Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-cfpbc Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-25T04:03:13.362Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Herbage yield and botanical composition over 20 years of a predominantly ryegrass sward treated frequently with phorate pesticide and three rates of nitrogen fertilizer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

R. O. Clements ,
P. J. Murray ,
B. R. Bentley  and
I. F. Henderson
R. O. Clements
Affiliation:
AFRC Institute for Grassland and Animal Production, Hurley, Maidenhead, Berks, SL6 5LR, UK
P. J. Murray
Affiliation:
AFRC Institute for Grassland and Animal Production, Hurley, Maidenhead, Berks, SL6 5LR, UK
B. R. Bentley
Affiliation:
AFRC Institute for Grassland and Animal Production, Hurley, Maidenhead, Berks, SL6 5LR, UK
I. F. Henderson
Affiliation:
AFRC Institute for Arable Crops Research, Rothamsted Experimental Station, Harpenden, Herts, AL5 2JQ, UK
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Plots at Hurley, UK, sown to perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) in 1968 were given 188, 376 or 752 kg N fertilizer/ha per year. Half of each plot at the lowest and highest rate of N fertilizer was given a severe pesticide (phorate) treatment at frequent intervals. Plots were cut and their herbage yield was assessed on five occasions during each of the following 20 years. There was no indication of a long-term decline in total annual herbage yield at any rate of N fertilizer use. The severe pesticide regime enhanced yield by an average of 14·6%/year during the first 11 years, but tended to have little effect or to reduce yields subseque7tly. Initially (1969) all treatment plots comprised at least 85% perennial ryegrass, but this proportion declined to between 67% (medium N) and 40% (high N) by 1989. Apart from ryegrass, the main sward components were species of the grasses Agrostis, Poa, and Elymus and traces of the broad-leaved species Stellaria media and Taraxacum officinale.

Type
Crops and Soils
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 115 , Issue 1 , August 1990 , pp. 23 - 27
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Baker, R. D. (1986). Efficient use of nitrogen fertilizers. In Grassland Manuring (Eds Cooper, J. H. & Raymond, W. F.), pp. 15–27. British Grassland Society Occasional Symposium No. 20.Google Scholar
Baker, R. D. (1988). Grazing management and the integration of grazing and conservation. In Efficient Beef Production from Grass (Ed. Frame, J.), pp. 65–78. British Grassland Society Occasional Symposium No. 22.Google Scholar
Clements, R. O. (1976). The benefits and some long-term consequences of controlling invertebrates in a perennial ryegrass sward. Scientific Proceedings of the Royal Society Dublin, Series A, 6, 217–223.Google Scholar
Clements, R. O. & Bentley, B. R. (1985). Pest damage to established grassland and feasibility of control. In Weeds, Pests and Diseases of Grassland and Herbage Legumes (Ed. Brockman, J.), pp. 165–172. British Grassland Society Occasional Symposium No. 18.Google Scholar
Clements, R. O., Gilbey, J., Bentley, B. R., French, N. & Cragg, I. A. (1985). Effects of pesticide combinations on the herbage yield of permanent pasture in England and Wales. In Tests of Agrochemicals and Cultivars, Annals of Applied Biology, Suppl. No. 6, 126–127.Google Scholar
Coulson, J. C. & Butterfield, J. (1977). Animal com-munities of upland Britain. Bulletin, Centre for Agricultural Strategy, University of Reading, No. 2, 417–436.Google Scholar
Garwood, E. A. & Tyson, K. (1979). Productivity and botanical composition of a grazed ryegrass/white clover sward over 24 years as affected by soil conditions and weather. British Grassland Society Occasional Symposium No. 10, 41–46.Google Scholar
Garwood, E. A., Tyson, K. C. & Roberts, D. (1982). The production and persistency of perennial ryegrass–white clover and high N perennial ryegrass swards under grazing and cutting. Grass and Forage Science 37, 174–175.Google Scholar
Harkess, R. D. (1970). Fundamentals of grassland man-agement. Part 7. Grass and the soil. Scottish Agriculture, Spring, p. 79.Google Scholar
Henderson, I. F. & Clements, R. O. (1977). Grass growth in different parts of England in relation to invertebrate numbers and pesticide treatment. Journal of the British Grassland Society 32, 89–98.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hoogerkamp, M. (1983). The influence of the soil fauna and soil micro-flora on the deterioration of young grassland. In Efficient Grassland Farming (Ed. Corrall, A. J.), pp. 129–133. Proceedings of the 9th General Meeting of the European Grassland Federation, British Grassland Society Occasional Symposium No. 14.Google Scholar
Hopkins, A., Dibb, C., Bowling, P. J., Gilbey, J., Murray, P. J. & Wilson, I. A. N. (1985). Production from per-manent and reseeded grassland in England and Wales from a multi-site cutting trial. Grass and Forage Science 40, 245–247.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sheldrick, R. D., Lavender, R. H., Tewson, V. J. & Cobby, J. H. (1985). The effect on annual dry matter yield of using a hand-controlled mower or a plot harvester for cutting herbage on small plots. Grass and Forage Science 40, 103–108.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, A. & Allcock, P. J. (1985). Influence of age and year of growth on the botanical composition and productivity of swards. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 105, 299–325.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Spaull, A. M., Clements, R. O., Mewton, P. & Ridout, M. S. (1986). Ryegrass establishment and yield in relation to pesticide treatment, irrigation and fertilizer level. Annals of Applied Biology 109, 352–363.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tyson, K. C., Roberts, D. H., Clement, C. R. & Garwood, E. A. (1990). Comparison of crop yields and soil con-ditions during 30 years under annual tillage or grazed pasture. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 115, 29–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Whitehead, D. C. (1970). The role of nitrogen in grassland productivity. Bulletin, Commonwealth Bureau of Pastures and Field Crops, No. 48. Slough: Commonwealth Agri-cultural Bureaux.Google Scholar
Williams, E. D. (1978). Botanical Composition of the Park Grass Plots at Rothamsted 1856–1976. Harpenden: Roth-amsted Experimental Station.Google Scholar
Williams, R. D. (1984). Crop Protection Handbook – Grass and Clover Swards. Croydon: British Crop Protection Council.Google Scholar