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Quantifying the impact of a weed in a perennial ryegrass–white clover pasture

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Steven S. Seefeldt ,
Jonathan M. C. Stephens ,
Michelle L. Verkaaik  and
Anis Rahman
Jonathan M. C. Stephens
Affiliation:
Department of Biological Sciences, P.O. Box 3105, University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand 2001
Michelle L. Verkaaik
Affiliation:
AgResearch, P.O. Box 60, Lincoln, New Zealand 8152
Anis Rahman
Affiliation:
AgResearch, P.O. Box 3123, Ruakura, Hamilton, New Zealand 2001
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Abstract

Any plant not sown from seed is often labeled a weed in improved pastures of New Zealand. Most improved pastures are a mix of perennial ryegrass and white clover but generally are infested with broadleaf weeds. Changes in forage production due to individual weeds were determined using measurements of perennial ryegrass and white clover before and after dairy cattle, beef cattle, or sheep grazing under, near, and far from individual plants of six rosette-forming weed species throughout a growing season. The larger weeds, bull thistle and musk thistle, reduced the amount of forage utilized 42 and 72%, respectively, in beef cattle– and sheep-grazed hill-country pastures. Forage production under and near Canada thistle, hedge mustard, broadleaf plantain, and hairy buttercup in a dairy pasture was greater (136, 140, 178, and 450%, respectively) than in the control areas. Although the dairy pasture was grazed following recommended grazing procedures, our results indicate that this grazing system was not maximizing forage yield potentials of perennial ryegrass and white clover and that these weeds served as an indicator that the pasture was being overgrazed.

Keywords

Broadleaf plantain, Plantago major L. PLAMAbull thistle, Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Tenore CIRVUCanada thistle, Cirsium arvense (L.) Scop. CIRARhairy buttercup, Ranunculus sardous Crantz RANSAhedge mustard, Sisymbrium officinale (L.) Scop. SSYOFmusk thistle, Carduus nutans L. CRUNUperennial ryegrass, Lolium perenne L.white clover, Trifolium repens L.Interferencefacilitation
Type
Weed Management
Information
Weed Science , Volume 53 , Issue 1 , February 2005 , pp. 113 - 120
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

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