Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Peer-reviewed

Sward Species Diversity Impacts on Pasture Productivity and Botanical Composition Under Grazing Systems

A. Jezequel, Luc Delaby, John A. Finn, Z.C. McKay, B. Horan

Grass and Forage Science · 2024

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Summary

ABSTRACT This research investigated the effect of intensive grazing on the annual and seasonal yield and botanical composition of three sward types: (1) Lolium perenne monoculture sward receiving 250 kg nitrogen (N) ha −1 year −1 (PRG 250 N); (2) Lolium perenne — Trifolium repens sward receiving 125 kg N ha −1 year −1 (PRGWC 125 N) and (3) a multispecies sward comprising eight species receiving 125 kg N ha −1 year −1 (MSS 125 N). Each sward type had its own farmlet of 20 paddocks and comprising 47 cows on 18.7 ha with each group of cows remaining on the same farmlet for the 2‐year study. Total yield (13,015 kg ha −1 year −1 of dry matter forage) did not differ among the three sward types, despite a substantial difference in chemical N fertiliser between PRG 250 N and both PRGWC 125 N and M

Source type
Peer-reviewed study
DOI
10.1111/gfs.12700
Catalogue ID
SNmoimwvbw-zurbi5
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