THE YIELD RESPONSE OF A TALL FESCUE/WHITE CLOVER SWARD TO NITROGEN RATE AND HARVESTING FREQUENCY

Abstract

ABSTRACTA series of eight fertilizer N rates, ranging from 0 to 377 kg N/ha per year, at increments of 53.8 kg N, was applied to a S170 tall fescue/SlOO white clover sward. The annual rates were split into 8, 6 or 4 equal dressings for harvests at intervals of 3, 4 and 6 weeks, respectively, over a 24‐week growth period from March to September, in each of two years. Residual harvests were taken 6 weeks later in October.Curves relating annual herbage yields to N rate were fitted to tbe data. Total herbage DM responses to 108 kg N/ha were small because of the typical white clover yield N rate interaction, but were almost linear from 108 to 323 kg N/ha at all harvesting frequencies. Tbe decline in rate of response at tbe bigher N application levels was less marked with frequent than with infrequent defoliation. Tall fescue DM responses were substantially linear from 0 to 323 kg N/ha. For the first and second years, relative DM yields of total herbage for harvesting frequencies of 3, 4 and 6 weeks were 100:108:120 and 100:111:131, respectively.Total herbage CP response curves were similar to those for DM, but continued to rise more steeply to the highest N rate tested, 377 kg N/ha. Tall fescue CP responses were linear from 0 to 377 kg N/ha. Harvesting frequency did not markedly influence CP yields.Total herbage DM yield was 14% less in the second year compared witb the first. The decline was due to a reduction in white clover, attributed mainly to the effect of repeated N applications, also the subsidiary effects of companion grass and weather.