Defoliation as a factor in the growth of varieties of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L) when grown in pure and mixed swards

Abstract

This paper describes two experiments analysing the recovery from defoliation of subterranean clover varieties grown in swards in large seed boxes at the Waite Agricultural Research Institute, Adelaide.

The first experiment examined the way in which the six common commercial varieties recovered from a single severe defoliation, and showed that under these conditions they can be placed in three groups: Yarloop and Clare are tall, high-yielding varieties with few, large leaves, recovering slowly from defoliation; Tallarook and Dwalganup are prostrate varieties, lower-yielding, with many small leaves, recovering rapidly after defoliation; Bacchus Marsh and Mount Barker are intermediate in all respects.

In the second experiment mixed swards of equal numbers of Yarloop and Tallarook plants were grown under three treatments: A, no defoliation; B, defoliated twice at a height which removed the higher Yarloop canopy but left the lower Tallarook plants untouched; C, defoliated twice at a height which removed the canopies of both varieties. Measurement of dry weight on four occasions after each defoliation showed that in the undefoliated treatment, all Tallarook plants died by the end of the experiment. In the defoliated treatments, the removal of the Yarloop canopy resulted in only a temporary improvement in the illuniination in which the Tallarook plants grew, and their dry weight and plant numbers progressively declined. Dry weight changes in the Tallarook component were shown to be dependent on the light energy available to it, which was in turn determined by the light-absorbing capacity of the superior Yarloop canopy. In mixed swards, the ability of Yarloop to re-establish quickly a leaf canopy above that of Tallarook appeared to explain its success when defoliated.