Tagasaste silvopastures in steep-hill country. 2. Effect of increasing proximity to tagasaste on growth and survival of companion pasture species

Katherine Tozer; Emma Noakes; Grant Douglas; Rose Greenfield; Catherine Cameron

doi:10.1071/CP22224

RESEARCH ARTICLE (Open Access)

Previous Next Contents Vol 74(12)

Tagasaste silvopastures in steep-hill country. 2. Effect of increasing proximity to tagasaste on growth and survival of companion pasture species

Katherine Tozer

^A ^* , Emma Noakes ^B , Grant Douglas ^C , Rose Greenfield ^A and Catherine Cameron ^A

+ Author Affiliations

- Author Affiliations

^A AgResearch, Private Bag 3123, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand.

^B AgResearch, Private Bag 11008, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand.

^C GBDScience, Church Street, Palmerston North 4410, New Zealand.

^* Correspondence to: katherine.tozer@agresearch.co.nz

Handling Editor: Christian Huyghe

Crop & Pasture Science 74(12) 1287-1306 https://doi.org/10.1071/CP22224

Submitted: 27 June 2022 Accepted: 19 June 2023 Published: 18 July 2023

© 2023 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND)

Abstract

Context

Tagasaste (Cytisus proliferus), a fast-growing leguminous tree, has potential to supplement pasture production in steep-hill country and to increase pasture resilience.

Aims

In the companion paper, we quantified tagasaste production characteristics. Here, we determine the effect of proximity of 10-year-old tagasaste trees on productivity of eight pasture species including grasses (perennial ryegrass, Lolium perenne; cocksfoot, Dactylis glomerata; prairie grass, Bromus willdenowii; microlaena, Microlaena stipoides), perennial legumes (white clover, Trifolium repens; red clover, T. pratense; lotus, Lotus pedunculatus), and an annual legume (subterranean clover, T. subterraneum).

Methods

A site was established in the East Coast region of the North Island of New Zealand on steep-hill country (>20° slope). Herbage production, nutritive value and survival of pasture species established as spaced transplants were measured over 3 years.

Results

Cocksfoot had high survival, herbage production and metabolisable energy content but was negatively affected by proximity to tagasaste. Microlaena was not significantly affected by proximity to tagasaste; however, it was much less productive and had lower nutritive values than the other grasses. Only 40% of perennial ryegrass transplants survived 3 years, and survival of perennial legumes was negligible. Subterranean clover was able to set seed in the open and in shade.

Conclusions

Cocksfoot was the most productive grass species, and microlaena was least affected by proximity to tagasaste. Given the poor persistence of perennial clovers, annual clovers may be better suited to a tagasaste silvopasture on steep, dry hillsides.

Implications

Mixtures of cocksfoot and subterranean clover may be well suited to summer-dry hillsides, between and under trees in a tagasaste silvopasture. Microlaena may provide some forage and can maintain groundcover despite shade.

Keywords: feed value, forages, forage trees, herbage production, hill country, nutritive values, pasture productivity, tree lucerne, tree-pasture systems.

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