zealand, pastoral fallows starting from December, January, and February and terminating in June significantly (P < 0.01) reduced the tiller density of grasses, the dominant species in the sward. At the conclusion of these fallows, the plant population (grass + legume + weed) density was only 29–49% of the grazed control. Fallows from December and January to June significantly (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively) increased the internode length of white clover. Only the December fallow significantly (P < 0.05) increased the viable seed population of grasses, whereas for other treatments and other species in the December fallow there was no significant difference between the fallowed and grazed swards. The addition of fertiliser nitrogen significantly (P < 0.05) enhanced the decline in tiller density for the March to June fallow from the time of application. It improved the specific stolon weight of white clover and reduced the viable seed population of weeds and rushes (P < 0.05). It is concluded that pastoral fallows starting from December, January, and February or March with nitrogen addition and ending in June considerably reduced plant population density for oversowing new plant species. However, attention to natural reseeding from grass species should be given when the December to June fallow is used. The increased dispersion of white clover stolons by internode elongation in the fallowed swards, especially in the December and January to June fallows, may improve the distribution and content of white clover.
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