SWARD PRODUCTIVITY UNDER ALTERNATE OR REPEATED CUTTING OF ADJACENT SMALL AREAS

Cutting patterns producing high and low areas were imposed on swards of Dactylis glomerata and Lolium perenne to test whether output could be increased when compared with traditional uniform cutting methods. In two experiments, swards of both grasses were divided into parallel 9 cm strips which were cut alternately on different occasions to a height of 5 cm. These swards yielded a similar quantity of herbage DM to that from other swards cut uniformly at the same height and frequency. In a third experiment, swards of Lolium perenne were divided into alternate strips of unequal width (9 and 4.5 cm). The narrow strips were allowed to grow to a height of 15 cm and were occasionally trimmed at this height. The wide strips were cut to 5 cm at 2–or 4–weekly intervals. Areas cut to 5 cm every 2 weeks yielded significantly more DM when adjacent to high areas than when adjacent to areas cut to 5 cm every 2 weeks (i.e. under uniform cutting). The interaction between adjacent areas having different defoliation regimes is discussed in relation to the possibility of obtaining some additional output from a suitable no niform cutting system compared with uniform cutting. Sward productivity under no niform grazing patterns of livestock is also discussed.