Clover and crop production under 13- to 15-year-old Pinus radiata

Abstract

A thirteen-year-old Pinus radiata plantation was thinned to 143 or 261 stems ha-1 and pruned to 6 m at Mundaring, Western Australia. The production of the Daliak, Seaton Park and Woogenellup cultivars of subterranean clover sown under the trees and on an adjacent area under pasture only was measured for two years. The yields of oats and lupins sown for two successive years following one year of clover pasture were also measured. No seedling establishment problems were encountered and healthy, productive pastures resulted. In the first year, Daliak was inferior to the other cultivars for both herbage and seed production. Seed yields were highest under the low tree density. By the third growing season herbage yields had fallen under the trees to 84% of the control pastures (4800 kg ha-1) at 143 stems ha-1 and 68% at 261 stems ha-1. The yields of oats were usually higher on the control plots but those of lupins seldom so.