Strip Planting a Legume into Warm-Season Grass Pasture: Defoliation Effects During the Year of Establishment

Novel approaches are needed for overcoming barriers to successful association of herbaceous legumes with grasses in warm-climate pastures and to identify low-cost, long-term solutions to the problem of N limitation in low-input systems. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate defoliation management options during the year of establishment when rhizoma peanut (rp) (Arachis glabrata Benth.) was strip planted into existing bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flüggé). Treatments were four defoliation strategies: (i) Control (no defoliation of the planted rp strip and adjacent bahiagrass harvested for hay), (ii) Hay production (rp strip and adjacent bahiagrass harvested for hay every 28 d), (iii) Simulated Continuous Stocking (pastures grazed weekly), and (iv) rotational Stocking (pastures grazed every 28 d). Simulated Continuous and rotational Stocking reduced rp canopy cover and frequency of occurrence. Greatest rp cover during the establishment year was achieved in August with 32 and 29% for the Control and Hay production treatments compared to 5 and 4% for Simulated Continuous and rotational Stocking, respectively. Spread of rp was least in Simulated Continuous Stocking. Light penetration to the level of rp in the canopy was not a primary driver of rp response because it was greatest for grazed plots where rp performed poorest. results show that defoliation management during the establishment year is critical and if pastures are defoliated, hay production is the recommended option. M.S. Castillo, L.E. Sollenberger, and J.A. Ferrell, Agronomy Dep., Univ. of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0500; A.R. Blount and C.L. Mackowiak, North Florida Research and Education Center, Marianna, FL 32446; M.J. Williams, USDA-NRCS, Gainesville, FL 32614. Received 19 Aug. 2012. *Corresponding author ([email protected]). Abbreviations: PAR, photosynthetically active radiation; RP, rhizoma peanut. Published in Crop Sci. 53:724–731 (2013). doi: 10.2135/cropsci2012.08.0485 © Crop Science Society of America | 5585 Guilford Rd., Madison, WI 53711 USA All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. Permission for printing and for reprinting the material contained herein has been obtained by the publisher. Published January 9, 2013