Abstract

FLORES SANTIAGO, Ever del J. et al. Performance of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.) associations. Rev. mex. de cienc. pecuarias [online]. 2015, vol.6, n.3, pp.337-347. ISSN 2448-6698.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the forage yield of orchargrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) in monoculture and associated with white clover (Trifolium repens L.), in its second year of establishment. The treatments were: 20:40:40, 00:50:50, 40:20:40, 50:00:50, 20:70:10, 70:20:10 and 40:40:20 of orchard grass, perennial ryegrass and white clover, respectively. These associations were distributed according to a randomized block design with three replications. The variables measured were forage yield, plant height, radiation interception (RI, %) and botanical composition of the harvested fodder (%). All treatments were defoliated by sheep (Suffolk x Dorset) according to each season of the year (five, six and four weeks in autumn, winter and spring-summer, respectively). The associations 00:50:50, 20:40:40, and 40:20:20 had the higher annual herbage yield producing 22 % more than the grass monocultures and the 40:40:20 association which had the lowest DM yields (on average 15,027 kg MS ha^-1). Seasonal production throughout the year was distributed as follows: in fall-winter 40 % and spring-summer 60 % (P<0.05). White clover was the species with the highest percentage of harvested forage (44 %) followed by orchardgrass (39 %) and perennial ryegrass (17 %). In conclusion, some of the associations surpassed the yield of grasses in monoculture; additionally, there was a differentiation in the seasonal forage production. The interception of solar radiation and plant height are good indicative of yield and therefore of harvest.

Keywords : Dry matter yield; Grass-legume associations; Botanical composition.

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