Residual nitrogen effects on a succeeding oat (Avena sativa L.) Crop of clover species and ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) undersown in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

The aim of the present investigation was to study the effect of white clover (var. Milka and Donna), red clover (var. Fanny) and ryegrass (var. Tove) undersown in winter wheat on a succeeding oat crop. Under the climatic conditions prevailing in Sweden, growing a catch crop after winter cereals is of particular interest because the latter are usually followed by a spring sown crop, leaving the ground bare during autumn and winter. Field trials were carried out during three growing seasons in an integrated farming system and for one year in an organic farming system. Competition from the dense wheat crop in the integrated farming system had a negative effect on the undersown species, and at harvest of the wheat they showed quite poor growth in all three years, with nitrogen contents under 5 kg ha^?1. No significant yield increase was measured without added nitrogen when the averages for all three years were calculated. On average, the grain yields were improved by 750 kg ha^?1 (14% moisture content) for the treatments with undersown clover for all three years when 90 kg N ha^?1 were added. The experiment within the organic system showed a different pattern with a better development of the undersown clover species, with nitrogen contents approximately 25 kg ha^?1 and an improvement in oat grain yield, from around 2?000 kg ha^?1 for the control to almost 3?500 kg ha^?1 with clover undersown the previous year.     

Radiation-use efficiency in leys: influences of growth period and clover proportion

Abstract

Acquisition of carbohydrates and their partitioning to storage organs are decisive attributes for the persistence of perennial leys. It was therefore of interest to analyse radiation-use efficiency (RUE) and root allocation (b_r) in one-, two-, and three-year-old red clover–grass leys as functions of growth period (first and second growth, ley age), proportion of clover, and site properties (location, soil type, humus content). By calibrating RUE and b_r, the ley yields simulated with a growth model were adjusted to the values observed during two consecutive years at 33 organic farms located in the southern and the northwestern coastal regions of Finland. Driving variables of the simulations were daily measurements of weather. RUE declined from the first to the second growth and further with ley age, while its variability increased. The value of b_r decreased from the first to the second growth, and was positively correlated with RUE. The high variability of RUE between different sites, and the absence of correlations between site properties and RUE, were mainly attributable to differences in overwintering and regrowth conditions. Early measurements of above-ground biomass subsequent to overwintering and cutting, and the inclusion of site-specific measurements of soil properties would have increased the general validity of the calibrated parameter values. RUE correlated positively with proportion of clover. However, the increase of the proportion of clover from the first to the second growth was not strong enough to balance the concurrent decline of RUE. With increasing ley age there were two concurrent and reinforcing patterns, namely a decrease in proportion of clover and in RUE. Thus, both symbiotic N fixation and vigour of perennial red clover–grass leys declined with ley age. With regards to RUE, however, three-year-old leys were still productive.     

Effects of defoliation on carbohydrate status,nodules and spring growth in white clover in a sub-arctic climate

Abstract

In order to improve the basis for utilizing white clover (Trifolium repens L) in northern agriculture, we studied the effects of defoliation intensity on spring growth in a sub-arctic climate in relation to carbohydrate and nodule status. White clover plants (cv Snowy) were studied in a pot experiment in the field on the coast of northern Norway from spring 2001 until spring 2002. The experiment was repeated with some modifications from spring 2002 until spring 2003. During the growing season from summer to autumn, the plants were totally stripped of leaves down to the stolon, cut at four or seven cm height or left undisturbed. The plants were sampled destructively in autumn, early spring and late spring and sorted into leaves, stolons and roots. The plant material was weighed and analysed for carbohydrate reserves and nodule number. Defoliation during the growing season resulted in reduced concentration of reserve carbohydrates in autumn and reduced winter survival of the stolons. The most severe defoliation treatment reduced the herbage growth in spring. In contrast, the two milder defoliation treatments had no effect on herbage growth during spring or on total plant dry matter and nodule status in late spring. In conclusion, moderate defoliation during the growing season had no effect on herbage growth the following spring nor on carbohydrate, nodule or dry matter status of the plant in late spring. Moderate defoliation increased spring growth and thereby also the nitrogen demand of the plants. This probably enhanced nodule formation and development of inactive to active nodules.     

玉米及玉米田3种杂草对草地贪夜蛾生长发育和产卵的影响

为研究草地贪夜蛾在玉米田周围杂草上的生长发育情况,对草地贪夜蛾田间防控提供参考,本研究在(28±1)℃,相对湿度(70±5)%,光周期L∥D=16 h∥8 h的人工气候箱条件下,选用玉米Zea mays及玉米田常见的主要杂草扁穗雀麦Bromus catharticus、白花三叶草Trifolium repens、三叶鬼针草Bidens pilosa,探究了草地贪夜蛾在这4种植物上不同虫态的发育历期、蛹重以及卵的孵化率、1~3龄幼虫对4种植物的选择性等。结果表明:草地贪夜蛾在4种植物上均可完成整个世代的生长发育。其中三叶鬼针草处理的草地贪夜蛾幼虫期和蛹期最长,分别为15.97 d和8.33 d;三叶鬼针草处理下草地贪夜蛾蛹重为107.90 mg,显著低于其他3种植物处理的蛹重(P<0.05),玉米、白花三叶草、扁穗雀麦处理的蛹重分别为243.50、239.97、235.80 mg;草地贪夜蛾在4种植物上产卵量具有显著差异(P<0.05),白花三叶草上最高,为2302粒,三叶鬼针草上最低,为827粒;草地贪夜蛾1~3龄幼虫在玉米、扁穗雀麦和白花三叶草上的发育适合度高于三叶鬼针草。草地贪夜蛾在玉米田周围常见3种杂草上可完成生长发育,在防治草地贪夜蛾时,玉米收获后应尽快清除田边杂草,以减少第二季或者次年玉米上的种群基数。     

Effect of temperature on germination and early growth of subterranean clover, capeweed and Wimmera ryegrass

Germination of annual pasture species was studied under controlled‐environment conditions in south‐western Australia at temperatures in the range from 4°C to 35°C. Subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) and Wimmera ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) had a germination of 90% between 12°C and 29°C, whereas capeweed (Arctotheca calendula) had a high germination percentage in a much narrower temperature range with an optimum of 25°C. Growth of subterranean clover, capeweed and Wimmera ryegrass between 28 and 49 days after sowing (DAS) was also studied at two photon flux densities, 13 and 30 mol m^?2 d^?1, and at diel temperatures in the range from 15/10°C to 33/28°C. Pasture species grown at a density of 1000 plants m^?2 accumulated at least twice the amount of shoot dry matter when subjected to temperatures of 21/16°C and 27/22°C, compared with a lower temperature of 15/10°C and a higher temperature of 33/28°C. Except at the highest temperature and at high photon flux density, capeweed had lower green area indices (GAI) than the other two species at 28 DAS. Crop growth rates between 28 and 49 DAS were higher in Wimmera ryegrass than in the other two species, whereas subterranean clover had a lower relative growth rate than the other two species at all temperatures and both photon flux densities. Subterranean clover and capeweed intercepted a greater proportion of the incident radiation compared with Wimmera ryegrass. The values of radiation interception and GAI were used to estimate the number of DAS to reach 75% radiation interception [f_(0·75)]. The number of days to reach f_(0·75) decreased with increasing temperature from 15/10°C to reach a minimum at 27/22°C. The time taken to achieve f_(0·75) was always shorter by about 10 d when the photon flux density was 30 mol m^?2 d^?1 in the autumn compared with 13 mol m^?2 d^?1 in the winter. These results are discussed in relation to the early growth of annual pasture in the field.     

Root and shoot competition between established grass species and newly sown seedlings during spring growth

Competition between established Dactylis glomerata or Festuca pratensis / Taraxacum officinale swards and seedlings of Trifolium pratense was studied under field conditions in Norway. Root competition from the Festuca pratensis / Taraxacum officinale sward was significantly greater than that from a Dactylis glomerata sward. The balance in root and shoot competition varied between experimental years because of variation in environmental conditions. In the first experimental year, root competition had a greater effect on seedling dry weight than shoot competition, whereas the opposite was found in the second year. However, both root and shoot competition (full competition) in comparison with no competition gave proportionally the same effects in both years, indicating that an alleviation in root competition will be followed by intensified shoot competition. An increasing effect of shoot competition with time on plant dry weight was found. In a second experiment, seedlings of Lolium perenne and Trifolium pratense produced the highest plant dry weights in competition with an established Phleum pratense sward, followed by seedlings of Poa pratensis , Phleum pratense and Trifolium repens in decreasing order. However, no interactions between seedling species and competition treatments were found, indicating no differences in sensitivity between seedling species to competition from the established grass sward. The results are discussed in the context of renovating grassland by direct drilling.     

Pasture legumes differ in herbage production and quality throughout spring,impacting their potential role in fodder conservation and animal production

This study reports on the herbage production and quality of a range of pasture legume species during spring, at three sites with moderate to strongly acidic soils in southern NSW, Australia. These data have enabled prediction of livestock production when legumes are conserved as silage or hay. Total herbage production, its timing and quality differed significantly between species, which generally was not predicted by the traditional metric of time to flowering. Trifolium incarnatum L., T. michelianum L., Biserrula pelecinus L., Ornithopus sativus Brot. and Hedysarum coronarium L. all maintained growth rates exceeding 200 kg DM/ha/d for 4 weeks over spring, while T. vesiculosum Savi. maintained this for 6 weeks, with a peak growth rate of 561 kg DM/ha/d. Herbage quality of all species declined over time and was greatest in species with a rapid increase in stem‐to‐leaf ratio or with weak stems, resulting in lodging. The modelling inferred that maximizing potential livestock production via fodder conservation required earlier cutting. Only the indeterminate species B. pelecinus and Ornithopus spp. increased potential liveweight gain per hectare through delayed harvesting from (probable) silage to hay‐making time.     

三峡库区野生红三叶苗期抗旱性灰色关联分析

以三峡库区采集的9份野生红三叶和3份国内外品种为材料,在干旱胁迫下,测定其地上生物量、地下生物量和脯氨酸含量等10项指标,进行灰色关联度分析。结果表明,筛选出地下生物量、脯氨酸含量和叶绿素a含量3项可对红三叶抗旱性进行评价的指标;根据红三叶抗旱性评估模型综合评估值(φ_K)得出材料的抗旱性排序为:瑞德(Red)>CQ5>CQ9>多丽(Dory)>CQ2>CQ4>CQ7>CQ3>CQ1>巫溪>CQ8>CQ6。     

微囊藻毒素(MC-RR)对白三叶种子萌发及幼苗生理生化特性影响

以白三叶种子和幼苗为材料,研究了不同浓度MC-RR对白三叶种子萌发、抗氧化酶活性变化以及MC-RR在白三叶体内积累规律。结果表明,发芽率和发芽势随着处理浓度的增加而降低,在高浓度处理下,与对照相比显著降低;株高随着MC-RR处理浓度增加而显著降低,根长和鲜重在低浓度处理下显著增加,在高浓度处理下显著降低;抗氧化酶活性的变化不尽相同,SOD活性随着处理浓度的增加与对照相比呈先增加后降低而后又增加的趋势,POD活性随着处理浓度的增加呈先增加后降低的趋势,CAT活性的变化趋势不同于SOD和POD;单位鲜重白三叶MC-RR含量随着处理浓度的增加与0.05 mg/L处理下的MC-RR含量相比显著增加,而生物富集系数的变化趋势则与单位鲜重白三叶MC-RR含量相反,随着MC-RR处理浓度的增加而降低。说明随着MC-RR处理浓度的增加,白三叶受到的伤害增大。