Results of grazing trials on Ladino clover.

Abstract

Ladino white clover grown under irrigation at the Kokstad Research Station exhibits two major periods of growth, the one in the spring when growth rates reach values of 1 100 kg DM/ha/week and the other in autumn, when a maximum growth rate of 530 kg DM/ha/week was recorded. Quality declined and the dry matter content increased as the season advanced. Lambs performed considerably better in the spring than in summer and at this time (i.e. spring), lamb performance was less sensitive to stocking rate, particularly when continuously grazed. In spring there was a distinct advantage of continuous grazing systems over rotation systems in the seasonally fixed stocking rate treatments but the latter systems allowed for better lamb performance in summer and autumn, so that the average performance for the season was independent of the grazing system adopted. Among the variable stocking rate treatments applied, continuous grazing was superior to rotational grazing.

Keywords: clover; continuous grazing; dry matter content; grazing; grazing systems; growth rate; growth rates; irrigation; kokstad agricultural research station; quality; rotational grazing; south africa; stocking rate; white clover