Dry matter production curves of Ariki ryegrass pastures at Pretoria

Abstract

Irrigated Ariki ryegrass produced 13,7 and 9,2 m t/ha green dry matter during the first and second growing seasons respectively. It was most productive in spring, because the growth rate decreased throughout the growing season. This necessitated increasingly long periods of absence of 23, 39, 39 and 48 days under grazing conditions, to maximize dry matter production. During the same growing periods growth rates were 94, 73, 56 and 43 kg dry matter/ha/day respectively.

Keywords: dry matter production|ryegrass|grasses|pastures|Pretoria|irrigated fields|growing seasons|productivity|grazing|temperatures|temperature regimes|agriculture