Effect of Five Different Rest Periods on Tiller Regrowth of Ryegrass

Five rest periods were imposed from April to May on a mixed pasture of two ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) varieties and white clover (Trifolium repens L.). The rest period starting dates were: April 4, April 18, May 2, May 16, and May 30, for rest periods 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively. The total area allocated to the experiment was 1.1 ha, which was divided into 22 pastures. The experimental design used was a split-plot. Rest period was assigned to the main plot, grass to the subplot and legume to the subsubplot. The pastures were “mob-grazed” by cattle from 1 to 4 days to a prescribed residue level. The number of tillers per 0.25 m2 decreased linearly with advanced rest periods, at rates of approximately 40 tillers/0.25 m2/week. The percentage of tillers with seed heads increased linearly with advanced rest periods. The percentage of tillers with ripe seeds increased with later rest periods and reached 98% by rest period 5. The decrease in length of seed head probably was responsible for the decrease in seed weight/tiller. However, estimates indicated that because of the increase in percentage of tillers with ripe seeds with later rest periods about 100, 83, and 103 kg/ha of ripe seeds were produced in rest period 3, 4, and 5, respectively. This amount of seed produced is more than enough for a self-reestablishment of the pasture for the following winter

Black medics from Texas

Last updated: 10/22/201

Medics and clovers for the Cross Timbers

Last updated: 10/22/201

Improvement of Rust Resistance in Sweetclover

Last updated: 6/12/200

The Long Road to Developing Native Herbaceous Summer Forage Legume Ecotypes

Only a handful of well-adapted herbaceous summer forage legumes are currently marketed for drier regions of North America and even fewer are true natives. There is a growing demand for native germplasm in the region as a new generation of landowner attempts to return grasslands to a semblance of their original species and diversity. The objective of this paper is to describe preliminary research results of a grasslands team collecting, studying and promulgating native leguminous germplasm in Texas

Forage legumes for Texas

Last updated: 6/12/200

Capim-elefante anão sob pastejo. II. Valor nutritivo.

O valor nutritivo do capim-elefante anão (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) foi estudado num ensaio de pastejo. Pressão de pastejo (PP) e ciclo de pastejo (CP) foram aplicados em cinco níveis cada: PP-500, 1.000, 1.500, 2.000 e 2.500 kg de MS de folha residual ha-1 após o pastejo e CP-0 (pastejo contínuo), 14, 28, 42 e 56 dias. Cada CP incluiu dois dias de pastejo e um período de descanso específico para cada nível. O desenho experimental foi um composto central, não-rotável, com treze combinações em duas repetições. O modelo usado foi o polinômio completo do segundo grau. A proteína bruta das folhas e dos colmos aumentou com a elevação da PP e diminuição do CP. A digestibilidade in vitro das folhas, colmos e "forragem consumida" pareceu responder quadraticamente ao CP. As PPs mais altas tenderam a favorecer a digestibilidade dos colmos. A proteína da "forragem consumida" foi estimulada por CPs curtos. O ponto ótimo para digestibilidade da "forragem consumida" ficou em torno da combinação de 1.500 kg de MS de folha residual ha-1 de PP com 14 dias de CP. O valor nutritivo das folhas foi bem maior que o dos colmos, e a excelente qualidade da "forragem consumida" revelou o grande potencial desse capim sob pastejo

Beewild' bundleflower, a new summer-growing perennial legume for central and south Texas and Mexico

Last updated: 10/19/201

Winter annual clover evaluation at Beeville

Last updated: 6/26/201