Caucasian Clover Establishment in the High Country and Grazing
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Lincoln University Digital Thesis Copyright Statement The digital copy of this thesis is protected by the Copyright Act 1994 (New Zealand). This thesis may be consulted by you, provided you comply with the provisions of the Act and the following conditions of use: you will use the copy only for the purposes of research or private study you will recognise the author's right to be identified as the author of the thesis and due acknowledgement will be made to the author where appropriate you will obtain the author's permission before publishing any material from the thesis. CAUCASIAN CLOVER ESTABLISHMENT IN THE HIGH COUNTRY AND GRAZING RESPONSES IN RYEGRASS/WHITE CLOVER LOWLAND PASTURE A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Agricultural Science at Lincoln University New Zealand By Allister J.E. Moorhead Lincoln University 1997 aucasian clover. Tahora hite clo ec. Department of Plant Science LINCOLN P.O. Box 84 UNIVERSITY Lincoln University Canterbury Te Whare Wiinalfa 0 Aoralfi New Zealand Telephone: (64) (3) 325 2811 Fax. (64) (3) 325 3843 JCDww 16 May 1997 Department of Plant Science Certificate of Supervision We certify that'the work reported in this thesis was planned, executed and described by the candidate under our direct supervision. (Supervisor) (Associate Supervis MrRJLucas Dr P Jarvis Senior Lecturer. Senior Lecturer Department of Phmt Science Department of Plant Science Lincoln University Lincoln University USE OF THESIS Full name ofauthor:.AP::~?T~.R. ... ~JAN.~.'? ... (Pw..~.N. .. M9.9.~t\§.A D Full title of thesis: .... C(J.~.~.~f.?tA~ .... ~.~Q.v.§fS ..... ~§IA.~.~.~?.B.M.8\Sf .. J;;,.N. ...T~ ..... .H. .I.. 0.Jj .... c..qV.f.{[R..Y ... .A.N.D.... [email protected] ...... Q.~??~.S.€S...... ,..N. ... gy~.G..RA.?.~/WH.. !.Te. ...C.~QV0.~ ... .... ?::Q..Wh.ft!Y..D........ P..8.?1.().~§ .. ."..................................................................... Degree: .M.:. .I..j9r. ... ~ .. s.f:-.L. .............. Yeur of presentation: .... .199.1. ................... Uni versity Department .......... PL.f.r.rv.. L.... $C;.l.~.. N(f.. .. .......................................... I do/~ agree to this thesis being consulted, for research or study purposes only, provided thut due acknowledgment of its use is made where appropriate. I d~ consent to single copies of this thesis, in part or as a whole, being made for research or study purposes at another institution, at the discretion orthe Lincoln University Libnman. I wish the foUowing limitations ta apply, [or the period aftirnc specified, to the use afthis thcsi.->: [. ,- , Signature afaulhor: .... ,~.~~~.:............................................... Date: .. /If ... ~ ...? .. :.. °7..!. ................................ • delete as appropriate Abstract of a thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the Degree of Master of Agricultural Science in Lincoln University, New Zealand. CAUCASIAN CLOVER ESTABLISHMENT IN THE HIGH COUNTRY AND GRAZING RESPONSES IN RYEGRASS/WHITE CLOVER LOWLAND PASTURE Allister J.E. Moorhead ABSTRACT A trial to measure the effects of establishment techniques and feltiliser application on seedling. establishment and early root and rhizome development of Caucasian clover (Trifolium ambiguum) was sown in early October 1992, on a low-fertility, depleted, short tussock grassland site at Mesopotamia Station, South Canterbury. Three sowing techniques, broadcasting, sod seeding· and strip seeding, each with two rates of fertiliser, 150 or 300 kg/ha molybdic sulphur superphosphate (8% P, 20% S), were used. By mid December, 48% and 38% establishment had occUlTed in the strip and sod seeding treatlnents respectively, but only 10% in the broadcast. Strip seeding resulted in the earliest taproot and rhizome ,development of Caucasian clover and the greatest lateral spread of rhizomes. However, all plants stlip and sod seeding developed rhizomes after nine months. Plants established by broadcasting were small with few rhizomes in I the first season. The higher fertiliser rate improved establishment and growth, palticularly in the 1-: ' strip seeding treatment. Strip seeded Caucasian clover established as rapidly as white clover and plants were similar in size after five months. However, Caucasian clover had a larger under ground mass which could lead to greater persistence. ii A grazing trial was established to observe how two cultivars of Caucasian clover and two seed lines of zig zag clover responded to four diverse grazing treatments. The expeliment was located at Lincoln University, latitude 43 0 39S and longitude 1720 28E on a medium- to free- draining soil of medium feltility with an annual rainfall of 651mm. In March 1989 a seed production expeliment was established and consisted of Caucasian clover cu1tivars Alpine and Monaro and zig zag clover seed lines Porters Pass and Kentucky. In spling of 1992 high endophyte ryegrass was direct drilled into this experiment. The first grazing to establish mainplot treatments occurred in early October 1993. The experiment design was a randomised block design with two replicates of four treatments. The treatments included two grazing frequencies; rotational grazing and set stocking; and two grazing intensities; hard and lax. Point analysis was used to measure the botanical composition of the pastures. Only the hexaploid Monaro Caucasian clover was agronomically suitable as a companion for high endophyte ryegrass and white clover under the range of grazing managements. The zig zag clovers showed a classic hay type species inability to persist and contlibute to dry matter production under grazing. The diploid Alpine Caucasian clover persisted undergrazing but had a low cover percentage. Monaro Caucasian clover had a mean seasonal cover of between 14% and 21 % in the grazing treatments, contributing more to pasture cover in the rotationally grazed tl·eatments. White clover, in contrast was more suited to the set stock hard grazed treatment and to a lesser extent the set stock lax grazed treatment. Keywords: Broadcast, Caucasian clover, establishment, grazing frequency, grazing intensity, feltiliser, high country, ryegrass, sod seeding, strip seeding, taproot, Trifolium ambiguum, Trifolium medium, rhizome, white clover, zig zag clover. iii CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE ABSTRACT.................................................................................................. i CONTENTS .................................................................................................. iii LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................... viii LIST OF TABLES ...................................................................................... viii LIST OF PLATES ...................................................................................... xi 1.0 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................. 1 2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW ..................................................................... 4 2.1 Caucasian clover: A rhizomatous pasture legume .............................. .. 4 2.2 General bota.ny ..................................................................................... 4 2.2.1 Disttibution and adaptation 4 2.2.2 Taxonomy 6 2.2.3 Ploidy ........................•............................................................... 6 2.2.4 Growth habit 6 2.2.5 Leaf size ................................................................................... 7 2.2.6 Leaf markings 7 r: 2.2.7 Seed size .................................................................................. 7 i 2.2.8 Selection and breeding 8 2.2.9 Cultivars ................................................................................... 8 iv 2.3 Establishment characteristics 10 2.3.1 Seed gelmination .....•.............•................................................... 10 2.3.2 Seedling development ............................................................... 11 2.3.3 Establishment techniques 12 2.3.4 Nodulation 13 2.4 Persistence .•............................................................................................ 15 2.4.1 Climatic extremes 15 2.4.2 Grazing .•...................•...••.........................•................................. 16 2.4.3 Insect tolerance ....•................••..........•...........•...................•....... 17 2.4.4 Disease resistance 18 2.5 Agronomic characteristic 18 2.5.1 Nitrogen fixation 18 2.5.2 Phosphate ................................................................................. 19 2.5.3 Nutrient storage 19 2.5.4 Soils and pH •........•.....••...... ~ ••......•........................•..•................• 20 2.5.5 Rhizome and daughter plant development 21 2.5.6 Herbage production .................................................................. 22 2.5.7 Seasonal herbage production 23 2.5.8 Production in mixtures 23 2.5.9 Grazing management 25 2.5.10 Nutritional value 26 2.6 Summary ............................................................................................... 27 v 3.0 ESTABLISHMENT OF CAUCASIAN CLOVER IN THE HIGH COUNTRY ............................................................................................ 31 3.1 Introduction .......................................................................................... 31 3.2 Material and Methods .......................................................................... 32 3.2.1 Experimental site and design ...................................................