Grazing management and tussock distribution in elephant grass
Soil occupation capacity via lateral expansion of tussocks in elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) may be associated with basal tillering. As grazing management alters the proportion of basal and aerial tillers in a tiller population, the hypothesis of this work was that grazing management a...
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Published in | Grass and forage science Vol. 70; no. 3; pp. 406 - 417 |
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Main Authors | , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Oxford
Blackwell Scientific Publications
01.09.2015
Blackwell Publishing Ltd Wiley Subscription Services, Inc |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Soil occupation capacity via lateral expansion of tussocks in elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schum.) may be associated with basal tillering. As grazing management alters the proportion of basal and aerial tillers in a tiller population, the hypothesis of this work was that grazing management affects tussock size and distribution with implications for plant population stability. The objective of this study was to evaluate the tiller population stability index, the proportion of basal and aerial tillers, tussock size, and the frequency of tussocks and bare ground in rotationally managed elephant grass cv. Napier. Treatments resulted from the combination of two post‐grazing heights (35 and 45 cm) and two pre‐grazing conditions (95% and maximum canopy light interception during regrowth – LI₀·₉₅ and LIM ₐₓ) and were allocated to experimental units (850 m² paddocks) according to a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement in a randomized complete block design, with four replications. Measurements were taken from January 2011 to April 2012. The post‐grazing height treatments affected the tiller population stability index, but did not influence the pattern of tussock distribution. On the other hand, the different grazing frequencies (targets of LI pre‐grazing) altered the pattern of tussock distribution and the proportion of bare ground. In general, the tiller population stability index and frequency of tussocks were higher and the frequency of bare ground lower on swards managed with the LI₀·₉₅ target relative to those managed with the LIM ₐₓ target, regardless of the post‐grazing height used, indicating a larger soil occupation capacity of plants under the more frequent defoliation regime. Such responses were associated with larger population of basal tillers and highlight the importance of tiller category and perennation pathway in defining patterns of plant growth and tussock distribution. |
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Bibliography: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gfs.12137 São Paulo Research Foundation National Council for Technological and Scientific Development istex:D4BB0D853A1704692F252A733F3A18F47E8D0FBA ark:/67375/WNG-PKN18219-X ArticleID:GFS12137 |
ISSN: | 0142-5242 1365-2494 |
DOI: | 10.1111/gfs.12137 |