Journal articles on the topic 'Forage plants Victoria'
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1
Boyd, D. C., and M. E. Rogers. "Effect of salinity on the growth of chicory (Cichorium intybus cv. Puna) — a potential dairy forage species for irrigation areas." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 44, no. 2 (2004): 189. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea02124.
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Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) cv. Puna, a potentially useful forage species for dairy cows is reported anecdotally to have moderate salt tolerance and its tolerance to saline conditions was evaluated in a greenhouse experiment at Tatura, Victoria. Plants were grown hydroponically at 5 salinity levels (0, 50, 100, 150 and 200�mmol/L NaCl) along with plants of 4 other broadleafed species, lucerne (Medicago sativa) cvv. Salado and L52, white clover (Trifolium repens) cv. Victorian Irrigation and strawberry clover (Trifolium fragiferum) cv. Palestine.Plant survival rates were high for all species at all salinity levels but all plants species showed symptoms of being salt-affected, and had slower and more stunted growth at the higher salinity levels. Chicory produced significantly (P<0.05) more plant dry matter over the range of salinity levels compared with the other 4 species. Both the lucerne cultivars produced more (P<0.05) dry matter than strawberry and white clover and cv. Salado produced significantly (P<0.05) more dry matter than the other lucerne cultivar, L52. No differences were apparent between the 2 clover species, and these species were clearly the lowest yielding in terms of dry matter production. In relative terms (yield in saline conditions as compared with that in non-saline conditions), there were no significant differences between any of the 4 plant species. Dry matter digestibility levels increased in all species with increasing external salinity levels and ranged from 70 to 88%.These results suggest that chicory has a degree of salt tolerance that is similar to lucerne and therefore could be an alternative dairy forage species in moderately saline areas and on farms that use pumped saline groundwater for irrigation. However, further assessments of its salt tolerance under field conditions are recommended.
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Norton, M. R., M. L. Mitchell, E. Kobelt, and E. Hall. "Evaluation of native and introduced grasses for low-input pastures in temperate Australia: experimental approach, site and genotype descriptions." Rangeland Journal 27, no. 1 (2005): 11. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/rj05002.
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This paper describes the experimental methodology, sites, seasonal conditions and germplasm used in the Australian Native and Low Input Grass Network (NLIGN). In 1998, eight sites were established across the temperate pastoral zone of southern Australia. These were located at Armidale, Binya, Sutton and Trangie in NSW; Springhurst in Victoria; Jericho in Tasmania; Flaxley in South Australie and Kendenup in Western Australia. A total of 62 lines were evaluated, of which, 29 were Australian native grasses and 33 were introduced. With differences in seed size among species and a lack of information on dormancy and germination characteristics of the native plants, seedlings were transplanted into the field on weed-mat as spaced plants. Lines were compared over a 3-year period from 1998 to 2001. Methods used for determination of forage production, persistence and palatability are described. Information detailing the original collection sites of the germplasm, a list of NLIGN sites where each genotype was evaluated, as well as a detailed description of sites and seasonal conditions is also presented.
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Paridaen, Annieka, and John A. Kirkegaard. "Forage canola (Brassica napus): spring-sown winter canola for biennial dual-purpose use in the high-rainfall zone of southern Australia." Crop and Pasture Science 66, no. 4 (2015): 275. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp14119.
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European winter canola (Brassica napus L.) varieties adapted to the long, cool seasons in high-rainfall areas of southern Australia have recently been adopted as autumn-sown, grain-only and dual-purpose crops. A spring-sown winter canola could be used as a biennial dual-purpose crop, to provide additional forage for summer and autumn grazing before recovery to produce an oilseed crop. We report a series of field experiments demonstrating that European winter canola types have suitable phenological characteristics to allow for their use as biennial, spring-sown crops, providing significant forage (2.5–4 t ha–1) for grazing while remaining vegetative through summer and autumn, and recovering following vernalisation in winter to produce high seed yield (2.5–5.0 t ha–1). Sowing too early (September) in colder inland areas risked exposure of the crop to vernalising temperatures, causing the crop to bolt to flower in summer, whereas all crops sown from mid-October remained vegetative through summer. Crop stands thinned by 20–30% during summer, and this was exacerbated by grazing, but surviving stands of ~30 plants m–2 were sufficient to support high yields. Grazing had no effect on grain yield at one site, but reduced yield by 0.5 t ha–1 at a second site, although this was more than offset by the value of the grazed forage. The spring-sowing approach has potential to replace the existing forage rape–spring cereal sequence, or to add a further option to the existing autumn-sown winter canola in areas such as southern Victoria, where early autumn establishment can be problematic and spring-sown crops can better withstand pests and winter waterlogging, which limit yield of autumn-sown crops. Because these are the first known studies in Australia to investigate the use of spring-sown winter canola, further work is warranted to refine further the crop and grazing strategies to maximise productivity and profitability from this option.
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Rogers, M. E., A. R. Lawson, S. Chandra, and K. B. Kelly. "Limited application of irrigation water does not affect the nutritive characteristics of lucerne." Animal Production Science 54, no. 10 (2014): 1635. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/an14195.
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Lucerne (Medicago sativa) has not been a significant part of the feedbase of the Murray-Dairy Region of Australia. However, under future climate regimes, which are indicating an overall decline in rainfall as well as water available for irrigation of pastures, lucerne is emerging as a potential forage species because of its adaptability, productivity and resilience. A large-scale field experiment was conducted at Tatura, Victoria, Australia, over four years to determine the dry matter (DM) production and nutritive characteristics of lucerne under a range of limiting and non-limiting irrigation management practices. Nine irrigation treatments were imposed that ranged from full irrigation to no irrigation in either a single, or over consecutive, irrigation seasons. Plots were harvested using plant-based criteria over the irrigation season and DM production and nutritive characteristics were determined. DM production generally increased as the total water supply (irrigation plus rainfall plus changes in soil water) increased, with the fully irrigated treatments producing significantly more DM than the treatments where the irrigation water had been restricted. Mean annual DM digestibility concentration was 66% of DM and was not affected by treatment. Similarly, mean crude protein concentration, which was 22% of DM, was also not affected by treatment. There was no consistent effect of restricted irrigation on the neutral detergent fibre concentration of the lucerne plants. These results suggest that in seasons where irrigation is restricted because of limited water supply, the reduction in lucerne productivity is not associated with a penalty in forage nutritive characteristics, with lucerne able to provide sufficient nutrients to form a large proportion of the total diet for a high-producing dairy cow.
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Lilley, Julianne M., Lindsay W. Bell, and John A. Kirkegaard. "Optimising grain yield and grazing potential of crops across Australia’s high-rainfall zone: a simulation analysis. 2. Canola." Crop and Pasture Science 66, no. 4 (2015): 349. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp14240.
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Recent expansion of cropping into Australia’s high-rainfall zone (HRZ) has involved dual-purpose crops suited to long growing seasons that produce both forage and grain. Early adoption of dual-purpose cropping involved cereals; however, dual-purpose canola (Brassica napus) can provide grazing and grain and a break crop for cereals and grass-based pastures. Grain yield and grazing potential of canola (up until bud-visible stage) were simulated, using APSIM, for four canola cultivars at 13 locations across Australia’s HRZ over 50 years. The influence of sowing date (2-weekly sowing dates from early March to late June), nitrogen (N) availability at sowing (50, 150 and 250 kg N/ha), and crop density (20, 40, 60, 80 plants/m2) on forage and grain production was explored in a factorial combination with the four canola cultivars. The cultivars represented winter, winter × spring intermediate, slow spring, and fast spring cultivars, which differed in response to vernalisation and photoperiod. Overall, there was significant potential for dual-purpose use of winter and winter × spring cultivars in all regions across Australia’s HRZ. Mean simulated potential yields exceeded 4.0 t/ha at most locations, with highest mean simulated grain yields (4.5–5.0 t/ha) in southern Victoria and lower yields (3.3–4.0 t/ha) in central and northern New South Wales. Winter cultivars sown early (March–mid-April) provided most forage (>2000 dry sheep equivalent (DSE) grazing days/ha) at most locations because of the extended vegetative stage linked to the high vernalisation requirement. At locations with Mediterranean climates, the low frequency (<30% of years) of early sowing opportunities before mid-April limited the utility of winter cultivars. Winter × spring cultivars (not yet commercially available), which have an intermediate phenology, had a longer, more reliable sowing window, high grazing potential (up to 1800 DSE-days/ha) and high grain-yield potential. Spring cultivars provided less, but had commercially useful grazing opportunities (300–700 DSE-days/ha) and similar yields to early-sown cultivars. Significant unrealised potential for dual-purpose canola crops of winter × spring and slow spring cultivars was suggested in the south-west of Western Australia, on the Northern Tablelands and Slopes of New South Wales and in southern Queensland. The simulations emphasised the importance of early sowing, adequate N supply and sowing density to maximise grazing potential from dual-purpose crops.
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Blaikie, SJ, and WK Mason. "Restrictions to root growth limit the yield of shoots of irrigated white clover." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 44, no. 1 (1993): 121. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ar9930121.
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Pasture yields in irrigated northern Victoria are low. This experiment examined the degree to which restrictions in root growth explained the low shoot yield of white clover (Trifolium repens) grown in irrigated soils. Soils were collected as intact cores from various field sites producing from well above to well below average pasture growth. A vegetative cutting of white clover was planted into each soil core and the growth of the shoot and root systems was monitored over a 38 day period by a series of destructive harvests. All plants were managed to minimize water, oxygen or nutrient stresses. There were large effects of treatments on the productivity of plants with growth in the soil cores reflecting the field productivity of each soil. This suggested that despite managing the cores carefully, it was not possible to overcome the limitations to plant yield that occur in these soils in the field. The most productive soil was one for which the profile had been physically modified. Measures of soil physical properties (bulk density, air-filled porosity, volumetric water content, penetrometer resistance) were collected from the field sites when the soil was at field capacity, but it was not possible to identify which of these were associated with the differences in productivity between soil core treatments. No measures of the soil physical conditions were made in the cores, but it is possible that the field data did not accurately reflect conditions in the soil cores, particularly during each daily watering. There were strong correlations between shoot and root production whether measured in terms of dry weight or morphological characteristics. The most important characteristic of highly productive soil was the capacity to support the rapid proliferation of a large root system. Improved forage yield will only be possible if the potential for white clover to produce roots in irrigated soils is increased.
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McKenzie, F. R., J. L. Jacobs, and G. Kearney. "Effects of spring grazing on dryland perennial ryegrass/white clover dairy pastures. 2. Botanical composition, tiller, and plant densities." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 57, no. 5 (2006): 555. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ar05024.
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A 3-year experiment (September 1999–August 2002) in south-western Victoria investigated spring grazing impacts on botanical composition, tiller densities (perennial ryegrass, other-grasses, clover growing points, and broad-leaved weeds), and perennial ryegrass plant frequencies of a pasture of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)–white clover (Trifolium repens L.) pasture. Spring grazing treatments, applied annually from September to November were based on ryegrass leaf development stage with high (HF), medium (MF), and low (LF) grazing frequency being 2-, 3-, and 4-leaf stage, respectively, and post-grazing height as the grazing intensity with high (HI), medium (MI), and low grazing intensity being 3, 5, and 8 cm, respectively. Five combinations were used: HFHI, LFHI, MFMI, HFLI, and LFLI. A sixth treatment, rapid grazing (RG), maintained pasture between 1500 and 1800 kg DM/ha by grazing weekly during spring and a seventh and eighth treatment, simulating forage conservation for early-cut silage (lock-up for 6–7 weeks; SIL) and late-cut hay (lock up for 11–12 weeks; HAY), were also included. Perennial ryegrass content remained stable in the RG and HFHI treatments, averaging 78 and 75% DM, respectively, and declined in all other treatments. For example, perennial ryegrass content in LFLI declined from 75% (September 1999) to 50% DM (August 2002). RG and HFHI resulted in a slight increase in other grass (e.g. Holcus lanatus and Poa annua) content over time. SIL, LFLI, LFHI, and MFMI resulted in a higher other-grass content than RG and HFHI. LFLI, LFHI, and HFLI resulted in a stable dead (litter) pasture content over time, while SIL, HAY, HFHI, and RG resulted in a decline in dead pasture content over time. For RG and HFHI spring treatments the decline in dead pasture content was greater than LFLI, LFHI, and HFLI spring grazing. Data for white clover and broad-leaved weeds (e.g. Rumex dumosus and Taraxacum officinale) were inconsistent and could not be statistically analysed. While perennial ryegrass tiller density declined over time, RG and HFHI spring grazing resulted in a higher perennial ryegrass tiller density than low and medium grazing frequency treatments, and forage conservation treatments. Over time, tiller density of other grass increased, with MFMI, SIL, and HAY resulting in a greater increase than HFHI and RG treatments. During the experiment, white clover growing point density declined, while broad-leaved weed tiller data were inconsistent and not analysed. In October 2001, perennial ryegrass plant frequencies ranged from 12 (HAY) to 27 (RG) plants/m2. RG resulted in a higher perennial ryegrass plant frequency than medium and low spring grazing frequencies, and forage conservation (HAY). At the end of the experiment (August 2002), perennial ryegrass frequencies ranged from 15 (HAY) to 45 (RG) plants/m2 with RG resulting in a higher perennial ryegrass plant density than all other treatments. HFHI grazing resulted in a higher plant frequency than LFLI, SIL, and HAY, and HFLI a higher plant frequency than SIL and HAY. RG and HFHI spring grazing favoured perennial ryegrass persistence as it maintained botanical composition and perennial ryegrass tiller and plant frequencies relative to low and medium spring grazing frequency or high spring grazing frequency coupled with low intensity grazing and pasture locked up for forage conservation.
8
Jahufer, M. Z. Z., and F. I. Gawler. "Genotypic variation for seed yield components in white clover (Trifolium repens L.)." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 51, no. 6 (2000): 657. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ar99135.
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Seed yield is an important criterion that determines the commercial acceptability of new cultivars. Often, the seed yielding capacity of a forage cultivar is tested only in the final stages of its development. A more efficient strategy would be to screen and select plants for seed yield at an early stage of breeding. An important objective of the National White Clover Breeding Program based at the Agriculture Victoria Pastoral and Veterinary Institute, Hamilton, is to assess the genetic diversity for important morphological attributes among germplasm accessions. A set of 53 accessions, which included germplasm collected from Morocco and Tunisia and a range of commercial cultivars, was characterised for seed yield components. The seed yield components were number of ripe inflorescences, number of florets per ripe inflorescence, number of seeds per pod, floret size, and inflorescence height. Potential seed yield was estimated. The magnitude of genotypic variation, together with the accession mean repeatability estimates, indicated the presence of genetic variation among the 53 accessions for all attributes. Both phenotypic and genotypic correlation coefficients indicated a strong positive association between total number of ripe inflorescences and seed yield. There was also a positive phenotypic and genotypic correlation between seed yield and number of florets per inflorescence. Cluster analysis of the 53 accessions based on seed yield components resulted in the generation of 6 groups. Principal component analysis helped to identify 5 accessions that could be potentially useful in improving the seed yield of white clover germplasm selected for superior agronomic and herbage yield attributes.
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Rogers, M. E., A. R. Lawson, and K. B. Kelly. "Summer production and survival of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) genotypes in northern Victoria under differing irrigation management." Crop and Pasture Science 70, no. 12 (2019): 1163. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp18542.
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Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) is the predominant perennial forage species used in temperate irrigated dairy-production systems in Australia. However, when temperatures are high, even with optimal irrigation strategies and nutrient inputs, dry matter (DM) production can be compromised. This research investigated the effects of perennial ryegrass and tall fescue genotypes and summer irrigation on (DM) production and survival. Ten perennial ryegrass cultivars, three hybrid ryegrasses and two cultivars of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea (Schreb) Darbysh.) were sown in northern Victoria, Australia, in May 2014, and were managed under full irrigation or restricted irrigation (no irrigation between late December and mid-March) over a 3-year period. Measurements included net pasture accumulation (DM production), sward density (plant frequency) and water-soluble carbohydrate concentration. Apart from the expected differences in DM yield over the summer period between full irrigation and restricted irrigation, there were few differences in DM production among perennial ryegrass or tall fescue cultivars. Plant frequency declined significantly under restricted irrigation in Years 2 and 3 compared with full irrigation but there were no differences among perennial ryegrass cultivars. In Year 2, plant frequency was higher in the tall fescue cultivars than the ryegrass cultivars. The recovery pattern in DM production following recommencement of irrigation in mid-March (autumn) varied across years. In Year 1, plants recovered rapidly once irrigation recommenced in autumn. However, in Years 2 and 3, autumn and winter pasture accumulation under restricted irrigation was 30–35% less than under full irrigation. These differences were possibly related to decreases in plant frequency, as well as to differences in the amounts of residual pasture mass (or carbohydrate reserves) present when growth ceased. Analyses of the water-soluble carbohydrate concentrations in the pseudostem during summer and autumn in Year 3 showed differences in total water-soluble carbohydrate and in fructan and sucrose concentrations between irrigation treatments but no consistent differences among genotypes.
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Qi, Jiangjiao, Xue Yu, Xuzhe Wang, Fanfan Zhang, and Chunhui Ma. "Differentially expressed genes related to plant height and yield in two alfalfa cultivars based on RNA-seq." PeerJ 10 (October 10, 2022): e14096. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14096.
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Background Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a kind of forage with high relative feeding value in farming and livestock breeding, and is of great significance to the development of animal husbandry. The growth of the aboveground part of alfalfa is an important factor that limits crop yield. Clarifying the molecular mechanisms that maintain vigorous growth in alfalfa may contribute to the development of molecular breeding for this crop. Methods Here, we evaluated the growth phenotypes of five cultivars of alfalfa (WL 712, WL 525HQ, Victoria, Knight 2, and Aohan). Then RNA-seq was performed on the stems of WL 712, chosen as a fast growing cultivar, and Aohan, chosen as a slow growing cultivar. GO enrichment analysis was conducted on all differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Result Among the differentially expressed genes that were up-regulated in the fast growing cultivar, GO analysis revealed enrichment in the following seven categories: formation of water-conducting tissue in vascular plants, biosynthesis and degradation of lignin, formation of the primary or secondary cell wall, cell enlargement and plant growth, cell division and shoot initiation, stem growth and induced germination, and cell elongation. KEGG analysis showed that differentially expressed genes were annotated as being involved in plant hormone signal transduction, photosynthesis, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. KEGG analysis also showed that up-regulated in the fast growing cultivar were members of the WRKY family of transcription factors related to plant growth and development, members of the NAC and MYB gene families related to the synthesis of cellulose and hemicellulose, and the development of secondary cell wall fibres, and finally, MYB family members that are involved in plant growth regulation. Our research results not only enrich the transcriptome database of alfalfa, but also provide valuable information for explaining the molecular mechanism of fast growth, and can provide reference for the production of alfalfa.
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Jacobs, J. L., G. N. Ward, A. M. McDowell, and G. A. Kearney. "A survey on the effect of establishment techniques, crop management, moisture availability and soil type on turnip dry matter yields and nutritive characteristics in western Victoria." Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 41, no. 6 (2001): 743. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ea01009.
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Factors associated with turnip dry matter yield, metabolisable energy and crude protein were investigated in 266 turnip forage crops on 142 dairy farms in south-western Victoria during spring 1999 and summer 2000. Factors measured were primary cultivation method, secondary cultivation method, soil texture, soil temperature and moisture at sowing, seedbed preparation, turnip variety, sowing method, sowing rate, rolling post-sowing, harrowing post-sowing, seedling establishment, insect damage, water received, phosphorus and nitrogen application. The average date for the commencement of seedbed preparation was early October, although the range was from mid-March until mid-December. Sowing dates ranged from mid-September to mid-December, with an average of mid-October. The most common turnip variety sown was Barkant, followed by Mammoth Purple Top, Vollenda and Rondo. Growing periods ranged from 8 to 23 weeks, with the majority of crops grazed from 8 to 15 weeks. The average dry matter yield was about 5 t DM/ha, with values ranging from 0.4 to 19.2 t DM/ha. The average metabolisable energy content of turnips was 13.7 MJ/kg DM with values ranging from 11.3 to 14.6 MJ/kg DM. The metabolisable energy of roots was on average higher than the leaf component of the plants (14 v. 13.5 MJ/kg DM). Conversely, crude protein content of leaves (15.4%) was higher than in the root fraction (13.9%). The average neutral detergent fibre content of turnips was 22.5% with values ranging from 16.9 to 30.5%. The water-soluble carbohydrate content of the leaf component ranged from 1.1 to 26.8% with an average of 14.7%, while starch content of the root component ranged from 0.3 to 38.8% with an average content of 16.9%. The average cost of growing a turnip crop was $485/ha or $133 t DM. Total, leaf and root dry matter yield as well as metabolisable energy and crude protein were analysed by a mixed effects model (with factors fixed and farms and paddocks random). Factors that were associated with total dry matter yield were total water received, soil temperature and moisture at sowing, seedling density, method of secondary cultivation, soil type and insect damage. The application of nitrogen fertiliser had the greatest association with turnip crude protein content. In conclusion the findings of this study indicate potential ways to increase the dry matter yield of turnips grown in south-western Victoria. Given the current average dry matter yields and cost of growing turnips, purchasing cereal grain may be a viable alternative. An increase in average dry matter yield would make the choice of growing turnips as a feed for lactating dairy cows a more profitable option.
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Tharmaraj, J., D. F. Chapman, Z. N. Nie, and A. P. Lane. "Herbage accumulation, botanical composition, and nutritive value of five pasture types for dairy production in southern Australia." Australian Journal of Agricultural Research 59, no. 2 (2008): 127. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/ar07083.
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Four pasture treatments were compared with a perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and white clover (Trifolium repens) mixture, the commonly sown pasture type, at 3 sites in south-western Victoria, to determine the extent to which total annual herbage accumulation and seasonal growth pattern could be manipulated in non-irrigated dairy systems. The pasture treatments were: (1) short-term winter-active (STW), based on Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum); (2) long-term winter-active (LTW), based on Mediterranean tall fescue (Festuca arundinaceae) or cool-season active perennial ryegrass; (3) long-term summer-active (LTS), based on Continental tall fescue; and (4) perennial ryegrass pasture receiving moderately high nitrogen (N) inputs in winter and spring (total of 210 kg N/ha.year) to increase herbage accumulation during the ryegrass growing season (RHN). The perennial ryegrass and white clover mixture served as the control treatment. The 3 sites were Heytesbury (heavy clay soil), Terang (duplex soil), and Naringal (light soil). All pasture treatments were grazed by dairy cows. Herbage accumulation rate, botanical composition, and nutritive value of all pasture treatments were measured for 3 years. The winter-active pasture types had little effect on the overall seasonal distribution of forage supply or total annual yield compared with the control treatment. By contrast, the long-term summer-active pasture type significantly increased herbage accumulation during summer compared with all other pasture types (mean of an additional 1.3 t DM/ha during summer compared with the control treatment across all sites and years). However, this came at the cost of lower winter production (mean 0.8 t DM/ha). The LTS pasture also produced less dry matter than all other treatments in the first year after sowing at 2 of the 3 sites, reflecting the slower establishment of tall fescue. Ryegrass receiving high N inputs grew more total herbage on an annual basis than LTS. Mean total annual herbage accumulation (kg DM/ha.year) over the 3 years and 3 sites was in the order: RHN (14400) > LTS (13760) = Control (13170) > STW (12450) = LTW (12170) (P < 0.01). The results demonstrated that improvements over the industry ‘standard’ perennial ryegrass/white clover pasture management system in total herbage accumulation and the seasonal pattern of pasture growth are possible using existing pasture technology (mixtures of different species and cultivars, and N fertiliser inputs). However, significant interactions among sites, years and pasture treatments for several variables reinforced the need to understand limitations to plant growth on a site-by-site basis, to select plants that match the environmental conditions, and to then manage them appropriately to reach their growth potential.
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Raeside, M. C., Z. N. Nie, S. G. Clark, D. L. Partington, R. Behrendt, and D. Real. "Evaluation of tedera [(Bituminaria bituminosa (L.) C.H. Stirton var. albomarginata]) as a forage alternative for sheep in temperate southern Australia." Crop and Pasture Science 63, no. 12 (2012): 1135. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp12293.
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Bituminaria bituminosa (L.) C.H. Stirton, commonly known as tedera, is a perennial legume of interest in Australia due to its adaptation to Mediterranean environments. Field experiments were conducted at two sites in Victoria, Australia, a high rainfall site at Hamilton and a low rainfall site at Bealiba, to evaluate tedera var. albomarginata lines against other forage species. At Hamilton, tedera achieved similar seedling densities to lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) following sowings in late spring 2009 and early winter 2010 (30–60 seedlings/m2). Forage production from the spring-sown tedera was between 1.0 and 2.3 t DM/ha at harvests in March and May 2010, but from May onwards the species failed to remain productive and its content in the swards decreased to become <10%. Forage production from all early winter-sown tedera swards was low (<0.5 t DM/ha). At Bealiba, some of the tedera lines outyielded lucerne. The tedera at Bealiba had a vigour rating of 8.3, on a scale of 1–10, in the summer of 2008–09, after surviving three summers. The tedera lines evaluated are unlikely to persist in cold wet winter environments but in drier zones tedera may persist and offer good DM yields of high nutritive value.
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Rogers, M. E., A. R. Lawson, and K. B. Kelly. "Lucerne yield, water productivity and persistence under variable and restricted irrigation strategies." Crop and Pasture Science 67, no. 5 (2016): 563. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp15159.
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Lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) has the potential to be grown widely under water-limiting conditions in the dairy region of northern Victoria and southern New South Wales, Australia, possibly because of its greater water productivity and because irrigation management of lucerne can be more flexible compared with other forage species. A large-scale field experiment was conducted at Tatura in northern Victoria, over 5 years to determine the effects of limiting (deficit) and non-limiting irrigation management on the dry matter (DM) production, water productivity (irrigation and total water productivity) and stand density (or persistence) of lucerne. Nine irrigation treatments were imposed that included full irrigation, partial irrigation and no irrigation in either a single, or over consecutive, irrigation seasons. In the fifth year of the experiment, all plots received the full irrigation treatment to examine plant recovery from the previous irrigation treatments. In any one year, there was a linear relationship between DM production and total water supply (irrigation plus rainfall plus changes in soil water) such that DM production decreased as the total water supply – due to deficit irrigation – decreased. Over the 5 years, annual DM production ranged from 1.4 to 17.7 t DM ha–1 with the highest production occurring in plots that received full irrigation. Irrigation water productivity was inversely related to the amount of water used and was higher in the treatments that had only been partially irrigated for that year compared with the treatments that had been fully watered for that year. Total water productivity values were significantly lower only in the treatments that had not been irrigated for that year, and there was little difference between the treatments that were only partially watered during the year and the fully watered treatments (range 9.1–12.2 kg DM ha–1 mm–1 for Year 4). There was no significant reduction in plant density or plant persistence in those plots where deficit irrigation had been imposed. However, the high irrigation regime and poor drainage in the fully irrigated border-check plots significantly reduced plant density and allowed weed infestation in the fifth year of the experiment. These results suggest that, although lucerne DM production is directly related to total water use and may be significantly reduced in the irrigation regions of south-eastern Australia in seasons when water is restricted, the lucerne stand is able to fully recover once a full irrigation regime is resumed. This makes lucerne an ideal forage species for situations when water is limiting.
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Kehler, Grace. "GERTRUDE JEKYLL AND THE LATE-VICTORIAN GARDEN BOOK: REPRESENTING NATURE-CULTURE RELATIONS." Victorian Literature and Culture 35, no. 2 (June 29, 2007): 617–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1060150307051674.
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THE VICTORIAN GARDEN BOOK ATTAINEDits peak popularity and status with the publications of Gertrude Jekyll, who, beginning in 1899, brought forth a total of fourteen books. Like those of her Victorian predecessors, Jekyll's garden books raise a series of questions about what it means to represent nature, for they expose a conflict: that between the human desire to forge a respectful connection with nature as an equal and the desire to exercise control over it. On the one hand, Victorian garden books, including Jekyll's, sought to encourage human knowledge of and interaction with the natural world. They built on the popularity of eighteenth-century botanical studies by disseminating detailed information about plants and their ecological habitats, frequently expressing wonder at nature's manifold and seemingly limitless creativity (Gates 36; Shteir 64–68). These admiring representations of nature cumulatively suggest a complex understanding of matter as dynamic and even purposeful, and the accompanying Victorian promotion of gardening as a hands-on, salutary activity for all classes at least tacitly positioned human development as inherently physical (Longstaffe-Gowan 151). On the other hand, gardening books not only attempted to aestheticize and manage nature, exerting rhetorical and visual control over physically powerful forces, but they also helped to consolidate nature's status as a commodity in Western culture as a site designed to regenerate, sooth, instruct, or sustain humans. From a twenty-first century point of view, the garden book constitutes an acute nature-culture problem because it so obviously relates to the issue of authority, specifically that of the individual writer whose public voice derives from her demonstrated ability to tend and to interpret the physical world. As ecocritics and postcolonial scholars justly charge, nature too often gets reduced to passive matter that is both available for and amenable to human cultivation and advancement. The garden book seemingly promotes such assumptions through its emphasis on the pleasures attendant on careful management of nature and through its idealized presentation of the gardener as an exemplar of self-disciplined creativity.
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de Assis, G. M. L., A. C. Ruggieri, M. E. Z. Mercadante, G. M. F. de Camargo, and J. M. Carneiro Júnior. "Selection of alfalfa cultivars adapted for tropical environments with repeated measures using PROC MIXED of SAS® System." Plant Genetic Resources 8, no. 1 (July 29, 2009): 55–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1479262109990153.
Full textAbstract:
Although alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a leguminous herbage widely used in temperate regions as animal feed, there is not much research in tropical regions to develop cultivars adapted to these environmental conditions. The utilization of adapted cultivars with adequate management practices is important to improve productivity, quality and persistence of cultivated pastures. The objectives of this study were to verify the genetic variability among alfalfa cultivars and to rank them using mixed model methodology. A total of 35 alfalfa cultivars were evaluated in the rainy and dry seasons, from 1996 to 2000, in plots of 2.8 m2 in Sertãozinho, São Paulo, Brazil. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with three replications. Longitudinal data of dry matter yield were analyzed using PROC MIXED of SAS® System. Several covariance structures were tested and the spherical spatial structure was selected. The results show that the genetic variability was statistically significant only for the dry season. Moreover, the interaction among cultivars and harvests variance was highly significant for both seasons. The empirical best linear unbiased predictions of cultivar effects were obtained, allowing for the selection of the superior cultivars MH 15, 5715, SW 8210, Rio, High, 5888, Monarca, Victoria, Florida 77 and Falcon. Crioula, the most common cultivar in Brazil, showed low forage potential in Sertãozinho. Results indicate potential for use of more productive cultivars of alfalfa to produce animal feed in tropical environments.
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McCaskill, M. R., M. C. Raeside, S. G. Clark, C. MacDonald, B. Clark, and D. L. Partington. "Pasture mixes with lucerne (Medicago sativa) increase yields and water-use efficiencies over traditional pastures based on subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum)." Crop and Pasture Science 67, no. 1 (2016): 69. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp14179.
Full textAbstract:
Pastures sown to lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) with a perennial non-legume could increase feed supply relative to traditional pastures based on subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.). Such mixtures might also be preferable to pure lucerne pastures, which are prone to weed invasion. Yield and water-use efficiency (harvested dry matter per unit evapotranspiration) of mixtures with lucerne or subterranean clover were compared a field experiment established under rainfed conditions at Hamilton, Victoria. Soil moisture and dry matter production were measured over 2 years. Treatments included chicory (Cichorium intybus L.), cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Shreb.) with either lucerne or subterranean clover; pure lucerne; and phalaris (Phalaris aquatica L.) and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) with only subterranean clover. In the second year, dry matter production from lucerne mixtures exceeded that of equivalent mixtures with subterranean clover in spring, summer and winter. In spring, the lucerne component continued producing for longer than the clover component through its use of deeper stored soil water, and in summer, lucerne continued to grow slowly after the grass component had entered a drought-induced dormancy. In winter, the contribution from the lucerne component complemented, rather than competed with, that from the non-legume component. Water-use efficiencies during winter–spring ranged from 4 kg ha–1 mm–1 for chicory–clover to 27 kg ha–1 mm–1 for a fescue–lucerne mixture, and during summer–autumn from nil for cocksfoot–clover to 13 kg ha–1 mm–1 for a fescue–lucerne mixture. This study demonstrates that lucerne-based mixtures can increase forage supply per unit water use relative to traditional pastures based on subterranean clover.
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Culvenor, R. A., S. P. Boschma, and K. F. M. Reed. "Response to selection for grazing tolerance in winter-active populations of phalaris (Phalaris aquatica L.). 1. Persistence under grazing in three environments." Crop and Pasture Science 60, no. 11 (2009): 1097. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/cp09036.
Full textAbstract:
Forage grass cultivars must have adequate grazing tolerance for use in the grazing systems for which they are intended. Response to 2 cycles of selection for persistence under heavy grazing pressure was examined in 3 winter-active breeding populations of the productive perennial grass, phalaris (Phalaris aquatica L.), from 2000 to 2003, at Bulart in western Victoria and Rye Park on the Southern Tablelands and Tamworth on the North-West Slopes of New South Wales. There was one continuously grazed and one rotationally grazed set of plots at Bulart to examine the effect of grazing management. All sites were affected by drought in later years but drought stress was most severe at Tamworth. A strongly positive linear response to selection was observed in an analysis of persistence measured as frequency of phalaris plant base across the 3 sites (excluding the rotational treatment at Bulart), but response interacted with site. By 2003, linear response averaged 14% frequency units or 34–40% proportional response per cycle at Rye Park and the continuously grazed plots at Bulart, sites that were environmentally suited to survival of phalaris. In contrast, response to selection was absent or slightly negative at Tamworth where conditions were drier and hotter. Populations responded similarly in analyses across all 3 sites but 1 population was less responsive when analyses were restricted to Bulart and Rye Park. Herbage mass measurements in 2001 at Bulart and 2002 at Rye Park indicated positive responses to selection, which were increasingly linked to frequency over time. Rotationally grazed plots at Bulart displayed higher frequency than continuously grazed plots after 3 years of grazing. The experiment showed that grazing tolerance was a heritable trait in the populations tested when environmental constraints were not limiting and that useful improvements in persistence had been obtained compared with existing cultivars.
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Qin, Fengfei, Yixin Shen, Zhihua Li, Hui Qu, Jinxia Feng, Lingna Kong, Gele Teri, Haoming Luan, and Zhiling Cao. "Shade Delayed Flowering Phenology and Decreased Reproductive Growth of Medicago sativa L." Frontiers in Plant Science 13 (June 2, 2022). http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.835380.
Full textAbstract:
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is an important forage in intercropping or rotation ecosystem, and shading is the principal limiting factor for its growth under the crop or forest. Agronomic studies showed that shading would systematically reduce the biomass of alfalfa. However, little is known about the reproduction of alfalfa under shading conditions. In order to study the effect of shading on the reproductive characteristics of alfalfa, two alfalfa cultivars (“Victoria” and “Eureka”) were used to study the effect of shading levels (full light, 56.4% shade, and 78.7% shade) on alfalfa flowering phenology, pollen viability, stigma receptivity, and seed quality. Results showed that shading delayed flowering phenology, shortened the flowering stage, faded the flower colors, and significantly reduced pollen viability, stigma receptivity, the number of flowers, quantity, and quality of seeds. Under shading conditions, seed yield per plant was obviously positively correlated with germination potential, germination rate, pollen viability, and 1,000-seed weight. The number of flower buds, pollen viability, 1,000-seed weight, and germination rate had the greatest positive direct impact on seed yield per plant. Our findings suggested that delayed flowering and reducing reproduction growth were important strategies for alfalfa to cope with shading and pollen viability was the key bottleneck for the success of alfalfa reproduction under shading. However, given that alfalfa is a perennial vegetative-harvest forage, delaying flowering in a weak light environment was beneficial to maintain the high aboveground biomass of alfalfa. Therefore, this should be taken into account when breeding alfalfa cultivars suitable for intercropping. Future research should further reveal the genetic and molecular mechanism of delayed flowering regulating the accumulation and distribution of assimilates between vegetative and reproductive organs of alfalfa under shading, so as to provide a theoretical basis for breeding of shade-tolerant alfalfa cultivars.