ISSN:
1365-2494
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Agriculture, Forestry, Horticulture, Fishery, Domestic Science, Nutrition
Notes:
Perennial ryegrass/white clover (Lolium perennel Trifolium repens) pastures of three white clover varieties were compared at UK lowland (Plas Gogerddan, PG) and upland (Bronydd Mawr, BM) sites over three harvest years (1989–91) under continuous variable stocking (ewes and lambs until weaning and lambs thereafter). Mean annual lamb output from small-leaved S 184 (1179 kg ha−1) was 29% greater than that from prostrate small-leaved AberEndura at PG with medium-leaved Huia also giving 19% more output than AberEndura. At BM, output from S 184 (863 kg ha−1) was 19 and 14% greater than that from AberEndura and Huia respectively. The differences in lamb output between the small-leaved varieties owed to a combined effect of higher individual lamb growth rates and greater stock-carrying capacity, both of which were more pronounced in the post-weaning period. The higher output from S 184 relative to Huia at BM was attributed to higher stocking rate, particularly after weaning. Clover productivity and persistence were also studied under three cutting-only managements at PG. Performance under a treatment cut at 2–3 cm every 10 d (T1), which is synonymous with assessment of persistence in UK National List testing, was poor with clover growing point number of only 498 m−2 compared with 4906 m−2 on the grazed sward in autumn 1991. Although productivity and clover content under T3 (cut at 3–4 cm every 42 d — similar to National List yield regime) gave the same varietal ranking as lamb production, there was an under-estimation of the small-leaved varieties, particularly AberEndura, relative to Huia. An intermediate treatment (T2), cut at 3–4 cm every 21 d, also over-estimated the performance of the medium-leaved variety. Herbage data from ground level sampling every 21 d using exclosure cages on the grazed swards were also poorly related to lamb performance. These results highlight the effect of clover variety on lamb production, which appeared to be independent of leaf size, and also confirm the existing problems associated with assessment of white clover varieties using a cutting regime.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2494.1995.tb02318.x
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