| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
a USDA-ARS, Pasture Syst. and Watershed Management Res. Unit, Bldg. 3702, Curtin Rd., University Park, PA, 16802-3702 USA
b Dep. of Dairy and Animal Science, The Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA, 16802 USA
* Corresponding author (mas44{at}psu.edu)
Received for publication December 31, 2004. Some producers believe that planting pastures to several forage species benefits sustainability of grazing systems. We conducted a grazing study to determine if forage species diversity in pastures affects herbage productivity and weed invasion. One-hectare pastures were planted to four mixtures in August 2001 and then grazed with lactating dairy cattle during 2002 and 2003. The mixtures were two species [orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.)], three species [orchardgrass, white clover, and chicory (Cichorium intybus L.)], six species [orchardgrass, tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.), and chicory], and nine species [the six-species mixture plus white clover, alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), and bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.)]. When rainfall was plentiful (2003), there were no differences in herbage yield among the mixtures; all averaged 9800 kg ha–1 dry matter. During 2002, which was dry, the two-species mixture produced less herbage than the other mixtures (4800 vs. 7600 kg ha–1 dry matter). The proportion of nonsown species in the sward was lower for the six- and nine-species mixtures than the two-and three-species mixtures, indicating less weed invasion for these complex mixtures. Red clover and chicory proportions decreased by 80% after 2 yr, and orchardgrass dominated in all pastures by May 2004. We conclude that planting a mixture of grasses, legumes, and chicory will benefit herbage production during dry years and will reduce weed invasion for a few years after planting under management similar to ours. Producers would have to reestablish the chicory and legume components relatively frequently to maintain these benefits.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  V. D. Picasso, E. C. Brummer, M. Liebman, P. M. Dixon, and B. J. Wilsey Crop Species Diversity Affects Productivity and Weed Suppression in Perennial Polycultures under Two Management Strategies Crop Sci., January 16, 2008; 48(1): 331 - 342. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. H. Skinner Yield, Root Growth, and Soil Water Content in Drought-Stressed Pasture Mixtures Containing Chicory Crop Sci., January 16, 2008; 48(1): 380 - 388. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. A. Sanderson, S. C. Goslee, K. D. Klement, and K. J. Soder Soil Seed Bank Composition in Pastures of Diverse Mixtures of Temperate Forages Agron. J., October 15, 2007; 99(6): 1514 - 1520. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
G. E. Brink, M. D. Casler, and M. B. Hall Canopy Structure and Neutral Detergent Fiber Differences among Temperate Perennial Grasses Crop Sci., September 1, 2007; 47(5): 2182 - 2189. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. Deak, M. H. Hall, M. A. Sanderson, and D. D. Archibald Production and Nutritive Value of Grazed Simple and Complex Forage Mixtures Agron. J., May 11, 2007; 99(3): 814 - 821. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
K. J. Soder, A. J. Rook, M. A. Sanderson, and S. C. Goslee Interaction of Plant Species Diversity on Grazing Behavior and Performance of Livestock Grazing Temperate Region Pastures Crop Sci., February 6, 2007; 47(1): 416 - 425. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. F. Tracy and D. B. Faulkner Pasture and Cattle Responses in Rotationally Stocked Grazing Systems Sown with Differing Levels of Species Richness Crop Sci., September 8, 2006; 46(5): 2062 - 2068. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. J. Soder, M. A. Sanderson, J. L. Stack, and L. D. Muller Intake and performance of lactating cows grazing diverse forage mixtures. J Dairy Sci, June 1, 2006; 89(6): 2158 - 2167. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. A. Sanderson, K. J. Soder, N. Brzezinski, F. Taube, K. Klement, L. D. Muller, and M. Wachendorf Sward Structure of Simple and Complex Mixtures of Temperate Forages Agron. J., February 7, 2006; 98(2): 238 - 244. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| The SCI Journals | Crop Science | Vadose Zone Journal | |||
| Journal of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Education |
Soil Science Society of America Journal | ||||
| Journal of Plant Registrations | Journal of Environmental Quality |
The Plant Genome | |||
