
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Fulkerson, WJ 
A1  - Slack, K 
A1  - Lowe, KF 
T1  - Variation in the response of <I>Lolium</I> genotypes to defoliation
JF  - Australian Journal of Agricultural Research
JO  - Aust. J.  Agric. Res.
Y1  - 1994
VL  - 45
IS  - 6
SP  - 1309
EP  - 1317
KW  - defoliation&#215;cultivar;WSC;regrowth;Lolium species
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1071/AR9941309 
N2  - A glasshouse study was undertaken to determine the effect of defoliation frequency (three times at one leaf stage or once at three leaf stage of the regrowth cycle) and height (20, 50 or 120 mm) on regrowth, plant water soluble carbohydrate (WSC) reserves and root growth of seven Lolium perenne and two Lolium multiflorum cultivars. The sensitivity to defoliation was in decreasing order: biennial, PI perennials (cv. Ellett, AN2327, LP30, LP31), P2 perennials (cv. Kangaroo Valley, Yatsyn, Pacific). The effect of frequent, compared to infrequent, defoliation was to suppress regrowth by l00%, 95% and 80%; stubble WSC (mg/plant) by 97, 89 and 81%; root DM (g/plant) by 76, 60 and 6%, for biennial, P1 and P2, respectively. The effect of defoliation height accentuated this response, with biennials defoliated frequently at 20 mm stubble height all dying. Under defoliation conditions producing optimal yield, the yield was positively related to sensitivity to defoliation, giving regrowths of 2.90, 2.68, 1.53 g DM per plant for biennial, P1 and P2 plants, respectively. In view of the marked defoliation by cultivar interaction, response to defoliation should be considered as a possible selection criterion in any evaluation process. 
ER  -

