The use of legume and herb forage species to create high performance pastures for sheep and cattle grazing systems

Kemp, Peter; Kenyon, P. R.; Morris, S. T.

doi:10.1590/s1516-35982010001300019

Cited by 55 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Disappearance of herbs from the sward is ultimately a consequence of over‐grazing as herbs species have a tap root and survival of this tap root is essential for the persistence of the species. The key principles to avoid tap root damage include not grazing to below 5 cm and maintaining a rotation length of 3–6 weeks to reduce the grazing pressure (Kemp et al., ). In the current study, sheep grazed to 4 cm throughout the year with grazing rotations of between 30 and 40 days (with some individual rotations in the spring being as short as 15 days) which may have accelerated the decline of the herb proportion of the sward.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Legume/herb swards have a higher feeding value for grazing animals (Kemp, Kenyon, & Morris, ). Recent studies indicate that mixtures containing herb (ribwort plantain ( Plantago lanceolata L.), chicory ( Cichorium intybus L.)) and clover (white and red clover ( T. pratense L.)) support improved ewe and lamb performance during lactation (Hutton et al., ; Kenyon, Kemp, Stafford, West, & Morris, ) and for finishing the weaned lamb (Golding et al., ; Somasiri, Kenyon, Kemp, Morel, & Morris, ) compared to perennial ryegrass only swards.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The effect of increasing pasture species on herbage production, chemical composition and utilization under intensive sheep grazing

Grace

Boland

Sheridan

et al. 2018

Grass and Forage Science

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A complete randomized design was used to investigate the effect of increasing pasture species on herbage production, chemical composition and utilization under intensive sheep grazing. Four experimental farmlets were established, namely perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) only, receiving 163 kg N ha−1 year−1 (PRG); a perennial ryegrass and white clover (Trifolium repens) sward (PRGWC); a six species sward containing two grasses, two legumes and two herbs (6S); and a nine species sward containing three grasses, three legumes and three herbs (9S), each receiving 90 kg N ha−1 year−1. Ewes (12.5 ewes ha−1) and lambs rotationally grazed each farmlet from turnout post‐lambing until housing. Target pre‐grazing herbage mass (above 4 cm) was 1,200 kg dry‐matter (DM) ha−1, Target post‐grazing sward height was 4 cm for all rotations. Herbage samples were collected for DM yield, botanical and chemical composition determination at each grazing. Annual DM production of the 6S, 9S and PRG swards was similar (10.3, 9.9 and 9.9 ± 0.5 t DM ha−1, respectively) despite differences in N application. The 6S sward, however, had greater annual DM production compared to the PRGWC sward (9.1 t DM ha−1, p < 0.05). Herb proportions decreased in the 6S and 9S swards from 2015 to 2016 (p < 0.05) resulting in increased proportions of grass in these swards (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the PRGWC, 6S and 9S swards produced similar annual herbage DM from lower N inputs to PRG swards; however, maintaining the proportions of herbs is a challenge under intensive sheep grazing.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The effect of increasing pasture species on herbage production, chemical composition and utilization under intensive sheep grazing

Grace

Boland

Sheridan

et al. 2018

Grass and Forage Science

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“…In this study, annual pasture production (Table ) was higher than the annual production in the Manawatu region of New Zealand, which ranges between 7 and 15 Mg DM ha −1 for the plant species considered (Li & Kemp, ; Kemp et al ., ). It should be noted that leaves of pasture species ( i.e .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Net changes of soil C stocks in two grassland soils 26 months after simulated pasture renovation including biochar addition

et al. 2015

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The use of deep-rooting pasture species as a management practice can increase the allocation of plant carbon (C) below ground and enhance C storage. A 2-year lysimeter trial was set up to compare changes in C stocks of soils under either deep-or shallow-rooting pastures and investigate whether biochar addition below the top 10 cm could promote root growth at depth. For this i) soil ploughing at cultivation was simulated in a silt loam soil and in a sandy soil by inverting the 0 to 10 and 10-to 20-cm-depth soil layers, and a distinctive biochar (selected for each soil to overcome soil-specific plant growth limitations) was mixed at 10 Mg ha À1 in the buried layer, where appropriate and ii) three pasture types with contrasting root systems were grown. In the silt loam, soil inversion resulted in a general loss of C (2.0-8.1 Mg ha À1), particularly in the buried horizon, under shallowrooting pastures only. The addition of a C-rich biochar (equivalent to 7.6 Mg C ha À1 ) to this soil resulted in a net C gain (21-40% over the non-biochar treatment, P < 0.10) in the buried layer under all pastures; this overcame the loss of C in this horizon under shallow-rooting pastures. In the sandy soil, all pastures were able to maintain soil C stocks at 10-20 cm depth over time, with minor gains of C (1.6-5.1 Mg ha À1 ) for the profile. In this soil, the exposure of a skeletal-and nutrient-depleted soil layer at the surface may have fostered root growth at depth. The addition of a nutrient-rich biochar (equivalent to 3.6 Mg C ha À1 ) to this soil had no apparent effect on C stocks. More research is needed to understand the mechanisms through which soil C stocks at depth are preserved.

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“…Increasing herbage production in the winter, spring and autumn when herbage growth is limited by low temperatures and light intensity, is critical to enable producers to increase the proportion of grazed herbage in the animal's diet, thus displacing other more costly feeds (Kennedy, O'Donovan, Murphy, Delaby, & O'Mara, 2005;McEvoy et al, 2008). With the seasonal growth pattern and winter dormancy of legumes (Kemp, Kenyon, & Morris, 2010), it is of interest to investigate how increasing species number to include grasses, legumes and non-leguminous forbs might affect the seasonality of supply of herbage and thus investigate if multispecies swards offer potential to extend the grazing season.…”

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confidence: 99%

The effect of grazing versus cutting on dry matter production of multispecies and perennial ryegrass‐only swards

Grace

Boland

Sheridan

et al. 2019

Grass and Forage Science

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Dry matter (DM) production of multispecies swards compared to perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne; PRG) swards under intensive grazing warrants investigation as it is relatively unknown. A 5 × 2 factorial experiment, with five sward types and two defoliation methods, was used to investigate the effect of grazing versus cutting on dry matter (DM) production of multispecies and PRG‐only swards. Five sward types were established namely: a PRG‐only sward, receiving 250 kg N ha−1 year−1 (PRG250), and a PRG‐only sward (PRG90), a two‐species sward with PRG and white clover (Trifolium repens; PRGWC), a six‐species sward (6S) and a nine‐species sward (9S), each receiving 90 kg N ha−1 year−1. Cutting plots measured 1.95 × 10 m and grazing plots measured 10 × 10 m. All plots were harvested concurrently every 21–30 days from April‐November for two years (2015 and 2016). A strip from the grazing plots was cut for DM yield determination prior to turning in cattle for grazing. There was an interaction between sward type and defoliation method (p < .01), whereby there was no effect of defoliation method on the PRG‐only swards, however, the annual DM production of PRGWC, 6S and 9S swards reduced under grazing compared to cutting (p < .001; on average 1,929 kg DM/ha lower). Multispecies swards had lower DM production under grazing compared to cutting, while the DM yield of PRG‐only swards was unaffected by defoliation method.

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The use of legume and herb forage species to create high performance pastures for sheep and cattle grazing systems

Cited by 55 publications

References 18 publications

The effect of increasing pasture species on herbage production, chemical composition and utilization under intensive sheep grazing

The effect of increasing pasture species on herbage production, chemical composition and utilization under intensive sheep grazing

Net changes of soil C stocks in two grassland soils 26 months after simulated pasture renovation including biochar addition

The effect of grazing versus cutting on dry matter production of multispecies and perennial ryegrass‐only swards

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