Abstract
Abstract The on-farm use of lucerne (Medicago sativa) for grazing and conserved feed has increased in New Zealand over recent years, with new cultivars coming onto the market, including more winter-active ones. The extent to which the winter active types contribute to annual feed production, and the relationship to critical traits like persistence, has not been systematically tested. Two concurrent trials over a 4-year period were used to evaluate a range of lucerne cultivars and elite experimental populations ranging in dormancy from 2 (highly dormant) to 10 (non-dormant) under contrasting grazing regimes near Lincoln, New Zealand. More winter-active cultivars in the higher fall dormancy (FD) classes had similar growth to lower FD classes in all seasons except autumn, where they exhibited 18% greater yield than the lowest FD entry. However, these higher FD populations do not persist as well under heavy grazing, with a reduction in ground cover of up to 90% after four years, compared with only a 25% loss in lower FD classes. There was a negative correlation between FD and persistence measured as plant survival over 4 years (R2=0.73). However, one high FD entry showed increased survival under grazing, suggesting there is scope for selection of types with improved cool season growth and grazing tolerance. The concurrent lucerne trial subjected to a low-frequency grazing/ cutting regime showed faster recovery from defoliation than the adjacent hard grazed regime, suggesting stored underground reserves were more available for regrowth. We concluded that lucerne cultivars with FD ratings in the 3 to 5 range are most suitable for yield and persistence under grazing in these conditions. There is also scope for breeding to improve plant survival and dry matter yield within FD class. Keywords: Lucerne (Medicago sativa), grazing tolerance, persistence, fall dormancy
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Higher fall dormancy winter-active lucerne had growth similar to lower fall dormancy classes in all seasons except autumn.
- Taxon
- lucerne
Medicago sativae0 - Material
- winter-active cultivars in the higher fall dormancy (FD) classese1
- Outcome
- growthe1
- Direction
- similare1
- Qualifier
- in all seasons except autumne1
- Comparator
- lower FD classese1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The on-farm use of lucerne (Medicago sativa) for grazing”
e1“More winter-active cultivars in the higher fall dormancy (FD) classes had similar growth to lower FD classes in all seasons except autumn”
Claim · model-written summary
In autumn, higher fall dormancy lucerne yielded 18% more than the lowest fall dormancy entry.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The on-farm use of lucerne (Medicago sativa) for grazing”
e2“where they exhibited 18% greater yield than the lowest FD entry”
Claim · model-written summary
Higher FD lucerne populations lost up to 90% ground cover after four years of heavy grazing, compared with a 25% loss in lower FD classes.
- Taxon
- lucerneMedicago sativae0
- Material
- higher FD populationse3
- Treatment
- heavy grazinge3
- Outcome
- ground covere3
- Direction
- reductione3
- Value
- up to 90%e3
- Qualifier
- after four yearse3
- Comparator
- lower FD classese3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The on-farm use of lucerne (Medicago sativa) for grazing”
e3“these higher FD populations do not persist as well under heavy grazing, with a reduction in ground cover of up to 90% after four years, compared with only a 25% loss in lower FD classes”
Claim · model-written summary
FD and lucerne persistence, measured as plant survival over 4 years, were negatively correlated (R2=0.73).
- Taxon
- lucerneMedicago sativae0
- Material
- FDe4
- Outcome
- plant survivale4
- Direction
- negative correlatione4
- Value
- R2=0.73e4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The on-farm use of lucerne (Medicago sativa) for grazing”
e4“There was a negative correlation between FD and persistence measured as plant survival over 4 years (R2=0.73)”
Claim · model-written summary
One high fall dormancy lucerne entry showed increased survival under grazing.
- Taxon
- lucerneMedicago sativae0
- Material
- one high FD entrye5
- Outcome
- survival under grazinge5
- Direction
- increasede5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The on-farm use of lucerne (Medicago sativa) for grazing”
e5“However, one high FD entry showed increased survival under grazing”
Claim · model-written summary
Lucerne cultivars with FD ratings in the 3 to 5 range are most suitable for yield and persistence under grazing in these conditions.
- Taxon
- lucerneMedicago sativae6
- Material
- cultivars with FD ratings in the 3 to 5 rangee6
- Outcome
- yield and persistence under grazinge6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e6“We concluded that lucerne cultivars with FD ratings in the 3 to 5 range are most suitable for yield and persistence under grazing in these conditions”
Claim · model-written summary
There is scope for breeding lucerne to improve plant survival and dry matter yield within FD class.
- Taxon
- lucerneMedicago sativae0
- Outcome
- plant survival and dry matter yielde7
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The on-farm use of lucerne (Medicago sativa) for grazing”
e7“There is also scope for breeding to improve plant survival and dry matter yield within FD class”
Claim · model-written summary
Stored underground reserves were more available for lucerne regrowth after defoliation, as a suggested explanation.
- Taxon
- lucerneMedicago sativae0
- Outcome
- regrowthe1
- Qualifier
- stored underground reserves were more availablee1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The on-farm use of lucerne (Medicago sativa) for grazing”
e1“suggesting stored underground reserves were more available for regrowth”
Claim · model-written summary
Low-frequency grazing/cutting showed faster lucerne recovery from defoliation than adjacent hard grazing.
- Taxon
- lucerneMedicago sativae2
- Treatment
- low-frequency grazing/ cutting regimee2
- Outcome
- recovery from defoliatione2
- Direction
- fastere2
- Comparator
- adjacent hard grazed regimee2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e2“The concurrent lucerne trial subjected to a low-frequency grazing/ cutting regime showed faster recovery from defoliation than the adjacent hard grazed regime”
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