Abstract
The difficulty of reliably removing an established lucerne pasture before cropping has been identified as a major problem with phase-farming systems on mixed farms. A series of experiments were undertaken on established lucerne stands at the Ginninderra Experimental Station in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and at the Temora Research Station in southern New South Wales (NSW) to compare the ability of grazing, either alone or in combination with herbicides, to remove a lucerne pasture. A pilot study at the Ginninderra Experimental Station in 1998–99 utilised a high stocking rate (30 dry sheep equivalents [dse]/ha), while the main study at the Ginninderra Experimental Station and the Temora Research Station in 1999–2000 used a lower stocking rate (10–12 dse/ha) considered to be closer to farmer practice in the region. Continuous grazing at the high stocking rate removed 73% of the lucerne stand over 3 months. In contrast, the stocking rates applied in the main study proved too low to substantially impact on lucerne survival at both the ACT and NSW sites (13–23% removal) under the good seasonal conditions experienced in 1999–2000 even though the pastures were continuously grazed for 8–9 months. The use of herbicides both alone or in conjunction with grazing greatly improved lucerne removal in both studies. However, herbicide efficacy was variable (53–100% removal), and seemed to be related to the time of year it was applied, the period of lucerne regrowth or the amount of rainfall before herbicide application. An additional on-farm study was undertaken near Junee Reefs in southern NSW between 2001 and 2003 that compared the survival of a range of lucerne cultivars under simulated hay-cutting (mown) and commercial grazing regimes. Dry conditions during 2002–03 resulted in a decline in lucerne frequency at about 50% in mown control plots. Grazing increased the stand decline, particularly for many winter-active cultivars where lucerne frequency was reduced by up to 70–93%. It was concluded that: (i) continuous grazing for prolonged periods can be effective at removing lucerne, but the rate of lucerne loss will be influenced by both stocking rate and rainfall; (ii) the application of herbicides can improve lucerne removal either in association with, or in the absence of grazing; however, herbicide efficacy appeared to be dependent upon the physiological status of the lucerne plants and/or the environmental conditions before application; and (iii) cultivar responses indicated that lucerne types could potentially be developed for phase-farming systems with increased susceptibility to grazing mismanagement.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Continuous high-rate grazing removed 73% of lucerne over three months.
- Taxon
- lucerne
Medicago sativae0 - Treatment
- Continuous grazing at the high stocking ratee0
- Outcome
- lucerne stande0
- Direction
- removede0
- Value
- 73%e0
- Qualifier
- over 3 monthse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Continuous grazing at the high stocking rate removed 73% of the lucerne stand over 3 months.”
Claim · model-written summary
Lower stocking rates removed 13–23% of lucerne at the ACT and NSW sites.
- Taxon
- lucerneMedicago sativae0
- Treatment
- stocking rates applied in the main studye0
- Outcome
- lucerne survivale0
- Direction
- removale0
- Value
- 13–23%e0
- Setting
- ACT and NSW sitese0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“stocking rates applied in the main study proved too low to substantially impact on lucerne survival at both the ACT and NSW sites (13–23% removal)”
Claim · model-written summary
Herbicides, alone or combined with grazing, improved lucerne removal.
- Taxon
- lucerneMedicago sativae0
- Treatment
- herbicides both alone or in conjunction with grazinge0
- Outcome
- lucerne removale0
- Direction
- improvede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The use of herbicides both alone or in conjunction with grazing greatly improved lucerne removal in both studies.”
Claim · model-written summary
Herbicide removal varied from 53% to 100%, apparently with timing, regrowth or rainfall.
- Taxon
- lucerneMedicago sativae0
- Outcome
- herbicide efficacye0
- Value
- 53–100% removale0
- Qualifier
- seemed to be related to the time of year it was applied, the period of lucerne regrowth or the amount of rainfall before herbicide applicatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“herbicide efficacy was variable (53–100% removal), and seemed to be related to the time of year it was applied, the period of lucerne regrowth or the amount of rainfall before herbicide application”
Claim · model-written summary
Dry conditions reduced lucerne frequency about 50% in mown control plots.
- Taxon
- lucerneMedicago sativae0
- Treatment
- Dry conditions during 2002–03e0
- Outcome
- lucerne frequencye0
- Direction
- declinee0
- Value
- about 50%e0
- Qualifier
- mown control plotse0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Dry conditions during 2002–03 resulted in a decline in lucerne frequency at about 50% in mown control plots.”
Claim · model-written summary
Grazing increased lucerne stand decline.
- Taxon
- lucerneMedicago sativat0
- Treatment
- Grazinge0
- Outcome
- stand declinee0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Grazing increased the stand decline”
t0“lucerne”
Claim · model-written summary
Grazing reduced winter-active cultivar frequency by up to 70–93%.
- Taxon
- lucerneMedicago sativae0
- Material
- winter-active cultivarse0
- Outcome
- lucerne frequencye0
- Direction
- reducede0
- Value
- up to 70–93%e0
Not reportedTreatmentComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“winter-active cultivars where lucerne frequency was reduced by up to 70–93%”
Claim · model-written summary
Prolonged continuous grazing can remove lucerne, with loss dependent on stocking rate and rainfall.
- Taxon
- lucerneMedicago sativae0
- Outcome
- continuous grazing for prolonged periodse0
- Qualifier
- stocking rate and rainfalle0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“continuous grazing for prolonged periods can be effective at removing lucerne, but the rate of lucerne loss will be influenced by both stocking rate and rainfall”
Claim · model-written summary
Herbicide application can improve removal with or without grazing, subject to plant status and conditions.
- Taxon
- lucerneMedicago sativae0
- Outcome
- application of herbicidese0
- Qualifier
- physiological status of the lucerne plants and/or the environmental conditions before applicatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the application of herbicides can improve lucerne removal either in association with, or in the absence of grazing; however, herbicide efficacy appeared to be dependent upon the physiological status of the lucerne plants and/or the environmental conditions before application”
Claim · model-written summary
Lucerne types could be developed with greater susceptibility to grazing mismanagement for phase farming.
- Taxon
- lucerneMedicago sativae0
- Outcome
- developed for phase-farming systems with increased susceptibility to grazing mismanagemente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“lucerne types could potentially be developed for phase-farming systems with increased susceptibility to grazing mismanagement”
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Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.