No abstract

‘Emerald’ crownvetch (Cornilla varia L.) and ‘Viking’ birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) were sod‐seeded into permanent bluegrass pastures. Three types of sod openers were evaluated along with the use of paraquat sprayed in a 15‐cm band over the seeded row to reduce competition from the existing sod. Forage production from these sod‐seeded treatments was compared with complete renovation and seeding to a mixture of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), ladino clover (Trifolium repens L.) and red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and to three rates of nitrogen topdressing on the undisturbed sward. All of the treatments significantly increased forage yields with annual applications of N at 448 kg/ha being the highest. However, such a practice is not economically practical at present. Sod‐seeding with crownvetch was as good as either complete renovation or 140 kg N/ha annually. Sod‐seeded trefoil was less productive but in the third year of the study it was higher yielding than complete renovation. Based on dry matter yields, birdsfoot trefoil and crownvetch offer good possibilities for improving permanent pastures production at minimum cost. These legumes can be seeded and the pasture fertilized in one trip over the field. Crownvetch is especially well suited to this type of seeding because of its spreading growth habit. The disk and disk‐spear openers were generally superior to the spear only. However, with crownvetch the spear plus paraquat was also satisfactory.

Synopsis Cereal rye and hairy vetch when sod‐sown into Midland bermudagrass provided a well integrated supply of forage in early spring prior to active Midland growth in summer. Rye produced the earliest spring yields and outyielded barley, field bromegrass, ryegrass, and wheat in that order. Vetch produced high mid and late spring yields. Rye and vetch yields were similar when planted on 3 dates between September 22 and October 14, but November 22 plantings resulted in lower yields. A rye‐vetch mixture outyielded either species alone by approximately 76%.

No abstract

Sorghum × sudangrass hybrids (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench × Sorghum sudanense P. Stapf.) were seeded into tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) sod, which had been temporarily suppressed with paraquat4 (l,l'‐dimethyl‐4,4'‐bipyridinium dichloride). Sod‐seeded De‐Kalb ‘Sudax SX‐12’, with N fertilizer banded under the seed, produced as much forage as conventionally seeded Sudax. Sod‐seeded ‘Sudax SX‐11’ and SX‐12, with N broadcast at seeding, produced less forage than conventionally seeded Sudax, unless enough paraquat was applied to damage tall fescue permanently. Combined yield of tall fescue and sod‐seeded Sudax, under the best management, was about 60% greater than yields of either fescue or Sudax alone.