Abstract
White clover (Trifolium repens L.; clover) can offer a superior nutritional feed compared with perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.; PRG) and offers an additional or alternative source (or both) of N for herbage production. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of including clover into PRG swards receiving 150 (Cl150) or 250 kg of N/ha (Cl250) compared with a PRG-only sward receiving 250 kg of N/ha (Gr250) on herbage production, milk production, and herbage dry matter intake (DMI) in an intensive grass-based spring calving milk production system over 2 full lactations. A farm systems experiment was established in February 2013, and conducted over 2 grazing seasons [2013 (yr 1) and 2014 (yr 2)]. In February 2013 (yr 1), 42 Holstein-Friesian spring-calving dairy cows, and in February 2014 (yr 2), 57 Holstein-Friesian spring-calving dairy cows were allocated to graze the Cl150, Cl250, and Gr250 swards (n = 14 in yr 1 and n = 19 in yr 2) from February to November, at a stocking rate of 2.74 cows/ha. Herbage DMI was estimated twice in yr 1 (May and September) and 3 times in yr 2 (May, July, and September). Treatment did not have a significant effect on annual herbage production. Sward clover content was greater on the Cl150 treatment than the Cl250 treatment. The cows grazing both clover treatments (Cl250 and Cl150) produced more milk than the cows grazing Gr250 from June until the end of the grazing season. A significant treatment by measurement period interaction was observed on total DMI. In May, the cows on the Cl250 treatment had the greatest DMI. In July, the cows on the clover treatments had greater DMI than those on the Gr250 treatment, whereas in September, the cows on the Cl150 treatment had the lowest DMI. In conclusion, including clover in a PRG sward grazed by spring-calving dairy cows can result in increased animal performance, particularly in the second half of lactation. Reducing N fertilizer application to 150 kg of N/ha on grass-clover swards did not reduce herbage production compared with grass-only swards receiving 250 kg of N/ha. White clover can play an integral role in intensive grazing systems in terms of animal performance and herbage production.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Treatment had no significant effect on annual herbage production.
- Taxon
- perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)
Lolium perennet0 - Treatment
- Treatmente0
- Outcome
- annual herbage productione0
- Direction
- did not have a significant effecte0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Treatment did not have a significant effect on annual herbage production”
t0“white clover (Trifolium repens L.) into perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Cl150 had greater sward clover content than Cl250.
- Taxon
- white clover (Trifolium repens L.)
Trifolium repenst0 - Treatment
- Cl150 treatmente0
- Outcome
- Sward clover contente0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Comparator
- Cl250 treatmente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Sward clover content was greater on the Cl150 treatment than the Cl250 treatment”
t0“white clover (Trifolium repens L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Cows grazing either clover treatment produced more milk than cows on Gr250 from June to season end.
- Taxon
- white clover (Trifolium repens L.)Trifolium repenst0
- Treatment
- both clover treatments (Cl250 and Cl150)e0
- Outcome
- milke0
- Direction
- moree0
- Qualifier
- from June until the end of the grazing seasone0
- Comparator
- Gr250e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The cows grazing both clover treatments (Cl250 and Cl150) produced more milk than the cows grazing Gr250 from June until the end of the grazing season”
t0“white clover (Trifolium repens L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Treatment interacted significantly with measurement period for total DMI.
- Taxon
- white clover (Trifolium repens L.)Trifolium repenst0
- Treatment
- treatmente0
- Outcome
- total DMIe0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“A significant treatment by measurement period interaction was observed on total DMI”
t0“white clover (Trifolium repens L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
In May, Cl250 cows had the greatest DMI.
- Taxon
- white clover (Trifolium repens L.)Trifolium repenst0
- Treatment
- Cl250 treatmente0
- Outcome
- DMIe0
- Direction
- greateste0
- Qualifier
- In Maye0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In May, the cows on the Cl250 treatment had the greatest DMI”
t0“white clover (Trifolium repens L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
In July, cows on clover treatments had greater DMI than Gr250 cows.
- Taxon
- white clover (Trifolium repens L.)Trifolium repenst0
- Treatment
- clover treatmentse0
- Outcome
- DMIe0
- Direction
- greatere0
- Qualifier
- In Julye0
- Comparator
- Gr250 treatmente0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“In July, the cows on the clover treatments had greater DMI than those on the Gr250 treatment”
t0“white clover (Trifolium repens L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
In September, Cl150 cows had the lowest DMI.
- Taxon
- white clover (Trifolium repens L.)Trifolium repenst0
- Treatment
- Cl150 treatmente0
- Outcome
- DMIe0
- Direction
- loweste0
- Qualifier
- in Septembere0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“in September, the cows on the Cl150 treatment had the lowest DMI”
t0“white clover (Trifolium repens L.)”
Claim · model-written summary
Reducing nitrogen to 150 kg N/ha on grass-clover swards did not reduce herbage production versus grass-only swards at 250 kg N/ha.
- Taxon
- white clover (Trifolium repens L.)Trifolium repenst0
- Treatment
- 150 kg of N/ha on grass-clover swardse0
- Outcome
- herbage productione0
- Direction
- did not reducee0
- Comparator
- grass-only swards receiving 250 kg of N/hae0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Reducing N fertilizer application to 150 kg of N/ha on grass-clover swards did not reduce herbage production compared with grass-only swards receiving 250 kg of N/ha”
t0“white clover (Trifolium repens L.)”
The same questions in other papers
nitrogen · yield · Trifolium repens (white clover)Results differ
12 papers in the same direction as this paper · 11 reporting no difference from an alternative
- negative
- negative
- positive
20 papers more in this group
See all 24 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.