Effect of clover cultivar on production and nitrogen fixation in clover-ryegrass swards under dairy cow grazing

Ledgard, S. F.; Brier, G. J.; Upsdel, M. P.

doi:10.1080/00288233.1990.10428416

Cited by 48 publications

(27 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…The annual average amount of N fixed in the mowing trial on the Matapiro soil was similar to that reported on some steepland pastures in the Waikato (Ledgard et al 1987). The annual average amount of N fixed in the trial on the Mangatea soil was similar to (Ledgard et al 1990;Ledgard 1991) that (Edmeades et al 1986;Ledgard et al 1990) reported on some high fertility dairy farms. In all comparisons, it is noted that the 15 N dilution technique as used in this paper gives a minimum rate of N fixation as the transfer of symbiotically derived N from clovers to grass was not measured (Edmeades & Goh 1978).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 65%

Effect of lime on yield, N fixation, and plant N uptake from the soil by pasture on 3 contrasting trials in New Zealand

Wheeler¹,

Edmeades²,

Morton³

1997

New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research

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The amount of plant nitrogen (N) uptake from the soil and fixed N in the herbage of clover species were measured using a 15 N dilution technique on mowing trials at 3 lime rates (0, 5000, and 10 000 kg/ha) at a low rainfall site (Matapiro soil) near Hastings over 5 years and at a high rainfall site (Mangatea soil) near Te Kuiti over 4 years. At the low rainfall site, measurements were also made over 5 years on a grazing trial at 2 lime rates (0, 7500 kg/ha). The dominant clover species was subterranean clover on the low rainfall site and white clover on the high rainfall site. Overall, the average proportion of clover N that was fixed from the atmosphere (PNfix) was about 0.8 of total N in clover. The average annual amount of fixed N in clover herbage was 35 kg/ha in the grazing trial on the Matapiro soil, 65 kg/ha on the mowing trial and 105 kg/ha in the trial on the Mangatea soil. Over all harvests and lime treatments, the amount of N fixed could be estimated as 0.04 x clover yield (kg DM/ha) on the high rainfall site and 0.046 x clover yield on the low rainfall site. The average annual amount of plant N uptake from the soil by grass, clover, and A96070Received 16 September 1996; accepted 18 February 1997 weeds was 150 kg/ha in the grazing trial and 160 kg/ha in the mowing trial on the Matapiro soil, and 240 kg/ha in the trial on the Mangatea soil. In the first 3 years, lime increased grass N uptake by an average of 24 kg/ha/yr over all trials. In the mowing trials, grass N uptake increased during the first 3 years by an average of 16 kg/ha when 5000 kg/ha of lime was applied, and by 33 kg/ha when 10 000 kg/ha was applied. This increase was attributed to an increase in net N mineralisation. However, the increase in net N mineralisation due to liming was a short term effect as lime had no significant effect on grass N uptake after 3 years.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 65%

Effect of lime on yield, N fixation, and plant N uptake from the soil by pasture on 3 contrasting trials in New Zealand

Wheeler¹,

Edmeades²,

Morton³

1997

New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research

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“…Aran and Kopu were markedly higher-yielding than all other cultivars. A similar experiment under dairy cow grazing in Waikato also showed high productivity from Aran and Kopu during the first 2 years, and greater production by Aran in Year 3 (Ledgard et al 1990). Other experiments have also shown highest clover production from large-leaved cultivars under mowing or rotational grazing systems (Widdup & Turner 1983;van den Bosch et al 1986;Frame & Boyd 1987), whereas under continuous grazing, small-leaved highly stoloniferous cultivars are often more productive (Brock 1988;Evans et al 1992).…”

Section: Production By Clover Cultivars and Interaction With Nitrogenmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Several New Zealand studies have shown greater production by large-leaved cultivars of white clover grown in mixed swards with no N fertiliser application (Widdup & Turner 1983;van den Bosch et al 1986;Ledgard et al 1990). Only one recent experiment in New Zealand has compared cultivars under different N regimes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Productivity of white clover cultivars under intensive grazing, as affected by high nitrogen fertiliser application

Ledgard

Sprosen

Steele³

et al. 1995

New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research

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Nine cultivars of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) were grown with perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and their productivity was determined over 3 years under nitrogen (N) fertiliser regimes of 0 or 390 kg N/ha per year. The site was grazed by sheep at 3-or 6-week intervals and after each grazing N fertiliser was applied at 0 or 30 kg N/ha. Fertiliser N application increased total annual pasture production by 25-31%, with the largest proportional responses occurring in autumn and winter. White clover production decreased as a result of N application by 8, 17, and 30% in Years 1, 2, and 3 respectively. During the first 2 years this reduction in clover growth occurred only in spring, and in Year 3 it was also most marked in spring. There was no significant cultivar × N interaction for clover or total pasture production on an annual or seasonal basis. Thus, differences A95023 Received 7 April 1995; accepted 25 October 1995between cultivars in relative clover production were similar in the absence or presence of N fertiliser application. Clover cultivars varied greatly in productivity, and in the nil N treatment there was a positive correlation between clover production and total pasture production in Years 1 and 2, when clover content of pastures averaged 45 and 28% respectively. In all years, Aran and Kopu were higher yielding than all other cultivars. During winter, Kopu was 2-5 fold more productive than other cultivars. In all other seasons, Aran and Kopu were the most productive. There was a highly significant negative correlation between clover production and grass production in both N treatments and in all years. Thus, the more competitive erect-growing, large-leaved cultivars of Aran and Kopu maintained a lower associated grass component in their swards.

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“…In an earlier study of differences in N 2 fixation between white clover cultivars in New Zealand (Ledgard et al 1990), it was concluded that there were no inherent differences in the capacity of different cultivars to fix N, and thus that N 2 fixation was not a basis for substituting one for another. Generally speaking, in breeding for maximum dry matter or total N accumulation, clover breeding programs might indirectly select for maximal N 2 fixation.…”

Section: Differences In N 2 Fixation Capacity Between Species and Culmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nitrogen fixation in Australian dairy systems: review and prospect

Unkovich¹

2012

Crop Pasture Sci.

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Abstract. Quantitative measurement of N 2 fixation has rarely been conducted in Australian dairy pastures. The available data indicate that annual N 2 fixation rates in Australian dairy pastures are generally low, due to low pasture legume content. With typical legume contents of grazed pastures less than 30% of total pasture biomass production, annual N 2 fixation in herbage is usually much less than 50 kg ha -1 year -1 . Other factors which are likely to be able to contribute to increased N 2 fixation input (rhizobia, mineral N management, soil acidity, soil water contents) will have little impact until such time as legume contents are increased. In contrast, for some hay systems, such as those using lucerne, N 2 fixation input is shown to be high (200-300 kg ha). While pasture clover contents remain low there is little value in study or measurement of N 2 fixation, nor in complex modelling, as N 2 fixation will be of little quantitative importance. However, where legume contents, and thus potential N 2 fixation are increased, there is scope for investigation into potential increases in N input from this source, which is invariably linked to fertiliser application, the management of grazing and the N returns in urine and dung. These are the major influences on sward N dynamics and legume N 2 fixation. The inoculant rhizobia used for white clover in Australia (TA1) is likely to be suboptimal. Isolated in Tasmania in 1953 it has been shown to be inferior in N 2 fixation compared with other strains on several occasions. Root pests and diseases are likely to be prevalent and impact directly on clover root growth and perhaps nodulation.Modelling is often used to describe the probable influence of management and/or climate on the operation of agricultural systems. Reliable modelling of N 2 fixation requires capacity to integrate the effects of grazing and pasture composition on soil mineral N dynamics, the influence of this mineral N on nodulation and on suppression of N 2 fixation, and environmental and management influences on soil rhizobial populations. Currently no models have demonstrated this capacity. At present, a suitably calibrated regression model is probably a good option for modelling N 2 fixation in Australian dairy pastures.Environmental benefits ensuing from increasing N 2 fixation and substituting this for fertiliser N are likely to be greater offfarm (reduced GHG emissions at site of fertiliser manufacture) than on, if current fertiliser management is optimal. Nevertheless substituting fixed N for fertiliser N would have modest environmental and feed efficiency benefits.

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Effect of clover cultivar on production and nitrogen fixation in clover-ryegrass swards under dairy cow grazing

Cited by 48 publications

References 16 publications

Effect of lime on yield, N fixation, and plant N uptake from the soil by pasture on 3 contrasting trials in New Zealand

Effect of lime on yield, N fixation, and plant N uptake from the soil by pasture on 3 contrasting trials in New Zealand

Productivity of white clover cultivars under intensive grazing, as affected by high nitrogen fertiliser application

Nitrogen fixation in Australian dairy systems: review and prospect

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