Performance of mixtures of ryegrass cultivars and prairie grass with red clover cultivars under two grazing frequencies

Abstract

Changes of shoot and tiller populations of sown red clover and grass cultivars in the establishment year were recorded. ‘Grasslands Nui’ ryegrass and ‘Grasslands Manawa’ ryegrass had more tillers under frequent grazing than under infrequent grazing; ‘Grasslands Tama’ ryegrass and ‘Grasslands Matua’ prairie grass had more tillers under infrequent grazing. Uprooting of tillers by grazing sheep was an important factor in the marked decline of the prairie grass tiller population. Reluctance of sheep to graze prairie grass seed heads allowed natural reseeding, and the establishment of seedlings from this seed indicated the process could be managed to restore deteriorated prairie grass stands. Red clover shoot populations were influenced by cultivar, associate grass, and seasonal effects. Although shoot populations of ‘Grasslands Pawera’ red clover were markedly reduced early in establishment by suppression by Tama and Manawa ryegrass under infrequent grazing, shoot formation by the surviving plants developed a large shoot population in autumn a year after sowing. The Nui-Pawera mixture maintained a dense, uniformly distributed population of clover shoots and grass tillers and this is considered an important factor in the high, stable production of this mixture. Frequent grazing, and sowing of Matua prairie grass, increased establishment of spear thistles.