Replacing synthetic N with clovers or alfalfa in bermudagrass pastures. 2. Herbage nutritive value for growing beef steers
P. Beck A D , T. Hess B , D. Hubbell B , M. S. Gadberry C , J. Jennings C and M. Sims AA Southwest Research and Extension Centre, University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture, Hope, AR 71801, USA.
B Livestock and Forestry Research Station, University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture, Batesville, AR 72501, USA.
C Cooperative Extension Service, University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture, Little Rock, AR 72204, USA.
D Corresponding author. Email: pbeck@uaex.edu
Animal Production Science 57(3) 547-555 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN15046
Submitted: 28 January 2015 Accepted: 9 December 2015 Published: 20 April 2016
Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of including alfalfa (ALF, Medicago sativa L.) or a combination of white (Trifolium repens L.) and red (Trifolium pretense L.) clovers (CLVR) inter-seeded into bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L. Pers.) on herbage nutritive value compared with monocultures of bermudagrass fertilised with 0 (0N), 56 (56N), or 112 (112N) kg nitrogen (N)/ha over four grazing seasons. At the end of the fourth year (during the winter), legume plants in ALF and CLVR were killed and the carryover N benefit on bermudagrass nutritive value was evaluated during the fifth year. Pre-grazing herbage of all pastures exceeded the dietary recommendations for growing steers to maintain 0.9 kg/day average daily liveweight gain for crude protein and total digestible nutrients, 118 and 617 g kg/DM, respectively. Post-grazing herbage in ALF was below 600 g/kg total digestible nutrients at all times during the grazing season, post-grazing total digestible nutrients of CLVR was below 600 g/kg during the late summer and autumn. Post-grazing herbage of monoculture bermudagrass pastures fell below 600 g/kg in the middle of summer regardless of N fertilisation. Carryover N benefits of legumes were similar to 112N in the early summer, but were not different than 0N and 56N during the late summer and autumn. Replacing applications of synthetic N in bermudagrass swards with inter-seeding of either clovers or alfalfa produce herbage with equivalent nutritive value to heavily N fertilised monocultures of bermudagrass during the early summer, and similar to moderately N fertilised in the late summer and autumn. The inclusion of legumes in bermudagrass swards can reduce the reliance on synthetic N fertilisation with little overall effect on herbage nutritive quality possibly decreasing environmental impacts of grazing production systems.
Additional keywords: legumes, nutrient analysis.
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