Abstract
Summary The effects of cutting frequency and cutting height on broad‐leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius) in Lolium perenne ‐based agricultural grassland at two levels of fertiliser input were investigated at North Wyke, Devon, UK. Two micro‐plot field experiments, containing immature dock plants at uniform densities, with a factorial design, were used to compare: (a) ‘organic’ and ‘low‐input’ fertilisation, i.e. cattle slurry only vs slurry plus mineral fertiliser (NPK at 100‐0‐64 kg ha −1 yr −1 ), (b) cutting heights of 5–6 cm vs 10–12 cm, and (c) four harvesting frequencies representative of different grassland management practices (regular 4‐weekly cutting, a ‘hay‐stage’ cutting, and two treatments with ‘silage‐stage’ cutting). Expt 1 was established in 1995 with 13 dock plants m −2 (from excised dock‐root sections) and Expt 2 established in 1996 with 25 plants m −2 (as seed‐grown plug plants). Treatments were assessed over the 2 subsequent years to determine treatment effects on total herbage dry matter (DM) yield and dock DM yield, and on in‐situ measures of dock ramets. In both experiments, total DM yield was increased by 1.0–2.01 ha −1 yr −1 for treatments receiving NK fertiliser; the proportion of dock was also higher than from slurry‐only treatments. In Expt 1, the dock ramet density, mean dock ramet height, mean leaf length and numbers of dock leaves per m 2 were also greater on NK fertilised treatments in autumn of yr 1. Height of cut had no consistent effect on dock yield, but dock ramet density and leaf density in autumn were greater on the 5–6 cm than the 10–12 cm cutting treatment, Expt 2 only. In yr 2 of both experiments cutting at 4‐weekly intervals resulted in less dock in the herbage than hay‐stage cutting and, particularly in Expt 1, there were associated differences in leaf density and ramet height in autumn; silage‐stage treatments were intermediate. Results are discussed in relation to requirements for management options where there is a need to avoid or reduce herbicides.
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Claims 7
Claim · model-written summary
NK fertiliser increased total dry matter yield.
- Taxon
- Lolium perenne
Lolium perennee1 - Treatment
- NK fertilisere0
- Outcome
- total DM yielde0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 1.0–2.01 ha −1 yr −1e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“total DM yield was increased by 1.0–2.01 ha −1 yr −1 for treatments receiving NK fertiliser”
t0“Rumex obtusifolius”
e1“Lolium perenne ‐based agricultural grassland”
Claim · model-written summary
NK fertiliser increased the proportion of dock.
- Taxon
- Lolium perenneLolium perennee1
- Interactor
- docke0weed
- Outcome
- proportion of docke0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- slurry‐only treatmentse0
Not reportedTreatment
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the proportion of dock was also higher than from slurry‐only treatments”
t0“Rumex obtusifolius”
e1“Lolium perenne ‐based agricultural grassland”
Claim · model-written summary
NK fertiliser increased dock ramet density, height, leaf length and leaf number in experiment 1.
- Taxon
- Lolium perenneLolium perennee1
- Treatment
- NK fertilised treatmentse0
- Interactor
- docke0weed
- Outcome
- dock ramet density, mean dock ramet height, mean leaf lengthe0
- Direction
- greatere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the dock ramet density, mean dock ramet height, mean leaf length and numbers of dock leaves per m 2 were also greater on NK fertilised treatments in autumn of yr 1”
t0“Rumex obtusifolius”
e1“Lolium perenne ‐based agricultural grassland”
Claim · model-written summary
Cutting height had no consistent effect on dock yield.
- Taxon
- Lolium perenneLolium perennee1
- Treatment
- Height of cute0
- Interactor
- docke0weed
- Outcome
- dock yielde0
- Direction
- no consistent effecte0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Height of cut had no consistent effect on dock yield”
t0“Rumex obtusifolius”
e1“Lolium perenne ‐based agricultural grassland”
Claim · model-written summary
Shorter cutting increased dock ramet and leaf density in experiment 2.
- Taxon
- Lolium perenneLolium perennee1
- Treatment
- 5–6 cme0
- Interactor
- docke0weed
- Outcome
- dock ramet density and leaf densitye0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Comparator
- 10–12 cme0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“dock ramet density and leaf density in autumn were greater on the 5–6 cm than the 10–12 cm cutting treatment, Expt 2 only”
t0“Rumex obtusifolius”
e1“Lolium perenne ‐based agricultural grassland”
Claim · model-written summary
Four weekly cutting reduced dock in herbage relative to hay stage cutting.
- Taxon
- Lolium perenneLolium perennee1
- Treatment
- cutting at 4‐weekly intervalse0
- Interactor
- docke0weed
- Outcome
- dock in the herbagee0
- Direction
- lesse0
- Comparator
- hay‐stage cuttinge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“cutting at 4‐weekly intervals resulted in less dock in the herbage than hay‐stage cutting”
t0“Rumex obtusifolius”
e1“Lolium perenne ‐based agricultural grassland”
Claim · model-written summary
Silage stage cutting gave intermediate dock outcomes.
- Taxon
- Lolium perenneLolium perennee1
- Outcome
- silage‐stage treatments were intermediatee0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“silage‐stage treatments were intermediate”
t0“Rumex obtusifolius”
e1“Lolium perenne ‐based agricultural grassland”
The same questions in other papers
fertilization · growth · Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass)Positive and negative results
27 papers in the same direction as this paper · 5 in the opposite direction · 2 reporting no difference from an alternative
- negative
- negative
- negative
31 papers more in this group
See all 35 papers →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.