Dry matter production and nutritive value of cocksfoot (Dactylic glomerata) grown under different light regimes

PERI P.L; LUCAS R.J.; MOOT D.J.

Lugo, España

Congreso; Internacional Congress of Silvopastoralism and Sustainable Management; 2004

Universiodad Santiago de Compostella

Dry matter (DM) production, crude protein (CP%) and organic matter digestibility (OMD) were measured in a grazed cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.) pasture at the Lincoln University silvopastoral experimental area and an adjacent site without trees in Canterbury, New Zealand. The forest consisted of 200 ten year old Pinus radiata stems per hectare. Four levels of light intensity were compared: full sunlight (100% photosynthetic photon flux density-PPFD), open + wooden slats (45% PPFD), trees (60% PPFD) and tree + slats (25% PPFD). The mean total DM production was 8.2 t DM/ha/yr in the open, 7.3 t DM/ha/yr in open pasture under slatted shade, 6.3 t DM/ha/yr under trees shade and 3.8 t DM/ha/yr in the trees+slats treatment. The interaction between treatments and time (rotations) was expressed by seasonal fluctuations in pasture DM growth rates. CP% increased as PPFD declined. In contrast, the intensity of fluctuating shade had little effects on OMD.