Winter growth and nutritive quality of serradella (Ornithopus spp.)

Abstract

Two genotypes of yellow serradella (Ornithopus compressus) and one of French serradella (O. sativus) were compared with subterranean clover when grown as swards in boxes in an open-sided glass shelter at Perth, Western Australia. The swards were defoliated at 1.5 cm, at weekly intervals, from 4 weeks after sowing until harvest at almost 15 weeks. The total yield of herbage was as high in serradella as in subterranean clover, although net herbage production (i.e. plant material removed by defoliation) was 9% less in the serradella because the sward was shorter during early growth. After 10 weeks, net herbage production rates were similar for the four legumes (5.4-5.8 g/m2.day). No major differences between the legumes were found in several measures of nutritional quality.