Effects of Management Strategies on Seed Production and Seedling Recruitment in Birdsfoot Trefoil-White Clover Mixtures

The effects of grazing management on seed production, seed bank size and seedling emergence patterns of Trifolium repens cv. Zapicán (WC) and Lotus corniculatus cv. San Gabriel (BFT) oversown swards were evaluated. A complete randomized block design with 4 replicate blocks was used, in which 4 grazing strategies (grazing all year (SI), summer spelling for seed production (S2), winter rest plus summer spelling (S3) and autumn rest plus summer spelling (S4)), were combined with two defoliation severalties (4 and 10 cm height post-grazing residuals). Plots of 110 m2 were grazed monthly by sheep. Seed production, soil seed bank and seedling emergence were monitored from April 1998 to August 1999. In both species, summer spelling for seed production improved seed yield, especially in BFT. Severe defoliation (4 cm) reduced seed inputs drastically (46% in BFT and 64% in WC). 1000 seed weight was only affected by defoliation severity in WC (0.544 and 0.562 g for 4 and 10 cm height respectively). Potential seedling emergence, between June and December from soil seed bank, was 44 and 35% in BFT and WC, respectively. Seedling emergence of Lotus corniculatus increased under high seed production levels (S3), and also it was improved under intensive grazing during autumn and winter. There were no effects on Trifolium repens seedling emergence. Soil seed bank can preserve seedling recruitment rates in the short term, but maintenance of species balance will depend on seeding spelling management

Florescimento e produção de sementes de Lotus subbiflorus Lag. cv. El Rincón Flowering and seed production of Lotus subbiflorus Lag. cv. El Rincón

Objetivou-se com este trabalho avaliar a dinâmica do florescimento e o potencial de produção de sementes de Lotus subbiflorus Lag. cv. El Rincón. Por meio de amostragens semanais realizadas entre 13/11/2008 e 4/2/2009, estudaram-se as variáveis número de botões florais, número de inflorescências, número de flores, número de legumes totais, peso de mil sementes e produção de sementes. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi de blocos casualizados com os tratamentos arranjados como níveis de um fator experimental, constituído pelas datas após a semeadura. Dessa forma, o experimento foi realizado com dois blocos e doze unidades experimentais por bloco. A produção de sementes de L. subbiflorus no Sul do Brasil tem problemas decorrentes do florescimento contínuo, o que dificulta a colheita. A produção máxima obtida foi de 63,2 kg/ha em janeiro de 2009 (4372 graus-dia). O peso de mil sementes e o número de legumes foram as características que mais se correlacionaram com a produção de sementes. A emissão constante de botões florais contribui negativamente sobre os demais componentes da produção de sementes.<br>The aim of this work was to evaluate the dynamic of the flowering and the Lotus subbiflorus Lag. Cv. "El Rincón"seed production potential. The variables studied through weekly samples from 11/13/2008 to 02/04/2009 were: number of flower buds, number of inflorescences, number of flowers, number of total legumes, weight of 1000 seeds and seed production. The experimental design used randomized blocks with treatments arranged as levels of an experimental factor, defined by the dates after seeding. The experiment was conducted with two blocks and twelve experimental units per block. Lotus subbiflorus seed production, in the South Brazil, presents problems caused by continuous flowering, difficulting to harvesting. The maximum production obtained was 63.2 kg/ha in January 2009 (4372 degree days). The weight of 1000 seeds and the number of legumes were the characteristics that most related to seed production. The constant emission of flower buds contributes negatively on the other components of seed production

Produção de forragem e dinâmica de uma pastagem natural submetida a diferentes métodos de controle de espécies indesejáveis e à adubação Forage production and dynamic of a natural pasture submitted to different control methods of undesirable species and fertilization

Foram testados os efeitos, a médio prazo, de quatro métodos de controle de plantas indesejáveis sobre a produção de forragem e a dinâmica da vegetação em área de pastagem nativa representativa da transição entre a Serra do Sudeste e a Depressão Central do Rio Grande do Sul. Os métodos de controle foram: sem controle; controle mecânico com roçada de primavera; controle mecânico com roçada de outono; e controle químico com herbicida comercial Tordon, à base de Picloram + 2,4-D, na dosagem de 5 L/ha, associado ou não a fertilização (sem e com adubo). Houve interação entre sistema fertilização e estação do ano e entre método de controle e estação do ano para massa de forragem disponível e de gramíneas. O sistema de fertilização aumentou a massa de forragem disponível [4.919,0 kg/ha de matéria seca (MS)] e de gramíneas (2.313,1 kg/ha de MS). A massa de forragem foi maior na ausência de controle de plantas indesejáveis, que resultou em valores de 5.024,4; 3.931,2; 3.920,1 e 3.701,1 kg/ha de MS no verão, inverno, outono e na primavera, respectivamente. A frequência de espécies indesejáveis não se altera com a adubação (sem adubo 8,0% e com adubo 8,4%). O controle químico promove controle total das espécies indesejáveis e leguminosas nativas. A roçada no outono é mais eficiente no controle das espécies indesejáveis que a roçada de primavera.<br>It was tested the effects, in a medium term, of four methods to control undesirable plants on forage production and dynamic of vegetation in a representative area of natural pasture in the transition between Serra do Sudeste and the Depressão Central in Rio Grande do Sul. The control methods were the following: without control, mechanical control with spring mowing, mechanical control with autumn mowing and chemical control with Tordon commercial herbicide based on Picloram + 2,4-D at the dosage 5 L/ha associated or not with the fertilization system (with and without fertilizer). There was an interaction between fertilization system and season of the year and interaction between the control method and season of the year for available forage and grass mass. The fertilization system improved the available forage [4,919.0 kg/ha of dry matter (DM)] and mass of grasses (2,313.1 kg/ha of DM). Forage mass was higher in the absence of undesirable plant control, which resulted in values 5,024.4, 3,931.3, 3,020.1 and 3,701.1 kg/ha of DM in the summer, winter, autumn and spring, respectively. The frequency of undesirable species is not modified by fertilization (8.0% without fertilizer and 8.4% with fertilizer). Chemical control promotes total control of undesirable species and native leguminous. Autumn mowing is more efficient in controlling undesirable species than spring mowing