FORAGE & GRAZING LANDS Forage Yield and Persistence of Chicory and English Plantain

ball et al., 1997). The ecology of natural populations of plantain and its biology as a weed have been investigated Graziers in the northeast USA often face forage shortages in mid(Bassett, 1973; Kuiper and Bos, 1992). Apart from older summer. Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) and English plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) have been introduced in the USA as sumer-active reports in the scientific literature, the forage value of perennial herbs for pastures. We conducted two experiments at Rock plantain is relatively unknown. We have investigated Springs, PA, to evaluate chicory and plantain for yield and persistence the seedling development and establishment of plantain under clipping. ‘Grasslands Puna’, ‘Lacerta’, and ‘Forage Feast’ chicand found that it establishes easily from seed (Sanderson ory, and ‘Ceres Tonic’ and ‘Grasslands Lancelot’ plantain were sown and Elwinger, 2000a,b). There are some reports of mein field plots in May 1997 (Exp. 1) and 1999 (Exp. 2). Plots were cut dicinal attributes for plantain, such as anthelmintic every 3 or 5 wk in 1998 and 1999 in Exp. 1 and every 4 wk during properties, but the research is not conclusive (Knight 2000 and 2001 in Exp. 2. Dry matter yield was determined at each et al., 1996; Gustine et al., 2001). harvest. Stand densities were determined in each experiment. Forage Establishing complex pasture plant communities has Feast chicory yielded 25% less than Puna (6000 vs. 8100 kg dry matter received renewed attention (Sanderson et al., 2001). In ha 1; P 0.05) in 1998, whereas yields of both cultivars were similar (P 0.05) in 1999 and 2000. Lacerta chicory yielded 9 to 16% less New Zealand, pastures seeded with a mixture of 18 to than Puna and Forage Feast in Exp. 2. Forage Feast and Puna chicory 26 species consisting of cool-season grasses and legumes had 20 to 50% stand loss in Exp. 1 and 40 to 60% stand loss in Exp. along with several pasture herbs, including chicory and 2. Lacerta chicory lost 80% of the stand during Exp. 2. The plantain plantain, yielded more dry matter under sheep grazing cultivars yielded 6 to 14% less dry matter than Puna chicory in 1998 than did perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)–white and 33 to 39% less in 2000. Both plantain cultivars, however, suffered clover (Trifolium repens L.) mixtures (Ruz-Jerez et al., a nearly complete loss of plants during the second winter after estab1991; Daly et al., 1996). The increased production relishment in both experiments. Ceres Tonic and Lancelot plantain are sulted from greater forage growth during the summer, not suited for the northeastern USA. contributed mainly by the forb component (mostly chicory). In Scotland, trials with several mixtures of forbs, grasses, and white clover under low-input management P cool-season grasses predominate in pasfor hay production showed that plantain competed well tures and haylands of the northeastern USA (Baylor with grasses (Fisher et al., 1996). North American reand Vough, 1985). Growth of these grasses follows the search indicates that chicory persists in mixtures with well-known bimodal distribution of rapid growth in late other cool-season forages and increases late season May and early June, reduced growth during July, Auherbage production (Belesky et al., 1999; Kunelius and gust, and early September, and increased growth in the McRae, 1999). fall. Farmers would like productive forage crops for the The objective of our research was to determine the summer period. Grasslands Puna chicory is an alternapersistence and productivity of chicory and plantain. tive forage with good drought tolerance and production The first phase of this research focused on seedling in summer (Jung et al., 1996; Volesky, 1996; Collins establishment and development (Sanderson and Eland McCoy, 1997; Li et al., 1997a,b). Chicory has high winger, 2000a,b). We report here on the second phase digestibility and a low fiber concentration, which are of the research in which both species were evaluated in desirable for growing and lactating ruminants (Turner clipped plots. Future reports will focus on the third et al., 1999). Newer varieties of chicory are available, phase in which the species were evaluated under grazing but information on their use and productivity is limited. and for nutritive value. English plantain (buckhorn plantain, narrow-leaf plantain, ribwort, ribgrass) commonly occurs as an occaMATERIALS AND METHODS sional weed in temperate pastures (Grime et al., 1990). Two field studies were conducted at the Russell E. Larson It is described as deep rooting, drought resistant, and a Agricultural Research Center near Rock Springs, PA. Soil at palatable pasture plant (Ivins, 1952; Sagar and Harper, the site was a Hagerstown silt loam (fine, mixed, semiactive, 1964; Foster, 1988). Cultivars of plantain have been semesic Typic Hapludalfs). Weather data (Table 1) were oblected for grazing in New Zealand (Stewart, 1996; Rumtained from monitoring stations within 1 km of the experimental site. M.A. Sanderson and G.F. Elwinger, USDA-ARS Pasture Systems and Watershed Management Research Unit, Building 3702 Curtin Experiment 1 Road, University Park, PA 16802-3702; M. Labreveux and M.H. Hall, Crop and Soil Sci. Dep., The Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, Tonic and Lancelot plantain and Puna, Forage Feast, and PA 16802. Received 21 Mar. 2002. *Corresponding author (mas44@ Lacerta chicory were seeded with a plot drill in 3.6by 6.1-m psu.edu). plots on 16 May 1997 in a clean tilled seedbed. Plantain was seeded at 11 kg ha , and chicory at 4.5 kg ha . Seeding depth Published in Crop Sci. 43:995–1000 (2003).