Deferred grazing to enhance white clover content in pastures
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33584/rps.6.1995.3357Abstract
During the early 1990s declining milk yields on coastal Bay of Plenty farms, against wider district trends, was attributed to pasture clover deficiency. To investigate possible causes pasture herbage yield, species composition, white clover growing point density and N-fixation activity were measured on two coastal Bay of Plenty dairy pastures over two years following nematicide treatment (Watson et al. 1994). Soil temperature was also monitored over most of this period. There was a marked decline in white clover growing point density of up to 90% from mid-December to mid- February in each year. This coincided with periods when surface (1 cm depth) daily maximum soil temperatures exceeded 30°C and soil moisture levels were below 30% Mw. Loss of clover was enhanced by clover cyst (Heterodera trifolii) and root knot (Meloidogyne spp.) nematodes which also delayed autumn recovery. Poor clover levels taken into the winter extended clover deficiency into a second season. Keywords: drought, grazing management, stolon density
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