Lolium Multiflorum Research Articles

Cover crop-mediated soil carbon storage and soil health in semi-arid irrigated cropping systems

Cover cropping is considered a climate-smart strategy to regenerate low-fertility soils in arid and semi-arid regions. However, the mechanisms of soil organic carbon (SOC) storage and soil health improvement in semi-arid irrigated cropping systems are poorly understood. The main goal of this study was to evaluate cover crop effects on various physical, chemical, and biological indicators of soil health in an irrigated silage corn (Zea mays L.)–sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] rotation and understanding how changes in soil health contribute to SOC storage. We evaluated various SOC and nitrogen (N) pools, and microbial community structure under cover crop mixture of grasses, brassicas, and legumes (GBL), grasses and brassicas (GB), grasses and legumes (GL), and no cover crops (NCC) control for four years. Grasses included annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) and winter triticale (× Triticosecale Wittmack), brassicas included turnip (Brassica rapa subsp. rapa L.) and daikon radish (Raphanus sativus var. Longipinnatus Bailey), and legumes included pea (Pisum sativum subsp. arvense L.) and berseem clover (Trifolium alexandrinum L.). Soil C pools: SOC, potentially mineralizable C, microbial biomass C, mineral-associated organic C (MAOC), and particulate organic C (POC) were greater with cover crops than without, but the effects were not consistent in all study years. Soil organic N was also greater under cover crops than under NCC. Soil C-to-N (C:N) ratio increased over the years but was similar among treatments. Cover crops used N and soil water to grow, significantly reducing soil inorganic N content and water-filled pore spaces in the first two years. However, fungal and bacterial communities grew better under cover crops with a high fungi-to-bacteria ratio than under NCC. The soil MAOC content was related to microbial community and enzyme activity while POC was affected by soil physicochemical conditions, specifically soil pH and mineral N availability, highlighting two major pathways of SOC sequestration in semi-arid cropping systems. This study showed how cover crops enhance SOC storage and soil health in semi-arid cropping systems.

Soil rare microorganisms mediated the plant cadmium uptake: The central role of protists

Plants and microorganisms symbiotically mediate and/or catalyse the turnover of elements in rhizosphere soils, thus directly influencing the effectiveness of phytoremediation in addressing heavy metal contamination. Soil rare microbial communities are diverse but not well understood in terms of their importance for phytoremediation. In this study, we simulated the loss of rare microorganisms through dilution-to-extinction approach, and investigated the effects on integrated rhizosphere microbiome with soil microcosm experiments, including bacteria, fungi, protists, and microfauna. Additionally, we explored the implications for ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) growth and its uptake of Cd (cadmium). Compared with the undiluted group, ryegrass exhibited a significant decrease in Cd uptake ranging from 52.34 % to 73.71 % in the rare species-loss soils, indicating a lack of functional redundancy in rhizosphere soil microbial community following rare species loss. Interestingly, these soils displayed a remarkable 1.79-fold increase in plant biomass and a 41.02 % increase in plant height. By sequencing the 16S, 18S, and ITS rRNA gene amplicons of rhizosphere microbes, we found that soil rare species loss decreased the rhizosphere microbial α-diversity, changed the community structures, and shifted the functional potential. Protists were particularly affected. Through the analysis of species co-occurrence networks, along with the partial least squares path modeling, we found that the diversity of protists and bacteria and the co-occurring network connectivity of protists and fungi contributed most to plant Cd uptake and growth. These results highlighted the potential significance of rare microorganisms, particularly protists, in phytoextraction of Cd-contaminated soils, owing to their central role in the microbial food web.

The Effect of Different Doses of Nitrogen and Mixtures with Berseem Clover on Yield and Quality of Italian Ryegrass

The Effect of Different Doses of Nitrogen and Mixtures with Berseem Clover on Yield and Quality of Italian Ryegrass

Italian Ryegrass as a Forage Crop for the Baltics: Opportunities and Challenges in Light of Climate Change.

Grasslands are important for sustainable milk and meat production as well as for providing other ecosystem services. One of the most productive components of short-term grasslands is Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum subsp. italicum Lam.), offering high yield, excellent feed value, and high palatability to animals but low tolerance to abiotic stress. Global climate warming opens new opportunities and could be beneficial in increasing the potential of biomass production. In this study, we aimed to assess an Italian ryegrass cultivar of Lithuanian origin, 'Ugnė', for productivity and yield stability, with special emphasis on their relationship with climatic factors over a period of 14 years. The average winter temperatures and total spring precipitation explained 51% of the first-cut dry matter yield (DMY) variance. Second- and third-cut DMYs were associated with average temperature only. Italian ryegrass cv. 'Ugnė' demonstrated the potential to produce high dry matter yields after warm winters and withstand summer drought spells under Lithuanian conditions. However, mid-to-late-summer heat waves might reduce productivity and should be taken into consideration when breeding new Italian ryegrass cultivars.

High Diversity of Epicoccum Species Associated with Leaf Spot on Italian Ryegrass in Southwestern China: Six New Records and Three New Species.

Italian ryegrass is widely cultivated for the production of forage, hay, and silage because of its high nutritional value and good palatability. Leaf spots caused by fungi pose a serious threat to forage crops. In order to expand the knowledge of fungi causing leaf spots in ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) in Sichuan, Yunnan, Chongqing, and Guizhou of southwestern China, a comprehensive survey was undertaken from 2015 to 2022. The survey discovered that Epicoccum leaf spot (ELS) was a common and widespread disease, more serious at the late stage of growth (after late May). Symptomatic leaf samples collected from the four different provinces were analyzed, and a total of 202 Epicoccum isolates were obtained. Based on both multilocus phylogeny (ITS, LSU, TUB2, and RPB2) and morphology, 10 Epicoccum species were finally identified, including three novel species (E. endololii sp. nov., E. lolii sp. nov., and E. loliicola sp. nov.), six new host records (E. draconis, E. endophyticum, E. oryzae, E. plurivorum, E. thailandicum, and E. tobaicum), and an unknown species (Epicoccum sp.1). Pathogenicity tests showed that E. endophyticum, E. endololii, and Epicoccum sp.1 were nonpathogenic to Italian ryegrass, which were confirmed as endophytes in this study; the other six species could infect Italian ryegrass and cause leaf lesions to different degrees, of which E. draconis was more aggressive (P ≤ 0.05). Coupled with the isolation rates and geographical distributions of these species, it was found that E. plurivorum was the predominant pathogen in Yunnan while E. oryzae and E. tobaicum were the predominant pathogens in the other three provinces. This work provides an initial understanding of the taxonomy, virulence, and distribution of Epicoccum species associated with ELS in southwestern China and lays a solid foundation for the diagnosis in the field and scientific control of ELS on Italian ryegrass.

Five-year old diversified pasture delivers greater lamb liveweight gain than a standard perennial ryegrass-white clover pasture

This study investigated liveweight gain of lambs grazing five-year-old pasture of either Italian ryegrass, red clover and plantain (Diversified) or perennial ryegrass and white clover (Standard). Coopworth lambs were born to either diversified or standard pasture and reared there until weaning in December (early summer). Liveweight gain (LWG) from tailing to weaning was 23% higher in lambs on diversified pasture (0.335 kg LWG/lamb/day) compared to those on standard pasture (0.272 kg LWG/lamb/day). From summer to autumn (December to May), liveweight, pasture mass, botanical composition and nutritive quality was measured as weaned lambs progressed through rotationally grazed paddocks of either diversified or standard pasture. Similar lamb liveweight gain betweenpasture types was observed over summer and autumn, with both groups averaging 0.187 kg LWG/lamb/day. From December to May, dry matter intakes (DMI) and feed conversion efficiencies (FCE) were similar between lambs grazing on either diversified or standardpasture. Average final lamb liveweight off diversified pasture was 4.2 kg higher than off standard pasture. The higher pre-weaning liveweight gain and subsequent greater weaning liveweight off diversified pasture was maintained throughout the summer and autumn.

Stacking nitrogen leaching mitigations in a Canterbury dairy system whilst minimising profitability losses.

The aim of this project was to model combinations (“stacks”) of cost-effective nitrogen (N) leaching mitigations within a dairy system that could reduce N leaching by 40-60%, whilst minimising losses in profitability. A FARMAX and OverseerFM combination was used to model a baseline farm representing a typical Canterbury system, and seven sequentially “stacked” mitigated systems. The mitigations were combined and stacked in the following order based on mechanism(s) of action, practicality, and cost-effectiveness: 1) reduced synthetic N fertiliser input (from 190 to 100 kg N/ha/year); 2) including Italian ryegrass in the pasture sward; 3) including plantain in the pasture sward; 4) earlier calving and drying off (by 10 days); 5) wintering on pasture and baleage; 6) standing cows off-pasture;7) using new-generation nitrification inhibitors. The most cost-effective stack combined mitigations 1 to 5. We estimated that N leaching was reduced by 57% relative to baseline, with an 8% reduction in operating profit. Greenhouse gas emissions were reduced by 8%. The largest single reduction in N leaching was from stack #5, and it coincided with no/little change in milk production pasture eaten and had no capital cost. A careful selection of complementary mitigations could achieve significant reductions in N leaching without compromising greenhouse gas emissions and, to any great extent, profitability.

PSI-17 Use of Sunn Hemp as Forage for Early-Weaned Beef Calves

Abstract Sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea) has been widely used as cover crop in the USA and due to superior biomass accumulation and nutritive value, there is interest from producers to use sunn hemp as forage for livestock. However, sunn hemp has pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which can affect animal performance. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of feeding sunn hemp hay to early-weaned beef calves in a dry lot in Florida. The experiment was conducted at the UF/IFAS Range Cattle Research and Education Center, Ona, FL from April to May 2021 (42 d). Treatments were calves receiving sunn hemp or stargrass (Cynodon nlemfuensis) hay distributed in a randomized complete block design with 12 replicates. Calves were supplemented with concentrate at 1.3% BW daily (18% CP and 78% TDN). Twenty-four Angus crossbred calves were weaned with 90 ± 14 kg BW and grazed annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) with 1% BW concentrate supplementation for approximately 60 d. Subsequently, calves were randomly distributed and assigned to experimental units (pen) on 14 April 2021 with initial BW of 184 ± 10 kg. ‘Ubon’ sunn hemp hay was harvested approximately 49 d after seeding when 75% of the plants were initially flowering. Ground hay was fed daily targeting 10% refusals, and the initial CP and in vitro digestible organic matter concentrations of sunn hemp and stargrass hay were 9 and 48%, and 9 and 47%, respectively. The average concentration of pyrrolizidine alkaloids from sunn hemp hay was 58 μg/g DM. Early-weaned calves receiving stargrass had a tendency to have greater ADG than sunn hemp (0.5 vs. 0.4 kg/d, P = 0.09), and had greater forage DM intake (1.2 vs. 1.0% BW, P < 0.01) and total DM intake (2.5 vs. 2.3% BW, P < 0.01). Conversely, diets with sunn hemp had greater in vivo DM digestibility than stargrass (68 vs. 62%, P = 0.04). There was no difference between treatments on parasite egg count (mean = 45 eggs/3 g feces, P = 0.25) and coccidia egg count (log10 eggs/g feces, P = 0.35). Early-weaned calves receiving sunn hemp consumed 0.25 g pyrrolizidine alkaloids/d; however, there was no detectable amount (< 0.05 μg/g DM) of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in the feces. The presence of pyrrolizidine alkaloids in sunn hemp may be the potential cause of decreased early-weaned calves forage intake and animal performance.

Soil health, microbial communities, and annual ryegrass yield under contrasting management practices

AbstractBiological indicators are often used to evaluate the effect of management practices on soil health. However, determining which indicators can detect changes in soil health after implementation of conservation practices and how these indicators relate to plant growth in grass seed production systems remains unclear. The goal of this study was to explore the relationships between management practice history, soil health metrics, plant growth, and soil microbial communities in annual ryegrass grown under greenhouse conditions. Soils were collected from 12 annual ryegrass [Lolium multiflorum (L.) Husnot] fields managed under conventional (till/bale) or conservation (no‐till/full straw) management practices, with three silt loams and three silty clay loams collected for each practice. Annual ryegrass was grown for 5 months on each of the 12 soils in a greenhouse. Soils with a history of conservation management improved the majority of the carbon cycling‐related metrics for the silt loam soils. Management practices had no effect on seed yield, however, conservation management significantly improved aboveground biomass in silty clay loam soils. Contrasting management practices resulted in distinct microbial communities, making them sensitive indicators of changes in soil conditions. Soil health and plant metrics were positively associated with the microbial communities in soils under conservation management. Total C and organic matter were positively correlated to plant parameters in silt loams, while few indicators were correlated to plant metrics in silty clay loams. These results highlight the complex interplay between microbial communities, soil health, and plant growth and the importance of considering inherent soil properties like texture.

A field study on the combined use of pre-emergence herbicide and Clearfield® technology for ryegrass management in wheat crops

Weed interference in wheat crops are known to cause productivity losses. The objective of this work was to evaluate pre-emergence herbicide application efficiency combined with Clearfield® technology (CL) in ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) management in wheat crops. A field experiment was conducted from July 2020 to December 2021 using randomized block design in a 2×5 factorial arrangement with four replications. Treatments consisted of combinations of pre-emergence herbicide application - without and with pendimethalin at 1365 g a.i. ha-1 (in 2020 crop season) or without and with pyroxasulfone at 125 g a.i. ha-1 (in 2021 crop season) and post-emergence herbicide application - without application; imazamox at 49, 70, and 91 g a.i. ha-1, or pyroxsulam at 18 g a.i. ha-1. Wheat cultivars used were TBIO Capricho CL® and TBIO Ello CL®. The following characteristics were evaluated: phytotoxicity, ryegrass control, plant height, number of spikes m-2, mean spike weight, 100-grain weight, and grain yield. Treatments phytotoxicity did not exceed 5%, being visible only at 7 DAA, from 14 DAA no injury was observed. The combined application of pre-emergence herbicides pendimethalin or pyroxasulfone with post-emergence herbicides imazamox or pyroxsulam provided superior control of ryegrass than the isolated applications. This management resulted in ryegrass control ranging from 88.8% to 100% in 2020 and from 82.3% to 100% in 2021. In general, grain yield was also higher in treatments with combined pre- and post-emergence applications. The pre-emergence herbicide application in combination with CL technology was effective in managing ryegrass, preventing weed interference, and ensuring the productive potential of wheat crops

Response of Ryegrass to Nitrogen Fertilizer under Two Irrigation Systems

The objective of this study was evaluation the effectiveness of the some irrigation systems, and determining the best nitrogen fertilizer level and its effect on some growth characteristics and quality of Italian ryegrass seeds. A field experiment was carried out in two locations, the first is the Khan Atshan pasture station in the Karbala, and the second is the Dikkah pasture station - Khanaqin affiliated to the Forestry and Desertification Control Department - Ministry of Agriculture during the fall season 2021-2022. The experiment was carried out according to a randomized complete block design, in split plots arrangement, with three replications. The main plots included two irrigation systems (solid set sprinkler irrigation and free flow irrigation), and the sub plots included the addition of four levels of nitrogen fertilizer in the form of urea (46% N): 0, 15, 30, and 45 kg N h-1, The results showed that the solid set sprinkler irrigation system was significantly superior to the free flow irrigation system in achieving the highest average of the total chlorophyll content in the leaves 17.69 % and 9.63%, crude protein in the cereal 20.54% and 23.60 % and the percentage of carbohydrates in the cereal 13% and 14% for both experimental location, while the free flow irrigation system was significantly superior in achieving the highest mean of the flag leaf area 4.32% and 5.08% and the dry weight of the plant 13.55% and 46.67% for both location. The results also showed that increasing the added nitrogen fertilizer up to the level of 45 kg h-1 led to a significant increase in each of the flag leaf area cm2 and the total chlorophyll content in the leaves mg g-1, percentage of crude protein in cereals, dry weight of plants, percentage of ash in cereals, and percentage of carbohydrates in cereals in two experiment location.

The fate of nitrogen in animal urine patch as affected by trees and nitrogen supply on integrated crop-livestock systems

Nitrogen (N) losses by leaching are significant in terms of environmental contamination. Thus, attention has been given to urination points of ruminant urine because they contain high levels of N. Integrated crop-livestock systems (ICLS), in turn, seek to intensify production and, at the same time, make production systems more sustainable. Therefore, it is crucial to know the behavior of N to boost its cycling and, consequently, minimize its impacts (environmental and economic). The objective of this study was to evaluate N leaching from bovine urine in a mixed pasture of Lolium multiflorum x Avena strigosa in two different integrated systems, crop-livestock (CL) and crop-livestock with trees (CLT), and two N doses (90 and 180 kg N ha−1). During the winter 2018, the study was conducted in the Brazilian subtropics, in sandy texture soil. The application of higher doses of nitrogen fertilizer (180 kg N ha−1) causes an increase in the concentration of nitrogen excreted in urine and, consequently, increases nitrate and ammonium contents in the soil at the urine points. Higher nitrogen contents were observed at the urine points, since the uptake of nutrients by the forage plants was reduced due to shading of the plants, leading to a reduction in dry matter production of the pasture. The area of action/diffusion of urinary N does not exceed 25 cm from the center point of urination. No leaching of nitrate or ammonium was observed at the sampled urine points, up to a depth of 40 cm. However, the adoption of more intensified production systems (i.e., with the inclusion of grazing animals and increased nitrogen fertilization) should be conducted under conditions that provide high plant uptake of soil nutrients to reduce the risk of losses.

The Electric Spatula: Killing Weeds with Pulsed Microshocks from a Flat-Plate Electrode

Seeking an easy-to-deploy, energy-efficient, non-herbicide weed control method, we tested a flat-plate electrode to apply pulsed electric microshocks (PMS) to a grass and four broadleaf weed species. The method can be deployed via a hand-held unit or as part of a fully automated system to control escape weeds in field crops. The effectiveness of the treatments and the relative energy discharges when applying similar electric doses to the plant leaves or to the plant when pressed to the soil with a flat-plate electrode were compared. The method killed only half of the treated Lolium multiflorum “Winter Star” plants, well below our target rate, but significantly reduced growth rates and indicated that effective treatment of <1.0 MJ ha−1 for treating five plants m−2 is possible. Polygonum aviculare L., Amaranthus powellii S. Wats., Amaranthus deflexus, and Solanum nitidibaccatum Bitter plants were successfully controlled, with the energy required to kill 100% of seedlings varying from 0.1 to 0.9 MJ ha−1, indicating that broadleaf weeds are more susceptible. This easily met our target effectiveness and efficiency goals. The discharged energy increased when the electrode pressed the plant to a dry soil surface rather than to the leaves only and increased further when the electrode pressed the plant to a wet soil surface.

Effects of Italian Ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) Cultivation for Green Manure and Forage on Subsequent Above- and Below-Ground Growth and Yield of Soybean (Glycine max)

To diversify upland cropping systems, Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum; IRG) can be incorporated as forage or green manure to soybean (Glycine max L.). The current study was conducted to analyze the effect of IRG cultivar and usage methods on the subsequent soybean above- and below-ground growth, as well as the yield, under different conditions. Three cycles of crop rotation were implemented with the combination of IRG cultivar (early maturing “Kowinearly”; late maturing “Winterhawk”), IRG usage (green manure for which both above- and below-ground biomass was incorporated, +CC; and forage for which only below-ground biomass was incorporated, −CC), and fallow soil as control. The soybean yield of +CC was consistently high regardless of the IRG cultivar, and it demonstrated an increase even under unfavorable weather conditions, while −CC treated did not differ from control. Incorporated IRG could serve as a starter fertilizer (79 to 156 kg ha−1 of N input). Soybean root characteristic differences showed substantial variability depending on the year and treatments. However, when compared to the control, no adverse effects of IRG were evident. Thus, using IRG as a green manure has the potential to enhance soybean yield, while using IRG as a forage could bring additional harvested matter to the rotational system.

Annual Ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) Growth Response to Nitrogen in a Sandy Soil Amended with Acidified Manure and Municipal Sludge after “Quick Wash” Treatment

The Quick Wash (QW) treatment extracts phosphorus (P) from manure and municipal sludge (MS), producing an organic acidified by-product with adequate nitrogen (N):P ratio to meet crop N requirements. Yet, data on crop response to N using QW by-products are lacking. We evaluated the response of annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) and potential N leaching in sandy soil to N applications using raw wastes, their corresponding QW by-products, and ammonium sulfate (AMS) fertilizer. Treatments included a control (no amendment added), raw and acid-washed chicken litter, dairy and swine manure, MS, and AMS at 100, 200, and 400 kg N ha−1. We found no significant differences in annual ryegrass yield and N uptake between the raw and acidified organic QW by-products. However, ryegrass produced 4–30% more biomass with AMS than organic amendments. The total residual soil inorganic N under AMS treatments ranged between 6.3 and 67.9 mg pot−1 and accounted for 5–17% of the total N applied, but it was <1% for all the organic amendments. We found no differences in soil N leaching between raw and acid-washed forms of each organic soil amendment. Our results indicated that acidified organic QW by-products can improve environmental quality by substantially reducing the amount of applied P with no penalties for crop yield losses compared to raw manure and MS.

Nitrogen leaching under alternative forages grazed by sheep

Sheep farmers can increase production levels as a means to improve economic outcomes. However, this intensification can potentially result in more nitrogen (N) leaching which is at odds with the increasing pressure on farmers to reduce the quantity of N lost into the environment. Therefore, there is increasing interest in the use of alternative forages, such as Italian ryegrass and plantain, which could potentially allow farmers to increase production while decreasing N leaching. This study quantified and compared the quantity of N leaching under sheep grazing four different forages: perennial ryegrass/white clover (RGWC), Italian ryegrass/WC (IRWC), plantain/WC (PWC) and a winter brassica. Five replicates of each forage were established on plots of 800 m2 (40 m x 20 m). Each plot had an independent mole-pipe drain system with tipping-bucket monitoring equipment at the end of the pipe drain. Drainage volume and N concentrations (nitrate-N: NO3⁻-N; ammonium-N; total-N) in drainage water were measured to estimate N losses. The forages were grazed according to the best management practice for each forage type over a two-and-a-half-year period (Year 1: July-December 2019; Year 2: January-December 2020; and Year 3: January-December 2021). In the first two years of this study, NO3⁻-N leaching losses under IRWC and PWC were very small (ranging from 0.4 to 0.5 kg N/ha), and they were not different (P > 0.05) from those under RGWC. However, in Year 3, the leaching losses under IRWC and PWC treatments were greater (P < 0.05) than those under RGWC. This increased leaching was probably due to the need to re-establish these pastures. As part of renewing these swards, the IRWC and PWC plots were fallow during the key late summer-autumn period. In contrast, NO3⁻-N leaching losses under brassica forages (3.5–6.4 kg N/ha) were greater (P < 0.05) than under RGWC (0.5–1.5 kg N/ha). Overall, the leaching losses measured under sheep grazing the forages were much smaller than those commonly reported by dairy studies.

Overexpression of Lolium multiflorum LmMYB1 Enhances Drought Tolerance in Transgenic Arabidopsis.

Lolium multiflorum is one of the world-famous forage grasses with rich biomass, fast growth rate and good nutritional quality. However, its growth and forage yield are often affected by drought, which is a major natural disaster all over the world. MYB transcription factors have some specific roles in response to drought stress, such as regulation of stomatal development and density, control of cell wall and root development. However, the biological function of MYB in L. multiflorum remains unclear. Previously, we elucidated the role of LmMYB1 in enhancing osmotic stress resistance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here, this study elucidates the biological function of LmMYB1 in enhancing plant drought tolerance through an ABA-dependent pathway involving the regulation of cell wall development and stomatal density. After drought stress and ABA stress, the expression of LmMYB1 in L. multiflorum was significantly increased. Overexpression of LmMYB1 increased the survival rate of Arabidopsis thaliana under drought stress. Under drought conditions, expression levels of drought-responsive genes such as AtRD22, AtRAB and AtAREB were up-regulated in OE compared with those in WT. Further observation showed that the stomatal density of OE was reduced, which was associated with the up-regulated expression of cell wall-related pathway genes in the RNA-Seq results. In conclusion, this study confirmed the biological function of LmMYB1 in improving drought tolerance by mediating cell wall development through the ABA-dependent pathway and thereby affecting stomatal density.

Exposure to Cattle Slurry of Different Concentrations Influence Germination and Initial Growth of Selected Grass and Legume Species

In addition to improving soil quality, the fertilisation of grassland with cattle slurry is often associated with seed dispersal. Most studies focus on the effects of cattle slurry on the germination and early development of weed species, but less is known about how slurry affects the germination process of grasses and forage legumes. The aim of Experiment I of our study was therefore to investigate the influence of soaking time in cattle slurry of different concentrations on Lolium multiflorum, Dactylis glomerata, Trifolium pratense and Trifolium repens. Seeds were soaked in undiluted (100%) and diluted cattle slurries (50% and 25%) for 14, 28, 42, 56, 70 and 84 days. Experiment II was conducted to study the initial growth of studied plants from seeds soaked in cattle slurry of different concentrations for 14 days. After the germination test, which was carried out under controlled conditions, the germination index (GI) was calculated. The results (Experiment I) show that a short soaking in cattle slurry (14 days) has no negative effect on the germination process for all species. However, a longer soaking resulted in significantly reduced and delayed germination, especially in undiluted slurry for grasses and diluted slurries for clovers. The slurry concentration (Experiment II) only influenced the root growth of L. multiflorum. Seedlings grown from seeds soaked in undiluted slurry had a 17% higher relative root length than the control and developed significantly longer root systems than the other two slurry concentrations.

The Effect of Mowings on the Nutritional Value of Annual Ryegrass (&lt;i&gt;Lolium multiflorum&lt;/i&gt; Lam) Varieties Grown in Different Agroclimatic Conditions of Central Anatolia

The Effect of Mowings on the Nutritional Value of Annual Ryegrass (&lt;i&gt;Lolium multiflorum&lt;/i&gt; Lam) Varieties Grown in Different Agroclimatic Conditions of Central Anatolia

Chemical, Physical, and Degradation Characteristics of Ryegrass Cultivars Grown in Autumn and Winter for Dairy Cows.

During winter and early spring, pasture supply is usually lower than the demand in New Zealand dairy farming systems and thus the 'autumn saved pastures' (stockpiling) are introduced to fill the gap. This study aimed to investigate the chemical, physical, and degradation characteristics of ryegrass pastures, the predominant forage in New Zealand, grown in autumn and winter. To serve as 'autumn saved pasture', nine ryegrass cultivars, comprising three types (three perennial, three hybrid, and three Italian), were grown in late autumn (Autumn) and early winter (Winter) and harvested after 7 and 9 weeks of regrowth, respectively. The experiment had two experimental factors: ryegrass type (or cultivar) and harvest season. These experimental factors were in a randomised block design with the forage plot as the experimental unit. The degradation characteristics were assessed in the rumen of fistulated cows using the in situ incubation technique. Perennial ryegrass had a greater neutral detergent fibre (NDF) concentration (468 g/kg dry matter (DM)) than the hybrid (435 g/kg DM) or Italian (414 g/kg DM) ryegrasses. Italian ryegrasses had the greatest soluble fraction of DM (64.2% vs. 46.7% and 40.7%) and the greatest degradation rate of an insoluble but degradable fraction of DM (0.221 vs. 0.189 and 0.145/h) than the hybrid and perennial ryegrasses. Compared with the Winter ryegrass, the Autumn ryegrass had a greater crude protein concentration (246 vs. 208 g/kg DM) and a greater NDF concentration (486 vs. 392 g/kg DM) but a lower calculated soluble carbohydrate concentration (152 vs. 263 g/kg DM). It is concluded that there are notable variations among the cultivars, highlighting distinctions in parameters, such as NDF concentration, soluble fractions, degradation rates, and nutrient content among the perennial, hybrid, and Italian ryegrasses, as well as the seasonal variations observed between autumn and winter growth. These findings will not only facilitate enhanced nutrition for dairy cows as they undergo the transition phase but also have practical implications for future research and dairy cow nutrition.