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Production and quality benefits of white clover inclusion into ryegrass swards at different nitrogen fertilizer rates

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 June 2018

D. Enriquez-Hidalgo ,
T. J. Gilliland ,
M. Egan  and
D. Hennessy
D. Enriquez-Hidalgo*
Affiliation:
Teagasc, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University, Belfast BT7 1NN, Northern Ireland Departamento de Ciencias Animales, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingeniería Forestal, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
T. J. Gilliland
Affiliation:
Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University, Belfast BT7 1NN, Northern Ireland Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Hillsborough BT26 6DR, Northern Ireland
M. Egan
Affiliation:
Teagasc, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland
D. Hennessy*
Affiliation:
Teagasc, Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co. Cork, Ireland
*
Author for correspondence: D. Enriquez-Hidalgo and D. Hennessy, E-mail: daniel.enriquez@uc.cl; deirdre.hennessy@teagasc.ie
Author for correspondence: D. Enriquez-Hidalgo and D. Hennessy, E-mail: daniel.enriquez@uc.cl; deirdre.hennessy@teagasc.ie
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Abstract

A 4-year (2010–2013) plot study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of nitrogen (N) fertilizer rate (0, 60, 120, 196 and 240 kg N/ha/year) on seasonal responses and species persistency in frequently and tightly grazed (⩽4 cm) grass-only (GO) and grass white clover swards (GWc). Increasing N application rate increased herbage removed and pre-grazing sward height. Cows frequently grazed the GWc tighter than the GO. Increasing N rate reduced clover content, especially during the warmest months of the year, but less so up to 120 kg N/ha/year. The GWc had greater amounts of herbage removed than GO in the May–September period but the effect was less as N rate increased. Cumulative herbage removed from GWc was greater than GO swards receiving the same N rate and herbage quality was better in GWc than GO. Such effects were reduced as swards aged and with increasing N rate. It was concluded that under frequent and tight grazing management: (1) clover inclusion increased annual herbage removed; (2) herbage removed from GWc swards receiving no N was the same as the GO sward receiving 240 kg N/ha, and greater for the 240 GWc swards than the 240 GO swards; (3) clover inclusion benefits were mainly from summer onwards; (4) the management strategy applied in the current experiment may be capable of alleviating the detrimental effect of N fertilizer on clover, to a point between 60 and 120 kg N/ha.

Keywords

mixed swardTrifolium repensintensive grazingherbage production and qualityN use efficiency
Type
Crops and Soils Research Paper
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 156 , Issue 3 , April 2018 , pp. 378 - 386
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Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2018 

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