Abstract
The expected reduction in the use of fertilizer nitrogen (N) on grassland in the Netherlands has led to renewed interest in white clover. Therefore, the performance of a newly sown perennial ryegrass/white clover sward on clay soil was assessed during 4 consecutive years. The experiment consisted of all combinations of two defoliation systems, i.e. one or two silage cuts per year (S1, S2), spring N application rate, i.e. 0 or 50 kg ha −1 year −1 (N 0 , N 50 ), and the management system, i.e. rotational grazing and cutting, or cutting only (RGC, CO). The overall mean white clover cover was 30%. All treatments affected white clover cover, which was 8% higher with S2 than with S1, 6% higher with N 0 than with N 50 and 12% higher with CO than with RGC. The overall mean annual dry‐matter (DM) yield (13·1 t ha −1 year −1 ) was significantly affected only by the management system: in two relatively wetter years, the annual DM yield was 1·19 t ha −1 higher with RGC than with CO, whereas there was no difference in two relatively drier years. Nitrogen application increased the DM yield in the first cut by 7·0 kg kg −1 N applied, but had no significant effect on the annual DM yield. Herbage quality was not affected by the experimental treatments. The average in vitro organic matter digestibility was 0.801, and the average crude protein content was 193 g kg −1 DM. With the expected reduction in the use of fertilizer N, perennial ryegrass/white clover swards should be seriously considered as an alternative option to perennial ryegrass swards on these clay soils.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Mean white clover cover was 30%.
- Taxon
- white clover
Trifolium repense0 - Outcome
- white clover covere0
- Value
- 30%e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The overall mean white clover cover was 30%”
Claim · model-written summary
Two silage cuts raised white clover cover by 8% relative to one cut.
- Taxon
- white cloverTrifolium repense0
- Treatment
- S2e0
- Outcome
- white clover covere0
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 8%e0
- Comparator
- S1e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“white clover cover, which was 8% higher with S2 than with S1”
Claim · model-written summary
No nitrogen application raised white clover cover by 6% relative to 50 kg nitrogen.
- Taxon
- white cloverTrifolium repense1
- Treatment
- N 0e0
- Outcome
- white clover covere1
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 6%e0
- Comparator
- N 50e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“6% higher with N 0 than with N 50”
t0“white clover”
e1“The overall mean white clover cover was 30%”
Claim · model-written summary
Cutting alone raised white clover cover by 12% relative to rotational grazing and cutting.
- Taxon
- white cloverTrifolium repense1
- Treatment
- COe0
- Outcome
- white clover covere1
- Direction
- highere0
- Value
- 12%e0
- Comparator
- RGCe0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“12% higher with CO than with RGC”
t0“white clover”
e1“The overall mean white clover cover was 30%”
Claim · model-written summary
Overall mean annual dry matter yield was 13·1 t ha −1 year −1.
Verbatim
e0“The overall mean annual dry‐matter (DM) yield (13·1 t ha −1 year −1 )”
t0“perennial ryegrass/white clover sward”
Claim · model-written summary
Rotational grazing and cutting raised annual dry matter yield by 1·19 t ha −1 in wetter years.
Verbatim
e0“in two relatively wetter years, the annual DM yield was 1·19 t ha −1 higher with RGC than with CO”
t0“perennial ryegrass/white clover sward”
Claim · model-written summary
Rotational grazing and cutting did not differ from cutting alone in annual yield during drier years.
Verbatim
e0“there was no difference in two relatively drier years”
t0“perennial ryegrass/white clover sward”
e1“in two relatively wetter years, the annual DM yield was 1·19 t ha −1 higher with RGC than with CO”
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrogen application increased first-cut yield by 7·0 kg per kg nitrogen applied.
- Taxon
- perennial ryegrass/white clover swardt0
- Treatment
- Nitrogen applicatione0
- Outcome
- DM yield in the first cute0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Value
- 7·0 kg kg −1 N appliede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Nitrogen application increased the DM yield in the first cut by 7·0 kg kg −1 N applied”
t0“perennial ryegrass/white clover sward”
Claim · model-written summary
Nitrogen application had no significant effect on annual dry matter yield.
- Taxon
- perennial ryegrass/white clover swardt0
- Treatment
- Nitrogen applicatione1
- Outcome
- annual DM yielde0
- Direction
- no significant effecte0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“but had no significant effect on the annual DM yield”
t0“perennial ryegrass/white clover sward”
e1“Nitrogen application increased the DM yield in the first cut by 7·0 kg kg −1 N applied”
Claim · model-written summary
Experimental treatments did not affect herbage quality.
- Taxon
- perennial ryegrass/white clover swardt0
- Treatment
- experimental treatmentse0
- Outcome
- Herbage qualitye0
- Direction
- not affectede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Herbage quality was not affected by the experimental treatments”
t0“perennial ryegrass/white clover sward”
Claim · model-written summary
Mean digestibility was 0.801.
Verbatim
e0“The average in vitro organic matter digestibility was 0.801”
t0“perennial ryegrass/white clover sward”
Claim · model-written summary
Mean crude protein content was 193 g kg −1 DM.
Verbatim
e0“the average crude protein content was 193 g kg −1 DM”
t0“perennial ryegrass/white clover sward”
The same questions in other papers
nitrogen · growth · Trifolium repens (white clover)Results differ
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- negative
- negative
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See all 28 papers →nitrogen · growth · Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass)Results differ
19 papers in the same direction as this paper · 8 in the opposite direction · 1 reporting no difference from an alternative
- no effect
- no effect
- no effect
25 papers more in this group
See all 29 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.