Abstract
Abstract Lucerne ( Medicago sativa L.), a deep‐rooted perennial legume forage, is a significant part of pastures, and is also grown in rotation with wheat to improve the yield and protein content of grains. Adequate supply of key nutrients is one of the important factors in higher productivity and sustainability of lucerne pastures. However, farmers mostly overlook the importance of nutrient management of established lucerne pastures, resulting in poor persistence, low productivity and weed invasion. The aim of this on‐farm field study was to investigate the effects of the combined use of P, K, S and Zn and different sources of Zn on herbage yield, crude protein, nutrient composition, nitrogen fixation, weed invasion and persistence of an established (2 years old) stand of ‘Aurora’ lucerne pasture. A randomised block design was used to test ten fertiliser treatments. The combined use of P, K, S and Zn significantly ( P <0.05) increased herbage yield (139% increase) over 2 years, nitrogen fixation, leaf‐to‐stem ratio, crude protein, nutrient composition (P, K, Ca, S, Zn concentrations), persistence and groundcover, and also led to significant weed suppression (weed biomass decreased from 53 to 69%). Of the three forms of zinc tested, zinc sulphate and zinc‐coated single superphosphate proved superior to zinc oxide. The results suggest that nutrient management is essential for improved persistence, reduced weed invasion and higher sustainable productivity of established lucerne pastures, which is important for livestock production systems and overall profitability of farming systems.
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Claims 6
Claim · model-written summary
Combined P, K, S and Zn application significantly increased lucerne herbage yield by 139% over 2 years.
- Taxon
- Medicago sativa
Medicago sativae0 - Material
- Aurorae1
- Treatment
- combined use of P, K, S and Zne2
- Outcome
- herbage yielde2
- Direction
- increasede2
- Value
- 139%e2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Lucerne ( Medicago sativa L.)”
e1“an established (2 years old) stand of ‘Aurora’ lucerne pasture”
e2“The combined use of P, K, S and Zn significantly ( P <0.05) increased herbage yield (139% increase) over 2 years”
Claim · model-written summary
Combined P, K, S and Zn application significantly increased nitrogen fixation, leaf-to-stem ratio and crude protein of lucerne.
- Taxon
- Medicago sativaMedicago sativae0
- Treatment
- combined use of P, K, S and Zne2
- Outcome
- nitrogen fixation, leaf‐to‐stem ratio, crude proteine2
- Direction
- increasede2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Lucerne ( Medicago sativa L.)”
e2“The combined use of P, K, S and Zn significantly ( P <0.05) increased herbage yield (139% increase) over 2 years, nitrogen fixation, leaf‐to‐stem ratio, crude protein, nutrient composition (P, K, Ca, S, Zn concentrations), persistence and groundcover”
Claim · model-written summary
Combined P, K, S and Zn application significantly increased nutrient composition, persistence and groundcover of lucerne.
- Taxon
- Medicago sativaMedicago sativae0
- Treatment
- combined use of P, K, S and Zne2
- Outcome
- nutrient composition (P, K, Ca, S, Zn concentrations), persistence and groundcovere2
- Direction
- increasede2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Lucerne ( Medicago sativa L.)”
e2“The combined use of P, K, S and Zn significantly ( P <0.05) increased herbage yield (139% increase) over 2 years, nitrogen fixation, leaf‐to‐stem ratio, crude protein, nutrient composition (P, K, Ca, S, Zn concentrations), persistence and groundcover”
Claim · model-written summary
Combined P, K, S and Zn application significantly reduced weed biomass in lucerne by 53 to 69%.
- Taxon
- Medicago sativaMedicago sativae0
- Treatment
- combined use of P, K, S and Zne2
- Interactor
- weede2weed
- Outcome
- weed biomasse2
- Direction
- decreasede2
- Value
- 53 to 69%e2
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Lucerne ( Medicago sativa L.)”
e2“The combined use of P, K, S and Zn significantly ( P <0.05) increased herbage yield (139% increase) over 2 years, nitrogen fixation, leaf‐to‐stem ratio, crude protein, nutrient composition (P, K, Ca, S, Zn concentrations), persistence and groundcover, and also led to significant weed suppression (weed biomass decreased from 53 to 69%)”
Claim · model-written summary
Zinc sulphate and zinc-coated single superphosphate proved superior to zinc oxide as zinc sources for lucerne.
- Taxon
- Medicago sativaMedicago sativae0
- Treatment
- zinc sulphate and zinc‐coated single superphosphatee3
- Outcome
- proved superiore3
- Direction
- proved superiore3
- Comparator
- zinc oxidee3
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Lucerne ( Medicago sativa L.)”
e3“Of the three forms of zinc tested, zinc sulphate and zinc‐coated single superphosphate proved superior to zinc oxide”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude that nutrient management is essential for improved persistence, reduced weed invasion and higher sustainable productivity of established lucerne pastures.
- Taxon
- lucerneMedicago sativae4
- Outcome
- nutrient managemente4
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e4“The results suggest that nutrient management is essential for improved persistence, reduced weed invasion and higher sustainable productivity of established lucerne pastures”
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8 of 9 groups shown: named compounds and organisms first, then groups whose results differ (checked claim by claim), then those with positive and negative results, then the smaller groups.
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.