Seasonal distribution of herbage mass and nutritive value of Prairiegrass (Bromus catharticus Vahl)

A reliable supply of herbage is a crucial feature of forage‐based livestock systems. Forage resources with winter‐active growth habits can help extend the growing season in early spring and late autumn in regions with mild‐winter conditions while drought‐ and heat‐tolerant plants help meet herbage needs during summer in humid temperate regions. The prairiegrass (Bromus catharticus, Vahl) cultivars, Grassland Dixon and Grasslands Lakota, provide resistance to foliar disease and cold in addition to sustained productivity when soil moisture is low, and could be useful over a wide range of growing conditions. The cultivars were sown in spring or summer to determine seasonal distribution of productivity and nutritive value of herbage grown in a cool‐temperate region. Stands established rapidly regardless of sowing time or cultivar and were virtually pure prairiegrass once plants were well‐established. Stand composition of broadcast sowings tended to be stable in subsequent growing seasons, whereas the amount of prairiegrass varied in no‐till stands. In the growing seasons after establishment, cumulative dry matter (DM) yield of Lakota was similar regardless of when it was sown, whereas DM yield of Dixon differed with sowing time and was less in spring‐ than summer‐planted stands. Rapid stand establishment, significant late‐season yield, consistent concentrations of crude protein, non‐structural carbohydrate and total digestible nutrients in herbage, and dominance of sward composition, suggest that prairiegrass cultivars, Dixon and Lakota, are excellent resources for forage‐based livestock production systems in humid temperate conditions.     

Sowing date, harvest date and the yield of forage brassica crops

The effect of sowing date, within the period from late May to mid-August, on the DM yield of five leafy forage brassica crops sown to a stand was examined over the period 1976–78. Kale was the crop most sensitive to variation in sowing date and yields declined progressively with later sowings. There was no yield benefit from sowing rapes or stubble turnips earlier than mid- to late-June. Raphanobrassica produced yields as good as rape when sown in June. In 1978, DM yields of rape, kale and Raphanobrassica increased from September to early November, largely as a result of stem growth; kale was slower to accumulate DM than rape in late summer but continued growing longer into the autumn. The DM concentrations of all crops increased from September to December. Rape had a higher DM concentration than stubble turnip. Raphanobrassica was 10–25 g kg^-1 lower in DM concentration than rape or kale. Raphanobrassica produced 23–59% flowering plants from late-May to early-June sowing. Harvest date affected DM yield and concentration, leaf: stem ratio and flowering percentage. The effects of sowing dale on DM concentration were small.     

Effect of sowing date of triticale on seasonal herbage production in the central Appalachian Highlands of the United States

Triticale (X Triticosecale Wittmack) was evaluated as a complementary pasture to buffer those periods when herbage production from mixed perennial pasture is marginal in the central Appalachian Highlands of the United States. Triticale was sown every month from May to October for five consecutive years from 1999 to 2003. Plant population structure and herbage production were evaluated at intervals until May of the year following establishment. Triticale established quickly at all times of sowing except late October. Wet summers resulted in foliar disease and a rapid decline in plant density when triticale was sown in May and June. In contrast, during the relatively dry summer of 1999, triticale stands exhibited minimal decline. Triticale sown in August had a herbage yield of 1580 kg DM ha^?1 when harvested in October which was over twice the herbage yield of triticale sown in May, June and July. Average herbage yield in the following April of triticale sown in September was higher (1750 kg DM ha^?1) and less variable than herbage yields from other sowing dates. Plant and tiller populations declined throughout the following April but herbage yields in May were high due to stem and seed head development associated with reproductive growth. Incorporating areas of triticale into mixed‐species perennial pasture systems could buffer herbage production during hot and dry summer periods as well as during cool periods of late autumn and early spring.     

Effects of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) cultivars on herbage production, nutritional quality and herbage intake of grazing dairy cows

Four perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) cultivars were compared for differences in herbage production, nutritive value and herbage intake of dry matter (DM) during the summers of 2002 and 2003. Two paddocks were sown with pure stands of four cultivars in a randomized block design with three replicates. Each plot was subdivided into fourteen subplots (22 m × 6 m) which were grazed by one cow during 24 h. Twelve lactating dairy cows were assigned to one cultivar for a period of 2 weeks in a 4 × 4 Latin square experimental design; the experiment lasted 8 weeks in each year. Sward structure (sward surface height, DM yield, green leaf mass, bulk density and tiller density) and morphological characteristics were measured. The ash, neutral‐detergent fibre, acid‐detergent lignin, crude protein and water‐soluble carbohydrate concentrations, and in vitro digestibility of the herbage were measured. The sward was also examined for infestation by crown rust (Puccinia coronata f. sp. lolii). Herbage intake of dairy cows was estimated using the n‐alkane technique. Cultivar differences for all sward structural characteristics were found except for bulk density and tiller density in 2003. Cultivars differed for proportions of pseudostem, stem (in 2003 only) and dead material. The chemical composition of the herbage was different among cultivars, with the water‐soluble carbohydrate concentration showing large variation (>0·35). Cultivars differed in susceptibility to crown rust. Herbage intake differed among cultivars in 2002 (>2 kg DM) but not in 2003. Herbage intake was positively associated with sward height, DM yield and green leaf mass. Canopy morphology did not affect herbage intake. Crown rust affected herbage intake negatively. It was concluded that options for breeders to select for higher intake were limited. High‐yielding cultivars and cultivars highly resistant to crown rust were positively related with a high herbage intake.     

PANICLE DEVELOPMENT AND PLANT VIGOUR IN DACTYLIS GLOMERATA L. IN RELATION TO DATE OF SOWING AND PLANTING

Cocksfoot sown late in summer or early in autumn to provide a seed crop the following year generally produces a disappointing yield. The experiments described were set up to study this problem. Seeds of four varieties, American, Danish and two British cocksfoots, were sown at fortnightly intervals during the spring and summer of 1956. The sowings were repeated in 1957 with the addition of Potomac, a bred variety from USA, and an ecotype from Israel.
Plants sown after mid-May showed a diminishing capacity to produce panicles the following summer. The last sowing in 1957 caused the weight of green hay per plant in 1958 to be at least 50% below that of the spring-sown plants, and panicle number to drop 60–80%. Sowing after mid-May affected panicle development in the autumn and in the following hay crop. Date of sowing had no effect on mean date of panicle emergence in the following summer. In the populations as a whole, neither the presence nor the number of panicles in the first autumn was related to productivity in the hay stand.     

南方鲜食玉米区不同播期甜玉米的子粒灌浆和产量特性

2014~2015年以粤甜16、粤甜22、新美夏珍为材料,在春、夏、秋播期大田种植,利用Logistic方程比较不同播期子粒灌浆过程,探索南方鲜食玉米区播期对甜玉米子粒灌浆和产量的影响。结果表明,播期显著影响甜玉米鲜穗产量、穗粒数和千粒重,从夏播、春播到秋播,随着抽丝至成熟期日均温渐降,到达最大灌浆速率的天数(Tmax)延长,活跃灌浆期(P)增加,达到最大灌浆速率时的生长量(Wmax)增大,导致粒重、穗粒数和产量增加。甜玉米在南方鲜食玉米区的适宜播期依次为秋播、春播、夏播。品种决定粒重与灌浆参数的关系,同一品种的粒重与Wmax极显著正相关,品种间的粒重差异由P决定。根据播期选择适宜品种,延长P,提高子粒Wmax,是甜玉米周年生产中高产稳产的重要途径。     

Agronomic factors affecting the yield and quality of forage maize in Ireland: effect of sowing date and plastic film treatment

The objectives of these studies were to examine the effects of sowing date and plastic film on the yield and quality of forage maize ( Zea mays L.) in Ireland, a marginal maize-growing area. In 1989–95, comparisons were made of maize sown through clear plastic film (PP treatment), and maize sown in the conventional manner without plastic (NP treatment), in terms of dry-matter (DM) yield and quality (cob, grain and starch contents). The PP treatment significantly increased DM yields in five years, with a mean yield increase of 3·10 t ha⁻¹. Whole-plant DM content increased (significant in four years) by a mean of 0·15; cob content increased (significant in five years) by a mean of 0·32; grain content increased (significant in all of the three years examined) by 0·75; and starch content increased from 236 to 318 g kg⁻¹ DM ( P  < 0·01) in 1995 where the plastic film treatment was used. Organic matter digestibility values were similar for both treatments in 1995. Sowing date in the April-May period had no consistent effect on DM yields, but early sowings did increase cob (significant, except in 1994), grain (significant in one (1995) of the two years tested) and starch ( P  < 0·05) contents (only tested in 1995). Sowing on 11 April 1995 through perforated plastic gave lower yields than the NP treatment sown on the same date, due to severe frost damage in early May.     

The effect of sowing date and nitrogen on the dry‐matter yield and nitrogen content of forage rape (Brassica napus L.) and stubble turnips (Brassica rapa L.) in Ireland

Two field experiments were conducted at Teagasc, Moorepark, Ireland, to determine the effect of sowing date and nitrogen application on the dry‐matter (DM) yield and crude protein (CP) content of forage rape and stubble turnips. The first experiment consisted of three sowing dates (1 August, 15 August and 31 August) with four rates of fertilizer N (0, 40, 80 and 120 kg N ha^?1) on forage rape DM yields. The second experiment consisted of three sowing dates (1 August, 15 August and 31 August) with four rates of fertilizer N (0, 40, 80 and 120 kg N ha^?1) over two soil sites (fertile or nitrogen depleted) on forage rape and stubble turnip DM yields. A delay in sowing from 1 to 31 August characterized a 74·5% decrease in forage rape DM yield, while stubble turnip DM yield decreased by 55·5%. Forage rape DM yields increased positively up to 120 kg N ha^?1 at the first two sowing dates over both sites. In contrast, stubble turnips showed less response beyond 40 kg N ha^?1 on site 1 in the first two sowing dates, while DM yield increased positively up to 120 kg N ha^?1 on the less fertile site. The results indicate that the optimal sowing time for forage rape and a stubble turnip in Ireland was early August.     

The effect of time of sowing and sowing method on production of white clover in mixed swards

Two field trials were carried out in successive years in which (1) perennial ryegrass and white clover seeds were drilled together, or (2) clover was broadcast and grass drilled, or (3) both clover and grass were broadcast. The last two treatments were followed by harrowing or not of the seed bed. Sowing took place in early May or August. Four harvests were taken in each full harvest year. In establishment years, sowing in May resulted in a total dry matter (DM) production at least ten times higher than that resulting from sowing in August. No sowing method treatment effects on total DM or clover yield were significant in the establishment year (measured only in spring-sown plots). In the first harvest year the August-sown treatments produced 15% less DM than those sown in May and clover yield was, on average, 40% lower than the earlier sown treatments; clover proportion followed a similar pattern to yield. Drilling of both grass and clover without harrowing produced swards with a significantly lower proportion of clover in the first harvest year in the first trial than in treatments in which clover was broadcast but not harrowed. In the second trial at harvest 1, clover proportion just failed to be significantly lower in the treatment in which grass and clover were drilled than in the treatment when clover was broadcast and the seed bed harrowed. In the second harvest year (first trial only), annual clover yield and proportion were not affected but drilled grass and clover had lower DM yield than when grass was drilled and clover broadcast without harrowing and when both were broadcast, without harrowing. At one harvest, the yield of clover in treatments sown in May was actually lower than that in the later-sown plots. In a subsidiary controlled environment experiment to investigate the effect of stage of clover development on cold hardiness (a factor in autumn-sown swards), plants which were about to initiate stolons (58 days old) had an LD₅₀ of ?5·1° compared with ?9·3°C for plants 60 days older. It is concluded that autumn sowing delays the time at which optimum clover production is achieved (late in the first full harvest year) and method of sowing does not compensate for this. However, sowing in August under Northern Ireland conditions does not seem to jeopardize the chances of a successful establishment of white clover, and plants should be sufficiently winter hardy to withstand relatively hard freezing conditions.     

Establishment and production of common sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) in the UK. 1. Effects of sowing date and autumn management on establishment and yield

The effects of sowing date and autumn management of sainfoin ( Onobrychis viciifolia Scop.) were investigated over 3 years in the UK. Replicated plots were sown between April and September in 2003 and 2004. Autumn management treatments were early and late cutting carried out in the establishment year and in subsequent years. Dry matter (DM) yields were measured over 3 years. One harvest was taken from April to July sowings in the establishment year and three harvests in each of the following years. DM yields from sowings in April and May were 2·8 and 3·3 t DM ha⁻¹, respectively, in the establishment year, which were higher ( P  <   0·001) than from sowings in June and July. Sowings from April to July yielded 10·9–12·5 t DM ha⁻¹ in the first full-harvest year, and 9·5–11·5 t DM ha⁻¹ in the following year. Sowings in August and September only gave 5 t DM ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. Early-autumn cutting of an established sward reduced yields of sainfoin at the second harvest in the first and second full-harvest years. Sowing in May had the lowest proportion of weed species (0·06) in the establishment year, and sowing in July had the highest (0·53). Crude protein concentration increased as the seasons progressed from 149·8 to 230·1 g kg⁻¹ DM.     

Winter cereals grown for grain and for the dual purpose of forage plus grain I. Production

In many rainfed regions of Euro-Mediterranean countries, current political and socio-economic developments demand research in alternative production systems to the common cereal grain monoculture. We studied the option of producing forage in winter by growing cereals for dual purpose (forage plus grain) in a Mediterranean environment. The effect of clipping on forage and grain production was assessed between 1987 and 1990 at Granada, southern Spain, in four cereal cultivars, and in one barley cultivar under three sowing systems.Winter forage yield of cereals, all clipped once at the stage of lemma primordia, was highly variable (25 to 311 g m⁻² of herbage dry matter), with considerable differences among cultivars, sowing systems and seasons. Treatments that had higher forage production were those of either longer crop duration before clipping date (with higher leaf numbers on the main stem and tiller numbers per plant) or higher plant density. Forage production was not related to grain yield reductions due to winter clipping.Averaged over cultivars, sowing systems and seasons, clipping reduced grain yield by 1%, but yielded some 127 g m⁻² of dry matter per season in a period of pasture shortage. Nevertheless, the responses to winter clipping differed among seasons. In 1987/88, clipped cereals produced more dry matter and grain than the control. In contrast, in the last two seasons, clipping reduced dry matter and grain production. Early sowing modified the response to clipping in these last two seasons. Grain yield of early sown barley was not reduced by clipping in 1988/89 and was even increased in 1989/90.The dual-purpose target for cereals could be an alternative to traditional grain monoculture in some Mediterranean environments, provided that adaptations of the traditional crop management to dual purpose, such as the optimization of sowing date and cultivar, are undertaken.     

Spring and autumn establishment of Caucasian and white clovers with different sowing rates of perennial ryegrass

The effect of sowing date (SD) and sowing rate of perennial ryegrass (PRG) on the establishment of Caucasian and white clovers in New Zealand was assessed. Clovers were sown in spring on 24 September (SD1) and 9 November (SD2) 1999, and in autumn on 4 February (SD3) and 31 March (SD4) 2000. On each date, clovers were sown with 0, 3, 6 or 12 kg ha^?1 of PRG. Total herbage dry matter (DM) production up to 6 November 2000 was 13–16 t DM ha^?1 for SD1 and SD2 when sown with 3–12 kg ha^?1 of PRG, and 7–10 t DM ha^?1 for sown clover monocultures. For SD3 and SD4, total herbage production was 6–9 t DM ha^?1 with PRG, while total herbage production of clover monocultures was 5·4 t DM ha^?1 for SD3 and 2·6 t DM ha^?1 for SD4. By 6 November 2000, white clover contributed proportionately more than 0·15 of herbage mass when sown with 3–12 kg ha^?1 of PRG on SD1, SD2 or SD3, but less than 0·09 when sown on SD4. The proportion of Caucasian clover never exceeded 0·09 of herbage mass in any of the swards. White clover was successfully established in spring and in autumn with 3–12 kg ha^?1 of PRG provided the 15‐mm soil temperature was above 14 °C. None of the combinations of Caucasian clover and PRG provided an adequate proportion of legumes during the establishment year. This unsuccessful establishment of Caucasian clover with PRG was attributed to its inability to compete for available light as a seedling due to slow leaf area expansion from secondary shoot development and a high root:shoot ratio. Alternative establishment strategies for Caucasian clover may include the use of slow establishing grasses, cover crops and temporal species separation.     

Millet forage yield and silage quality as affected by water and nitrogen application at different sowing dates

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of two irrigation regimes (control and water stress) and two nitrogen (N) levels (0 and 112.5 kg/ha) on forage yield and silage quality in millet. Bastan (Setaria italica (L.) P. Beauv) and Pishahang (Panicum miliaceum) were sown at two different dates during 2015 and 2016. Both cultivars exhibited reduced dry-matter (DM) yields (45% and 51% in Bastan and Pishahang respectively) due to drought stress. Proline and phenolic contents increased as a result of drought and were significantly and negatively correlated with DM yield and digestibility. Moreover, Pishahang had a reduced acid detergent fibre (ADF) content but improved leaf/stem ratio, digestible dry matter (DDM), relative feed value (RFV), net energy for lactation (NE_L), digestibility and silage quality as a result of drought stress, while no significant effects on these traits were observed in Bastan. Silage quality was greatly cultivar-dependent. Both cultivars had higher levels of DDM, RFV and NE_L at early sowing dates. Nitrogen supply had greater positive effects on increasing ash, crude protein (CP) content and DM yield under normal irrigation than under water-stress conditions. In summary, given the importance of the energy received per unit of forage from an animal husbandry viewpoint and the significance of DM yield per unit area from an agricultural viewpoint, the obtained results might help farmers in choosing not only the best sowing dates but also proper irrigation and N management practices to achieve their quantitative and qualitative objectives in forage production.     

Grain Yield of Sorghum Cultivars in a Double Cropping System

Abstract

Field experiments were conducted at the experimental field of Kyushu University, northern Kyushu in 1996 and 1997 to investigate the possibility of a double cropping of sorghum using early maturity cultivars. The effects of sowing date (early or late) and the cultivar on the yield were also examined. On the average, grain yield from double cropping was 556 g m^?2 in 1996 and 746 g m^?2 in 1997. Sowing date greatly influenced the major traits of the summer crop, but not significantly those in the spring crop, except for the days to heading. Late summer sowing decreased grain yield as much as 41.9%, decreased 100-grain weight by 22.4% and extended days to heading. Early sowing, early in April and late in July or early in August, is recommended for spring and summer crops, respectively, in a double cropping system to obtain a high grain yield. SA 403, D12, C8, C9, D5 C10-1 F₄ line and D5 × C8 (F₁ hybrid) were considered to be suitable for a double cropping system.     

Hard seed breakdown patterns of unprocessed forage legume seed sown into dry soil in summer in southern Australia

The patterns and extent of hard seed breakdown of dormant seeds and pods following burial in the soil in February (summer) varied for up to 19 accessions of 12 species of annual forage legumes. The experiments, at six sites across southern Australia, were designed to identify legumes whose patterns of hard seed breakdown would suit them to agronomic evaluation in a summer sowing research program. For a subset of accessions, sufficient hard seed breakdown was demonstrated between February and April to allow a high proportion of seed to germinate in late autumn—a desirable pattern for summer sowing. Although there was a large G x E interaction, some cultivars of Ornithopus sativus Brot., O. compressus L. and Trifolium spumosum L. had a pattern that was reproducible at all sites. The experiments also identified accessions of Biserrula pelecinus L. and T. glanduliferum Boiss., which had the desirable pattern in regions of south‐eastern Australia, but not Western Australia. A pragmatic approach for selection of forage legume accessions in situ for evaluation within a summer sowing program was demonstrated.     

Rice seedling establishment as affected by cultivar,seed coating with calcium peroxide,sowing depth,and water level

Inconsistent seedling establishment is a constraint to the adoption of direct seeding of lowland rice (Oryza sativa L.) in the tropics. Rice cultivars with superior seedling establishment in flooded soil have been recently identified. The establishment of these tolerant cultivars was compared with a control cultivar with and without calcium peroxide-coated seed under various combinations of water level and sowing depth. Water level had little effect on seedling establishment when seed were sown on the soil surface, but establishment was reduced by raising the water level when seed were sown below the soil surface. Calcium peroxide-coated seed established better than the tolerant cultivars at 13- and 25-mm sowing depths, but their seedlings were shorter and less vigorous than those of tolerant cultivars. Tolerant cultivars and coated seed had longer mesocotyls than controls. Sowing tolerant cultivars beneath a flooded soil surface at less than 13 mm assists achievement of consistent seedling establishment in lowland rice production.     

Competition in perennial ryegrass–white clover mixtures under cutting. 1. Dry-matter yield, species composition and nitrogen fixation

Persistence of white clover (Trifolium repens) in mixtures was studied in a long-term experiment. Mixtures of two cultivars of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) with contrasting growth habits and three white clover cultivars differing in leaf size were sown in 1991 and evaluated at two cutting frequencies. During 1995 and 1996 mixtures with large-leaved white clover cv. Alice had the highest dry-matter (DM) content, clover and N yield, and the highest white clover content, and mixtures with medium-leaved Retor the lowest, whereas mixtures with small-leaved Gwenda yielded most grass DM. In 1995 averaged over cutting treatments and mixtures, the mixtures yielded 11·8 t DM ha^?1 with a white clover content of 0·6; the apparent N fixation was 393 kg N ha^?1. In 1996 these values declined to 8·5 t DM ha^?1, 0·48 white clover and 236 kg N ha^?1. There was no significant effect of cutting frequency on DM yield or white clover content, whereas the effects of grass cultivar were not consistent. In spring there was a peak in the DM production of the mixtures, coinciding with a peak in production of the grass component. However, in summer and autumn the seasonal pattern of DM production of the mixtures was similar to that of the white clover component. Both cultivars of perennial ryegrass showed the same seasonal response, but the seasonal growth pattern of white clover differed slightly between clover cultivars and cutting treatments. In later years only one cutting frequency was imposed, and no yield measurements were taken. White clover was judged to have performed well during 1997; the clover content in September was very high (0·76), whereas in October 1998 it was 0·45. Mixtures with Alice contained most white clover. Despite fluctuations in white clover content during 1991–98, all clover cultivars had persisted 7 years after sowing, irrespective of companion grass cultivar, at both cutting treatments.     

Estimating theoretical radiation‐use efficiency for kale crops

Establishing the radiation‐use efficiency (RUE) of forage brassica crops will aid our understanding of their photosynthetic performance. The concept of RUE has been developed for cereals and legumes, but there is limited information for forage brassica crops. Three experiments defining the influence of different sowing dates on ‘Gruner’ kale (Brassica oleracea acephala L.) dry matter production were conducted at Hastings (Hawkes Bay) and Lincoln (Canterbury) in New Zealand between 2002 and 2009. These trials were also evaluated for radiation interception and RUE. Delayed sowing increased RUE in two out of three experiments across sites: from 1·93 g MJ^?1 photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) for December‐sown crops to 2·72 g MJ^?1 PAR (P < 0·001) for January‐sown crops at Hastings and from 1·50 for September‐sown crops to 2·00 g MJ^?1 PAR (P < 0·001) for November‐sown crops at Lincoln. The different sowing dates and years of experimentation provided a range of mean temperatures (from 13 to 16°C) during the vegetative period. Across years and sowing dates, RUE was strongly correlated with mean temperature (R² = 0·81) and sowing date (R² = 0·64), but weakly correlated with season length (R² = 0·11) and dry matter (R² = 0·002). There was also a strong correlation (R² = 0·83) between sowing date and mean temperature. The increase in RUE with delayed sowing was therefore mainly attributed to increased mean temperatures. Radiation‐use efficiency increased at about 0·41 g MJ^?1 for each 1°C increase from 13 to 16°C.     

“Summer sowing”: A successful innovation to increase the adoption of key species of annual forage legumes for agriculture in Mediterranean and temperate environments

This paper reports on the evaluation of “summer sowing,” an innovative approach to increase the adoption of recently domesticated species of hard seeded annual legumes in Mediterranean and temperate Agriculture. The research revealed that several species of annual legumes whose seed can be readily harvested on‐farm and which possess natural hard seed dormancy, may be sown into dry soil in late summer without additional processing. These studies proved that the hard seed dormancy was broken down sufficiently in the soil over 4–6 weeks to produce robust legume pastures with more than 150 seedlings per m² following the first winter rains, in replicated field sites established across wide agro‐ecological zones in Western Australia (WA) and New South Wales (NSW). Ornithopus sativus Brot., O. compressus L. and Trifolium spumosum L. were suitable for summer sowing based on both hard seed breakdown patterns and subsequent seedling survival in WA. While in NSW, in addition to these legumes, Biserrula pelecinus L., T. vesiculosum Savi. and T. glanduliferum Boiss. were also suitable for summer sowing. A 1.5‐ to 10‐fold increase in herbage production was achieved relative to conventionally sown T. subterraneum L. This development represents a step change in forage legume development for renovated pastures in these environments. Importantly, the experiments revealed differences in G x E effects on seedling establishment, total herbage production and seed yield in different climatic zones. The summer sowing approach is presented as a revolutionary method for pasture renovation that overcomes significant barriers to adoption.     

Variation in forage yield and quality of three cruciferous catch crops grown in southern England

Cruciferous catch crops are an important source of forage, particularly in sheep systems, but due to their late sowing date, commonly July or early August, soil moisture is often a limiting factor in crop establishment and subsequent growth, causing wide variations in yield from year to year. Crops of stubble turnip ( Brassica campestris ssp. rapifera ), forage rape ( B. napus ssp. biennis ) and fodder radish ( Raphanus sativus ) were grown at Hurley between 1969 and 1977. Fodder radish was the most variable in dry matter (DM) yield, while stubble turnip was the most stable. Both DM yields and in vitro digestibilities rose during the autumn, reaching a maximum in mid-December for stubble turnip and forage rape, and in mid to late November for fodder radish. Yield and digestibility subsequently declined. The N concentrations of the forages exhibited a contrary trend, reaching minimum values at about the time of the highest DM yields. The gradual changes in crop quality suggest that the crops are well suited to grazing utilization, in which management is simplified if crop quality shows little variation.