SOME EFFECTS ON THE YIELDS OF RYEGRASS STRAINS OF VARYING THE GROWING TECHNIQUE AND THE CONDITIONS OF MANAGEMENT

The effects are reported of varying the growing technique, and the conditions of management, on green and air-dry yields of herbage from five strains of ryegrass during 1952 and 1953. All strains were grown in three ways: as spaced plants, in drill-rows and in stands broadcast with white clover. There were two experiments, one managed for hay and aftermath, the other cut more frequently.
In both experiments the broadcast plots reached their peak of herbage production first; the spaced plants took longest. There were considerable differences in the seasonal distribution of yields from the different growing techniques during the first harvest year. In 1953, the differences were smaller but the secondary annual peak of herbage production observed in the broadcast plots was not detected in the spaced plants.
The total annual production per unit area was greatest from the broadcast, and least from spaced-plant plots. Yields on certain occasions, however, were greatest from spaced plants and least from broadcast areas.
The effects of varying the conditions of management were greatest on population samples sown broadcast and least on those growing as spaced plants, their reaction when grown in drills being intermediate.
Differences in plant population in the various growing techniques are discussed in relation to the above results.