Pasture composition and production from different cropping sequences in dryland pasture converted from Pinus radiata forest
Abstract
Dry matter production and pasture composition were
measured over 22 months in eight cropping sequences
on a dryland site converted from forest to pasture.
Cropping sequences involved different combinations of:
(i) autumn and spring sowing; (ii) sowing immediately
into pasture or into oat and triticale forage crops followed
by pasture; and (iii) undersowing pasture beneath rape
or conventional sowing. Annual DM production varied
little among treatments (mean 6. 8 t DM/ha) once pastures
were established in all sequences. Sites sown directly
into pasture in autumn had a high (27%) annual legume
content in the first spring but a low annual legume content
in the second spring (<3%). Pastures undersown beneath
a rape nurse crop after triticale and oat crops contained
no gorse and had a higher percentage of white and
Caucasian clover than conventionally sown pastures.
Managers of forest to pasture conversion programmes
should consider utilising a sequence of winter forage
crops followed by pasture establishment beneath a rape
nurse crop. This ensures superior woody weed control
and a high abundance of pasture legumes to enhance
nitrogen inputs.... [Show full abstract]
Keywords
land use conversion; weeds; dryland pasture; forestry; plantation forestry; pasture; cloverDate
2007Type
Conference Contribution - Published (Conference Paper)Collections
Copyright © The Authors and New Zealand Grassland Association.