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CROPPING SYSTEMS

Management of Warm-Season Annual Grass Residue on Annual Ryegrass Establishment and Production

^a Univ. of Minnesota, West Central Exp. Stn., State Hwy. 329, Morris, MN 56267 USA
^b Louisiana State Univ. Agric. Ctr., Southeast Res. Stn., P.O. Drawer 567, Franklinton, LA 70438 USA
^c Dep. of Applied Statistics, Univ. of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108 USA
^d Louisiana State Univ. Dep. of Experimental Statistics, 161 Agric. Administration Bldg., Baton Rouge, LA 70803 USA

cuomogj{at}mrs.umn.edu

Received for publication October 7, 1998.

	ABSTRACT

TOP NOTES ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Materials and methods Results and discussion Summary REFERENCES

 
Early-season forage production of annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) is reduced in the southeastern USA when established no-till rather than with conventional tillage. We hypothesized that annual warm-season grass residue interferes with seedling establishment under no-till. In a two-year study, we evaluated six strategies for managing residue from warm-season annual grass on annual ryegrass establishment, forage production, and soil moisture. Treatments were (i) no herbicide, mow, and leave residue; (ii) tillage 30 and 7 d before planting; (iii) apply glyphosate [isopropylamine salt of N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine] 30 d before planting, mow, and leave residue; (iv) apply glyphosate 7 d before planting, mow, and leave residue; (v) apply glyphosate 7 d before planting, apply additional residue from twice the plot area (i.e., three times the other residue treatments); and (vi) apply glyphosate 7 d before planting, burn residue 1 d before planting. Better stands and more forage production at first harvest of annual ryegrass were obtained by spraying and burning residue (two-year average of 96% stand and 0.92 Mg ha^-1 yield at the first harvest) or spraying 30 d before planting (92% stand, 0.92 Mg ha^-1) than when annual ryegrass was planted into a 3x residue (55% stand, 0.24 Mg ha^-1). Soil moisture at planting did not cause differences in stand establishment among treatments. We conclude that managing residue during no-till establishment by controlling warm-season annual grasses and burning or controlling warm-season annual grasses 30 d before planting can improve stands and forage production of annual ryegrass.

	INTRODUCTION

TOP NOTES ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Materials and methods Results and discussion Summary REFERENCES

 
MANY CATTLE PRODUCERS in the southeastern USA find it advantageous to use annual ryegrass for winter forage. Having cool-season forage as early in the season as possible is important to dairy farmers and producers with growing cattle (Bos spp.), because it provides high-quality forage during a critical period of forage shortage. Well-managed ryegrass forage contains in excess of 200 g kg^-1 crude protein and 700 g kg^-1 total digestible nutrients from mid-November through April (McCormick and Fales, 1985).

Annual ryegrass has traditionally been a primary forage resource for many dairies in the southeastern USA. After ryegrass growth stops in summer, producers often use the warm-season annual grasses that volunteer after ryegrass for grazing or hay. Volunteer warm-season grasses, such as crabgrass [Digitaria sanguinalis (L.) Scop.] and signalgrass [Urochloa platyphylla (Nash) R.D. Webster; syn. Brachiaria platyphylla (Griseb.) Nash] can be valuable, high-nutritive forages. Murphy and Brock (1992) reported first-harvest crabgrass–signalgrass forage to contain 210 g kg^-1 crude protein and 700 g kg^-1 total digestible nutrients. Late in the summer, these volunteer grasses must be suppressed for ryegrass establishment. Generally, suppression of warm-season annual grasses for early ryegrass establishment has been done with tillage. However, highly erosive and shallow soils, which are common where annual ryegrass is grown in the southeastern USA, make the adoption of no-till systems critical. Warm-season annual grasses that are common in annual ryegrass production systems can be suppressed with herbicides (Johnson and Brock, 1992). Therefore, no-till ryegrass establishment systems should produce early-season forage comparable to that of tilled systems, while minimizing erosion. However, early-season forage production of annual ryegrass has been less in no-till than in tilled systems (Allen et al., 1983; Lang, 1989, 1992; Cuomo and Blouin, 1997). Lang (1992) reported that, through March, annual ryegrass established no-till produced 1000 kg ha^-1 of forage mass compared with 4000 kg ha^-1 for annual ryegrass established with tillage. Cuomo and Blouin (1997) reported that, at the first harvest, annual ryegrass established no-till with herbicides to control volunteer warm-season annual grasses produced 27% more forage than annual ryegrass established no-till without herbicides. Ryegrass established in a conventionally prepared seedbed, however, produced 55% more forage than when established no-till with herbicides. Forage production was similar after January for annual ryegrass established with tillage and no-till.

Establishment method also affects annual ryegrass stands (Lang, 1989; Cuomo and Blouin, 1997). Lang (1989) reported ryegrass established no-till without herbicides had poorer stands (84%) than no-till ryegrass established with paraquat (1,1'-dimethyl-4,4'-bipyridinium ion) (96%) and ryegrass established with tillage (96%). Cuomo and Blouin (1997) attributed some of the differences in early-season forage production of annual ryegrass established with tillage and no-till to differences in stand. Season total forage production has generally been similar between tilled and no-till establishment systems for annual ryegrass (Allen et al., 1983; Lang, 1989, 1992).

Previous research has implied that a complexity of factors may affect establishment and growth of annual ryegrass in no-till establishment systems (Cuomo and Blouin, 1997). This study was conducted to evaluate management of warm-season annual grass residue on annual ryegrass establishment, forage production, and soil moisture.

	Materials and methods

TOP NOTES ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Materials and methods Results and discussion Summary REFERENCES

 
Research plots were located at the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station near Franklinton, LA. Soil was Tangi silt loam (fine-silty, siliceous, thermic, Typic Fragiudults), with the A horizon extending approximately 8 to 16 cm.

Six residue management treatments were evaluated in a randomized complete block experiment with four replications in two years. Residue management treatments were (i) no herbicide, mow, and leave residue; (ii) till 30 and 7 d before planting; (iii) apply glyphosate [isopropylamine salt of N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine] 30 d before planting, mow, and leave residue; (iv) apply glyphosate 7 d before planting, mow, and leave residue; (v) apply glyphosate 7 d before planting, apply additional residue from twice the plot area (for residue three times that in other residue treatments); and (vi) apply glyphosate 7 d before planting, burn residue 1 d before planting. All mowing was done 1 d before planting with a riding lawn mower, leaving 5 cm of stubble. These treatments represent a range of residue management strategies that are used, or could be used in no-till establishment of annual ryegrass. The 3x residue management treatment was developed by mowing an area two times the size of a plot from a site adjacent to the designated plots to a stubble height of 2 cm, and then hand-raking and applying the mowed material over the existing residue on the plots. Residue biomass at planting was estimated by weighing the plant material that was mowed, raked, and applied to the 3x residue management treatments. Residue at planting averaged 1200 kg ha^-1 in 1995 and 1310 kg ha^-1 in 1996; thus, 3x treatment residue averaged 3600 kg ha^-1 in 1995 and 3930 kg ha^-1 in 1996. Glyphosate was applied at 0.84 kg a.i. ha^-1 in water in a dilution volume of 125 L ha^-1. A tractor-mounted rototiller was used to till plots within the experiment. Individual plots were 4 by 6.4 m. Thus, each block was 24 by 6.4 m, with 3-m separating blocks.

On 20 Sept. 1995 and 22 Sept. 1996, 33.6 kg ha^-1 pure live seed of `Jackson' annual ryegrass was planted using a commercial no-till drill. Plots were planted with two passes of the 3.2-m-wide drill traveling perpendicular to individual plots.

In addition to amounts of P and K recommended by soil test, 34 kg N ha^-1 was applied to all plots 1 d before planting. An additional 56 kg N ha^-1 was applied when plants reached 5 cm in height, and 56 kg N ha^-1 was applied following the first harvest, and then again after the first and third harvests during the growing season. In the 1995–1996 growing season, a total of 202–80–150 kg ha^-1 of N–P–K was applied. In the 1996–1997 growing season, a total of 202–60–190 kg ha^-1 of N–P–K was applied.

The study site had volunteer warm-season grasses, primarily crabgrass and signalgrass, growing during the summer months. Volunteer warm-season grasses were clipped to a 7-cm stubble height in June and late July each summer. Clipped warm-season grass herbage was removed from the plots. In April of each year, 90–40–80 kg ha^-1 of N–P–K was applied to the experimental area to promote warm-season grass growth. An additional 56 kg N ha^-1 was applied to the warm-season grasses after mowing in June. Summer fertilization and mowing were used to simulate management of warm-season annual grasses as a hay crop. All N in the study was applied as NH₄NO₃.

Stand establishment was estimated by randomly identifying and marking two 1-m lengths of drill row within each plot as permanent transects. Using a 1-m-long strip of wood marked in 5-cm increments, the number of 5-cm increments with live rooted ryegrass seedlings was counted for each transect every other day, beginning when emerged seedlings were visible. There was a potential for 40 such 5-cm transects in each plot each time ryegrass stands were evaluated. Emergence counts started on the same day for all treatments and continued for 19 d after emergence. The trial was conducted in a different part of the same field for the 1995–1996 and 1996–1997 growing seasons.

Soil moisture was estimated gravimetrically 3 d after emergence. Four soil cores per plot were taken to a depth of 10 cm, using a soil probe. The four soil cores were composited. This resulted in one soil sample per plot. Samples were weighed, dried for 96 h at 60°C, and reweighed to determine soil moisture concentration.

When plants reached a height of 25 to 30 cm, plots were harvested with a flail harvester to a stubble height of 10 cm. Total green herbage from a 1.2- by 4.9-m strip from the middle of each harvested plot was weighed to determine forage mass. A 1-kg subsample was taken from each harvested plot, dried in a forced-air oven at 60°C for 48 h, and weighed to determine dry matter concentration. Forage mass values are reported on a dry matter basis. At the 17 Dec. 1996 harvest, warm-season annual grasses had regrown in the treatment that was not treated with herbicide. The warm-season grass component was visually estimated and yield adjusted for that treatment. Warm-season annual grasses were not a significant component (<20 g kg^-1) of biomass produced for any other treatment or harvest.

The experiment was a randomized complete block (Steel and Torrie, 1980) repeated for two years, with four replications each year. Analyses of variance were performed on forage mass data. Analyses of variance for establishment was performed on arcsine-transformed data. Pearson product moment correlation's were calculated between emergence and forage mass data. All statistical analyses were performed using the GLM procedure of SAS (SAS Inst., 1989). The error term used to test year main effects was block within year, the error term used to test ryegrass establishment method and year x ryegrass establishment method interactions was block x ryegrass establishment method within year, and residual error was used to test all establishment readings or harvest within year interactions. All differences reported were significant at P < 0.05.

	Results and discussion

TOP NOTES ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Materials and methods Results and discussion Summary REFERENCES

 
Climate Data
Average temperature and monthly total precipitation data for the ryegrass growing season (September through May) are presented in Table 1 . More rain fell around planting and emergence (September and October) for the 1996–1997 growing season than for the 1995–1996 growing season.

View larger version (24K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 1 Residue management main effects for annual ryegrass stand establishment for six treatments evaluated during the 1995–1996 and 1996–1997 growing seasons near Franklinton, LA. No Herb: no herbicide, planted into mowed summer annual grass stubble. Tilled: tilled 30 and 7 d before planting (BP). Gly 30 d: glyphosate sprayed 30 d BP. Gly 7 d: glyphosate sprayed 7 d BP. Gly 7 d, 3x: glyphosate sprayed 7 d BP, additional residue from twice the plot area applied to the plot. Gly 7 d, burn: glyphosate sprayed 7 d BP, burned 1 d BP

Forage Production
Different growing conditions and harvest dates between the two years made year x harvest date interactions difficult to interpret; thus, individual harvests were analyzed within year and are presented as such. In the 1995–1996 growing season, forage mass from tilled plots was as great or greater than for any other treatment at all harvests (Table 3) . Early in the 1995–1996 growing season (11 December and 22 January harvests), no-till plots sprayed 30 d before planting or where warm-season grass residue was burned before planting both produced more forage than plots where no herbicide was used or where there was 3x residue. Except for the no herbicide treatment at the first harvest, the treatment ranking for forage production was similar for the first two harvests in the 1996–1997 growing season (Table 4) . At the first harvest for the no herbicide treatment in the 1996–1997 growing season, large amounts of warm-season annual grass growth (visually estimated at 75% of dry matter) increased forage production. Reduced early-season ryegrass growth in 3x residue and where no herbicides were used implies that heavy mulch or competition from warm-season annual grasses can reduce early-season annual ryegrass production. Although this experiment was conducted for only two growing seasons, the results indicate that challenges with no-till establishment of annual ryegrass may be greater when moisture is limiting.

Emergence and subsequent forage production response to treatments for the 1996–1997 growing season were more complex. In the 1996–1997 growing season, the trend for more forage production in dense stands when N was abundant and less forage production when N was probably limiting was not as strong, but still held for the 26 March and the 29 April 1997 harvests. The trend would have also held at the 17 Dec. 1996 harvest, except that the warm-season annual grasses contributed heavily to forage production in ryegrass established without herbicides (Table 4). It is possible that in thinner stands ryegrass did not use as much N early in the growing season, and so more N was available for regrowth later in the growing season as plants developed. This same phenomenon of thinner stands producing more forage late in the growing season was previously noted by Cuomo and Blouin (1997).

Year x residue management treatment interactions were detected for total forage production (Table 5) . In the 1995–1996 growing season, more total forage was produced in ryegrass established with tillage than ryegrass established no-till. Among no-till treatments, ryegrass sprayed with glyphosate 30 d before planting and where warm-season annual grass residue was sprayed and burned produced more forage than other treatments. For the 1995–1996 growing season, when there was less moisture around planting, rapid emergence was positively correlated with early and total forage production (P > 0.05; data not shown).

Management of residue was the only difference among no-till plots sprayed 7 d before planting with residue left on the plot, plots sprayed 7 d before planting with 3x residue, and plots sprayed 7 d before planting and burned. Differences in stand establishment and in early-season and total forage production among these treatments were often detected. Forage production at the first two harvests (Table 3) and total forage production (Table 5) for the 1995–1996 growing season were greater where residue was removed by burning than for the other two treatments. Forage production at the first two harvests (Table 4) and total forage production (Table 5) were less for the 3x residue management treatment during the 1996–1997 growing season than for the other two treatments.

The only difference between spraying 7 d before planting and spraying 30 d before planting was the length of time the residue had to decay before planting. However, plots sprayed 7 d before planting produced less early forage in both years and total forage in the 1995–1996 growing season. Additionally, spraying 7 d before planting and then burning the residue tended to increase both early-season and total forage production. This indicates that residue inhibits forage production of annual ryegrass in no-till systems. More residue, as evaluated by the 3x residue treatment, increased this effect.

We do not know why applying glyphosate to warm-season grasses 30 d before planting might result in better stands and more forage production than applying glyphosate 7 d before planting. However, Smiley et al. (1992) found, when planting barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) into weeds and small grain residue soon after glyphosate was applied, that emerging plants often died from diseases associated with rhizoctonia pathogens (Rhizoctonia spp.). They concluded that diseases associated with the rhizoctonia pathogens were more severe when intervals between herbicide application and planting were shorter. These results are supported by research in Australia (MacNish, 1985; Rovira, 1986; Roget et al., 1987). Whatever causative factors are reducing annual ryegrass establishment and early-season forage production in no-till production systems, it appears that after 30 d these factors are diminished. Thus, applying glyphosate 30 d before planting cool-season annual grasses appears to be a way to minimize problems with early establishment of annual ryegrass into warm-season annual grass residue.

Burning may also minimize problems associated with no-till establishment of annual ryegrass. As a method of mulch management, however, burning reduces the amount of organic matter returned to the soil. Addition of organic matter would be beneficial to the low organic matter soils in the region where annual ryegrass is widely grown. In addition, there are environmental, safety, and liability factors that may discourage burning.

Soil Moisture
Year x soil moisture interactions were not significant. Soil moisture in the top 10 cm measured 3 d after emergence and averaged over the two years of the study are presented in Table 5. Plots with 3x residue had more soil moisture than the other treatments 3 d after emergence. The residue probably insulated the soil and reduced evaporation from the soil surface. Soil moisture was negatively correlated (r = -0.25, P > F = 0.0001) with forage production at the first harvest and with total forage production (r = -0.26, P > F = 0.0001) as a result of high soil moisture and low forage production on plots with 3x residue. However, even with the 3x residue treatment excluded from the model, soil moisture was weakly negatively correlated (r = -0.09, P > F = 0.02) with ryegrass forage production at the first harvest and total forage production (r = -0.07, P > F = 0.05). In years of severe drought stress, soil moisture may be the most critical factor affecting annual ryegrass germination and establishment; within the environments and treatments evaluated in this study, soil moisture did not affect germination and establishment.

	Summary

TOP NOTES ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Materials and methods Results and discussion Summary REFERENCES

 
Tillage has tended to provide for consistency in annual ryegrass establishment and production. When annual ryegrass is planted using no-till systems, however, forage production has been inconsistent, particularly early in the growing season. Similar results were found in this study. However, even during the two growing-season period of this study, some consistency was gained in no-till annual ryegrass production when warm-season annual grasses were treated with glyphosate 30 d before planting or where residue was burned before planting. Differences in soil moisture among residue management systems did not appear to account for differences in stand establishment (Table 5).

During the 1995–1996 growing season, rapid emergence and dense stands were positively correlated with early-season and total forage production. Where warm-season annual grass residue was managed in no-till plots by spraying with glyphosate 30 d before planting or by burning, vigorous seedling emergence and high levels of forage production resulted.

During the 1996–1997 growing season these differences among no-till residue management treatments were less pronounced. This may have been the result of more abundant rainfall around planting and emergence in 1996. However, poor stands and low forage production still resulted from the 3x residue management treatment. This indicates that environment—in this instance, rainfall—can mitigate the impact of residue on annual ryegrass establishment. Early-season and total forage production, however, were strongly correlated with good stand establishment in one of the two study-years. Therefore, in at least some production environments, managing warm-season annual grass residue in no-till annual ryegrass establishment systems by spraying with glyphosate and burning residue or spraying glyphosate 30 d before planting can improve stand establishment and increase early-season and total forage production.SAS Institute 1989

	NOTES

TOP NOTES ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Materials and methods Results and discussion Summary REFERENCES

 
At the time of the research, the senior author was at Louisiana State Univ. Agric. Center, Southeast Research Stn., Franklinton, LA.

	REFERENCES

TOP NOTES ABSTRACT INTRODUCTION Materials and methods Results and discussion Summary REFERENCES

 

• Allen, M., D. Friesner, F. Jodari, and L. Mason. 1983. Year-round forage production with sod-seeded cool-season annuals and summer perennial grasses, 1982–83. p. 75–82. In Southeast Research Station annual progress report. La. State Univ. Agric. Ctr., Franklinton.
• Cuomo G.J., Blouin D.C. Annual ryegrass forage mass distribution as affected by sod-suppression and tillage. J. Prod. Agric. 1997;10:256-260.
• Johnson B.B., Brock B. Herbicides for annual and perennial grass suppression before no-till planting ryegrass. Miss. Agric. For. Exp. Stn. Bull. 1992;220:23.
• Lang D.J. Comparative effects of tillage on winter annual forage production. Proc. S. Conserv. Till. Conf. IFAS Spec. Bull. 1989;89(1):62-64.
• Lang D.J. No-till winter annuals following crabgrass and subsequent yield of crabgrass. Miss. Agric. For. Exp. Stn. Bull. 1992;220:24.
• McCormick M.E., Fales S.F. Ryegrass for silage: Stage of maturity and varietal influence on quality. Univ. Ga. Res. Rep. 1985;465:1-15.
• MacNish G.C. Methods of reducing rhizoctonia patch of cereals in Western Australia. Plant Pathol. 1985;34:175-181.
• Murphy J., Brock B. Four systems for establishing a volunteer stand of brachiaria/crabgrass for summer grazing. Miss. Agric. For. Exp. Stn. Bull. 1992;220:20.
• Roget D.K., Venn N.R., Rovira A.D. Reduction of rhizoctonia root rot of direct drilled wheat by short-term chemical fallow. Aust. J. Exp. Agric. 1987;27:425-430.
• Rovira A.D. Influence of crop rotation and tillage on rhizoctonia bare patch of wheat. Phytopathology 1986;76:669-673.
• SAS Institute. SAS user's guide: Statistics. Cary, NC: SAS Inst, 1989.
• Steel R.G.D., Torrie J.H. Principles and procedures of statistics: A biometrical approach, 2nd ed New York: McGraw-Hill, 1980.
• Smiley R.W., Ogg A.G., Cook R.J. Influence of glyphosate on rhizoctonia root rot, growth, and yield of barley. Plant Dis. 1992;76:937-942.

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This Article Abstract Figures Only Full Text (PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Web of Science (5) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Cuomo, G. J. Articles by Blouin, D. C. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Cuomo, G. J. Articles by Blouin, D. C. Agricola Articles by Cuomo, G. J. Articles by Blouin, D. C.