Dry matter and sheep production of four dryland tall fescue-clover pastures 4-6 years after establishment

Abstract

Effects of tall fescue cultivar (‘Advance’ and ‘Flecha’) and clover species (white and subterranean (sub) clovers) combinations on pasture dry matter (DM) and sheep production were assessed in years four (2011/12), five (2012/13) and six (2013/14) after establishment in dryland, Canterbury. ‘Advance’ pastures yielded less total herbage than ‘Flecha’ pastures (13.9 cf. 16.5 t DM/ha) but more fescue (8.6 cf. 5.9 t DM/ha) and 2.1 t DM/ha clover in year four, 13.5 t DM/ha total herbage with more fescue (8.0 cf. 4.1 t DM/ha) and 1.9 t DM/ha clover in year five, and 11.7 t DM/ha total herbage, 5.4 t DM/ha fescue and 0.8 t DM/ha clover in year six. Sub clover pastures yielded more total, fescue and clover herbage (16.9, 8.8 and 3.2 t DM/ha) than white clover pastures (13.5, 5.7 and 1.0 t DM/ha) in year four, more fescue in year five (7.2 cf. 4.9 t DM/ha), and more clover in year six (1.2 cf. 0.3 t DM/ha). Sheep liveweight gain was greater for sub than white clover pastures in year four (939 cf. 431 kg/ha) and five (697 cf. 481 kg/ha) and 689 kg/ha in year six. Therefore, sub clover and ‘Advance’ were generally more productive than white clover and ‘Flecha’, but both fescues showed similar persistence after 6 years.