Understanding Plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) responses to defoliation in Uruguay

Abstract

This trial provided information about the effects of defoliation intensity and frequency on the productivity and plant population of a plantain pasture. Despite the restrictions in plantain management, the focus is to promote its use as specialised pasture for specific purposes. Maximum herbage production was 10.9 t DM/ha/year for a frequent and severely defoliation treatment. Frequency of defoliation affected productivity at different times, mainly in spring (P=0.0013), production being promoted by frequent defoliation intervals (21 days). Plant population was affected by defoliation strategies during the year, being promoted by infrequent and lightly defoliation regimes. Previous results showed that the effects of intense defoliation increased over time, reducing plant size and density. The understanding of plantain response to defoliation regimes will contribute to increased outputs of plantain pastures and extend species persistence, and allow management strategies to be defined according to the production system. Keywords: defoliation, intensity, frequency, population