THE ELECTRONIC MEASUREMENT OF SMALL HERBAGE YIELDS USING A HIGH SENSITIVITY CAPACITANCE METER

The capacitance meters available in the past for estimating herbage yields have lacked sensitivity at the extremes of their range of measurement. The preliminary evaluation of a highly sensitive capacitance meter described here indicates that accurate measurement is possible in the range 0.1100 kg DM/ha. The implications of this development for the measurement of herbage of low availability are discussed.     

A NOTE ON THE ZERO-GRAZING OF BEEF CATTLE

Groups of 8 steers weighing 300–400 kg (660–880 Ib) were rotationally grazed on a ryegrass-dominant pasture for 115 days. The systems compared were zero grazing (Z), field grazing conducted at the same stocking rate (FC), and field grazing conducted at a stocking rate varied with the intention of giving the same liveweight gain per uiimal as zero grazing (FV). Mean daily liveweight gains were: Z, 0.98; FC, 0.78; FV, 0.90 kg/animal (2.2, 1.7 and 20 Ib/animal), and liveweight gains/unit area were in the ratio 100:78:85. Organic-matter intake, measured on four occasions, was, on average, Z, 6.54; FC, 6.18; FV, 687 kg/head daily (14.4, 13.6 and 15.1Ib). From these results it appears that a comparison of zero grazing and field grazing made at the same stocking rate is likely to underestimate the potential of field grazing for beef production from grass.     

FERTILIZER N AND THE YIELD OF CUT GRASS SWARDS IN EASTERN ENGLAND

Single spring dressings of N were compared with split applications over the first two growth periods of the year at ten sites in eastern England in the period 1964–67. None of the four spring periods was unusually dry and the single application of N in spring did not outyield a similar total N rate applied some before and some after the first cut. At nine out of ten sites split applications of N yielded considerably more in the second growth period than the single spring dressing. It is concluded that the split applications of N in the spring, already shown superior to single dressings under moist west country conditions, are correct for many seasons in the drier east of England.     

ANALYSES OF YIELD FROM A COMPETITION TRIAL WITH PERENNIAL RYEGRASS

Four varieties of perennial ryegrass, (S24, S321, S23 and Endura), were grown in monoculture and in all possible binary mixtures. Three spatial arrangements of varieties within mixtures were used. Total DM yields were recorded from nine harvests during 1969 for mooocultures and mixtures and for the mixture components. The arrangement of varieties within mixtures had no effect on the total DM yield of the mixtures. Monocultures and mixtures did not differ significantly in yield at any harvest or in annual total, bnt there were differences between monocultures at some harvests. No differences between mixtures were detected. The experiment took the form of a competition diallel in which monocultures corresponded to the parents in a genetic diallel and mixtures to the crosses between these parents. There was a significant interaction hetween the rows (i.e. main variety effects) and the columns (i.e. associated variety effects) of the diallel table only at the first harvest. The change in the competitive ability of the four varieties throughout the season was examined. The relative ranking order of varieties for competitive ability altered as the season progressed.     

THE EFFECT OF NITROGENOUS FERTILIZER ON THE RATE OF GROWTH OF ITALIAN RYEGRASS.

Residual response to an initial application of nitrogen was measured in 3 years and was found to be quite large, e.g. a response of 8 Ib DM per extra Ib N at the first harvest, when applying 125 Ib N/ac (140 kg/ha) rather than‘75 Ib (84 kg/ha) and allowing 6 weeks' growth, was increased to 21 Ib DM when yield from residual cuts was taken into account. Response was large in relation to the amount of N estimated to have been left behind after the first harvest. Marginal recovery of N, already quite high at the first harvest, was increased to a little over 90% when yield from residual cuts was taken into account Recovery, however, was lower than this when 10 weeks' growth was allowed before the first harvest, and it seems that, in this case, some N may have been lost from the system. A supplementary experiment suggested that the residual effect of N on DM yield could be obscured to some extent by fresh applications of N.