Herbage yield and composition of white clover/grass associations in Atlantic Canada

Abstract

White clover cultivars Sacramento ladino, Sonja and Aberystwyth S. 184 were assessed for dry matter (DM) yields, clover content and herbage quality in monostand and in 50:50 mixtures with grasses under cutting at Truro, Nova Scotia and Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island between 1986 and 1989. Grasses were: orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), timothy (Phleum pratense L.) and reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.). Dry matter yields ranged from 6158 to 11645 kg/ha and were highest in white clover/orchardgrass and white clover/timothy at Truro, and in white clover/timothy at Charlottetown. Sonja and Aberystwyth S.I84 outperformed Sacramento white clover in herbage DM and clover yield in all years at both locations. First-cut herbage contributed 39 and 29% of total yields at Truro and Charlottetown, respectively. Clover yield was highest in first-cut Sacramento/orchardgrass, but dropped by up to 73% in white clover/timothy associations over a 2-year period. Crude protein ranged from 14-4% in clover/timothy to 23-4% in clover/reed canarygrass and was positively correlated with clover content. It was concluded that choice of clover cultivar as well as grass is an important consideration in maximizing herbage yields and quality in the Atlantic region.arundinacea Schreb.), is also a recommended pastureIn the Atlantic provinces of Nova Scotia, Prince to extend the grazing season to mid-October (Fraser Edward Island, Newfoundland and New Brunswick, et al. 1993;Kunelius & Narasimhalu 1993). Timothy naturalized white clover (Trifolium repens L.) grows {Phleum pratense L.) is used mainly for conserved feed in old pastures where it co-exists with bluegrasses (Grant & Burgess 1978) and reed canarygrass (Poa spp.) and bentgrasses (Agrostis spp.) (Fraser (Phalaris arundinacea L.) is used on poorly drained 1989). These naturalized ecotypes are well adapted to areas in Newfoundland (McKenzie & Connolly 1991). the cool moist temperate climate in Atlantic Canada, However, little is known about the compatibility of but are not very productive. The European white white clover cultivars with orchardgrass, tall fescue, clover cultivars Sonja and Milkanova have been timothy or reed canarygrass in Canada. The objective shown to have superior dry matter (DM) yields with of these experiments was to determine DM yield, orchardgrass compared to Sacramento and native white clover yield (i.e. DM in the herbage) and white clover in this region. Herbage DM yields of up herbage quality of white clover varieties in monostand to 110 t/ha with orchardgrass (Dactylisglomerata L.) and in binary associations with the four grasses over under cutting are possible in subsequent years, if the growing season in Atlantic

Forage potential of black oat Iapar 61 alone or in association with birdsfoot trefoil

“…Pulses can provide increased production and improved quality of forage mass, thereby increasing the concentra- tion of protein and digestibility by reducing the concentration of fibers (Fraser and Kunelius, 1995) because grass fibers typically have more legumes, especially in sheets.…”

Performance of Timothy‐based Grass/Legume Mixtures in Cold Winter Region

“…2003). The legume component of forage mixtures increases protein concentration and digestibility, reduces fibre concentration and results in a more balanced mineral composition of the herbage (Haynes 1980, Fraser and Kunelius 1995). Legumes also maintain a higher rate of digestibility than grasses with advancing maturity, thus extending the optimal harvest period (Frame and Harkess 1987, Fagerberg 1988).…”