ALBERT

Notes: A novel hybrid stubble turnip, Appin, bred by the Scottish Plant Breeding Station (Brassica campestris ssp. rapifera cv. Tigra ×B. campestris ssp. nipposinica cv. Mizuna) was compared in small-plot cutting trials with stubble turnip (B. campestris ssp. rapifera cv. Ponda), forage rape (B. napus ssp. biennis cv. Canard) and fodder radish (Raphinus sativus cv. Neris) for 3 years, 1975–77, samples being taken from October to December or January each year to cover the likely period of utilization by grazing lambs. Except for the first year, Appin proved to yield less DM than Ponda, and be inferior in digestibility and metabolizable energy (ME) content, though N contents were on occasion higher. Canard had the highest overall ME content. In dry conditions in autumn 1977, Ponda proved the more reliable crop, suffering less depression in yield than other species. Anti-metabolite contents were determined in freeze-dried samples taken in winter 1976-77 and showed Canard to have the most brassica anaemia factor (S-methyl cysteine sulphoxide): contents of thiocyanate were generally similar between crops.As the degree of utilization of such forages when grazed can outweigh differences in recorded above-ground DM yields from cutting trials, it was considered that claims of better root anchorage and hence better utilization for Appin warranted evaluation in a grazing trial.

Notes: Two grass silages made from perennial ryegrass, and with D-values of 0·216 and 0·255, were offered ad libitum to 18 Ayrshire cows in two feeding experiments. On the control treatment the silages were supplemented with soybean meal only, and on the other two treatments with equal weights of DM from either barley or dried molassed sugar-beet pulp plus the same weight of soya as on the control treatment. The daily intakes of silage DM were not significantly different on the barley and beet-pulp treatments, and, on average, the intake of silage DM was reduced by 0·24 and 0·20 kg by feeding 1 kg barley and beet pulp DM respectively.The daily milk yields were not significantly different on the barley and beet-pulp treatments with mean values of 19·2 and 19·2 kg per cow respectively compared with 17·2 kg on the control treatment. On the barley and beet-pulp treatments the fat, SNF, CP and lactose concentrations in the milk and the live weights of the cows were not significantly different. It is concluded that the barley and beet pulp had similar feeding values and replacement rates when used as supplements with grass silage, and that the two feeds were interchangeable on an equal DM basis.

Notes: An experiment examining the relationship of daily herbage disappearance (DHD) and daily herbage allowance (DHA) is described. Cows with calves were grazed at three stocking rates on Kleingrass and Coastal Bermudagrass pastures. DHD and DHA were monitored at 14-d intervals. A significant positive linear relationship was noted between DHD and DHA (P〈inlineGraphic alt="leqslant R: less-than-or-eq, slant" extraInfo="nonStandardEntity" href="urn:x-wiley:01425242:GFS9:les" location="les.gif"/〉0·25). Equations derived for Coastal Bermudagrass and Kleingrass were not significantly different and resulted in a combined equation Ŷ= 0·275X + 0·209 with an r2 vaiue of 0·27. As DHA exceeded 6–9 kg DM per 100 kg live weight, efficiency of defoliation by the cows and calves declined.

Notes: The effects of five herbicides on seed yield and viability of perennial ryegrass cv. S24 were tested at two sites. Benzoylprop-ethyl, chlorfenpropmethyl, difenzoquat, ethofumesate and flam-prop-isopropyl were safe to use at doses recommended for use in other crops. When applied at three times the recommended dose, only difenzoquat reduced the yield and germination of seed and benzoylprop-ethyl reduced seed germination. The recommended doses of difenzoquat and ethofumesate were safe when applied on cv. Barlenna at different growth stages. Difenzoquat reduced seed yield only after three times the recommended dose was applied to tillered plants. Ethofumesate, even at three times the recommended dose, did not affect seed yield but plant numbers were reduced by early treatment. The results suggest that the herbicides tested may be safe to use in perennial ryegrass seed crops at the recommended doses but more work is needed on the safety of difenzoquat in relation to crop growth stage.

Notes: Over a 3-year period the productivity of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L., cv. S24) swards as influenced by variations in the time of initial defoliation and close (2·5 cm) and lax (8 cm) defoliation was studied. Treatments with initial defoliations in the early vegetative stage, stem elongation and flowering stages of growth gave higher annual yields than treatments in which the initial defoliation was taken at an intermediate stage of growth when the majority of the stem apices had just been elevated above the height of defoliation. Initial defoliation treatments which removed a high proportion of apical meristems while the yield at the initial defoliation was still low produced the lowest annual yield. Consistent lax defoliation reduced yield by 14·5% compared with continual close defoliation. However, taking an initial lax defoliation followed by subsequent close defoliations produced a slight yield advantage of 4·8% over consistent close defoliation. The results are discussed in relation to other research findings and the practical implications commented upon.

Notes: Estimates of the total acidity of silage effluent from a range of first-cut silages varied from 1025 to 21,125 mg Ca CO3 per l with a weighted mean of 8817 mg l-1. Quick-lime (CaO), hydrated lime [Ca(OH)2] or caustic soda (NaOH) were found to be effective neutralizing agents when thoroughly mixed with the effluent. Results from seven field-plot experiments carried out between 1973 and 1977 involving application of silage effluent to grass swards are reported. Leaf scorch occurred when silage effluent with a total acidity equivalent to more than 6000 mg CaCO3 per l was applied at rates exceeding 50 m3 ha-1 to swards with several weeks regrowth. Scorch was most severe when applications were made during periods of dry sunny weather and to mechanically damaged swards. In these conditions reducing the total acidity to below 2000 mg CaCO3 per l by neutralization or dilution allowed rates of over 100 m3 ha-1 to be applied without harmful effects.Acid neutralization was found to be unnecessary when silage effluent was applied to recently cut swards. Here rates of up to 150 m3 ha-1 were applied without adverse effects and generally resulted in increased grass growth.

Notes: The digestibility of herbage selected by dairy cows, milk-fed calves, weaned calves and wether sheep was examined on four occasions each day as they strip-grazed together a daily allocation of herbage. The average quality of the material selected by each group was similar. Organic matter digestibility of the herbage selected declined from 0·274 to 0·223 as the average height of the sward fell from 16 to 6 cm; this decline was slightly more rapid for the cows than for the other stock. A similar trend was also evident in samples cut from the sward to simulate the horizon removed prior to each sampling time.

Notes: Grass silage made in May from S24 perennial ryegrass had a DM concentration of 262 g kg-1 and an in vitro D-value of 0·698, and was given ad libitum to twelve Ayrshire cows in a 16-week feeding experiment. In addition supplements of hay with a mean in vitro D-value of 0·603 were offered in one of three forms—long, chopped (12·1 mm) or ground (0·80 modulus of fineness) and cubed—and of concentrates given at either 2 or 4 kg per 10 kg milk. Hay averaged 18·2% of total forage DM intake with mean daily intakes of 1·28, 1·22 and 2·26 kg DM per cow in the long, short and ground forms respectively. The highest daily intakes of forage, i.e. silage plus hay, occurred on the ground hay treatments, with values of 10·24 and 9·25 kg DM per cow on the 2 and 4 kg concentrate treatments respectively. The mean daily milk yields were 18·2,18·2 and 19·2 kg per cow on the long, short and ground hay treatments respectively but the increase in yield with the ground hay was only significant at the low level of concentrate intake. The hay treatments had small and non-significant effects on milk composition. It is concluded that ground hay was superior to either long or chopped hay as a supplement for silage, but the small advantages depended on the level of concentrate intake.

Notes: Book review in this article Energy from Biomass in Europe Edited by W. Palz and P.

Notes: The water loss from tall fescue cv. S170, perennial ryegrass cv. S24, Italian ryegrass cv. RvP and timothy cv. S352 when dried as a thin layer under controlled conditions at 20°C and r.h. 50% is described. Comparisons were made on six occasions between mid-April and mid-June. Tall fescue dried faster than the other species and the time to reach a water concentration of 0·2 g water per g dry matter varied little between the six harvests. In contrast, the drying time for the ryegrasses and timothy increased to maximal values in mid-May and then fell. Drying time was dependent on the initial water concentration of the grass, the ratio of leaf to stem and on the amount of true stem exposed to the drying environment. The practical implications in relation to haymaking are discussed.

Notes: The results are reported of an examination of detailed measurements on the ingestive behaviour of calves and lambs in response to variations in the surface characteristics of swards under strip-grazing and continuous stocking managements. It is shown that intake per bite and the short-term rate of herbage intake were both sensitive to the height of the surface horizon above ground level but, at least under strip-grazing management, not to variations in herbage density in the grazed horizon. The rate of biting was less sensitive to variations in sward conditions, particularly under strip-grazing.Both intake per bite and rate of intake were more sensitive to variations in grazing height under strip-grazing, where sward changes were rapid, than under continuous stocking, where they were slow. Under continuous stocking, ingestive behaviour was more sensitive to changes in sward conditions in lambs than in calves.

Notes: Replicated plots of Hungaropoly red clover were sown on a sterilized area in May 1975 alone (seed rate 11 kg ha-1) or with one of six cultivars of perennial ryegrass (seed rate 3·5 kg ha-1) viz. Cropper and S24 (early heading), Barlenna and Hora (medium heading) and Melle and Perma (late heading). In 1976 and 1977 primary growth was cut at one of four dates ranging from mid-May to mid-June and thereafter plots were harvested twice each year.Varying the time of first cut did not have a significant effect on total dry matter (DM) yield in either year despite differences in means of cutting treatments on annual red clover yields of the order of 6–9%.In some companion grass treatments total DM yield in 1976 was increased and total red clover yield and percentage red clover contribution were reduced relative to swards sown only with red clover. In 1977 a similar but non-significant trend was found. Swards containing early ryegrasses had higher total herbage DM yields but lower red clover yields and contents than all other swards at the first harvest in both years.Delay in date of taking the first harvest in 1976 reduced DM digestibility in the first cut and increased it in the second in both years.It is suggested that by cutting early and increasing the number of harvests from three to four per year, differences in the content of red clover between the first and second cut might be reduced, and it is concluded that more benefit is derived from red clover when medium or late heading ryegrasses are used as companion grasses.

Notes: In an experiment of four years duration, the competitive relationships between three cultivars of white clover (Trifolium repens L.) and ten cultivars of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) were studied under a N fertilizer regime of 200–240 kg ha-1 a-1. The clover cultivars were selected to embrace the various leaf sizes from medium large to small and the ryegrasses included early, mid-season and late cultivars with a known range of persistence.During the experiment there was a progressive decline in the contribution of clover, though the different characteristics of each of the clover and ryegrass cultivars produced substantial deviations from the average trend. The clover cultivar Kersey was significantly more aggressive towards the companion grass cultivars than either S100 or S184. It produced consistently greater clover contribution to total yield than the other two cultivars and significantly depressed the yields of some of the companion grass cultivars. There was evidence that compatibility of the ryegrass cultivars with clover was inversely related to persistence; the non-persistent ryegrass cultivars S321 and Presto consistently produced lower grass yields than the more persistent cultivars and consequently permitted greater clover contribution. In the second and third years yield substitution effects between clover and grass components substantially reduced differences in the total grass-clover yield.The interactions revealed in the experiment showed that both ryegrass and clover cultivars have the potential to influence each other when in association although, with minor exceptions, total annual yields were similar for all grass and clover mixtures at the moderately high level of N applied.

Notes: White clover (cv. S184 or Blanca) or marsh trefoil (cv. Grasslands 4703 or Grasslands Maku) were sown alone and in combination with a companion grass (tall fescue, red fescue, perennial ryegrass or ryegrass cleanings) on a peat area of hill land originally dominated by Juncus articulatus and Molinia caerulea.Lime and ground rock phosphate were applied in 1973, the area rotavated to a shallow depth and seeds sown in May 1974. No fertilizers were applied except at sowing time and two harvests were taken per annum for 4 years.Differences in yield and legume content between companion grass treatments were small. After the first full harvest year Blanca swards usually had the lowest DM yields and those containing Maku the highest. The contribution of marsh trefoil to total herbage yield increased from 4·2% in 1975 to 22% in 1978, whereas white clover decreased from 4·2 to 1·2%. Legume yields in 1978 were less than half those in 1977. Overall, N yields were low, Maku swards fixing most N estimated to be highest in 1977 at 35 kg ha-1.It is concluded that marsh trefoil grows well on upland peat but more information on its response to grazing is necessary before conclusions can be drawn about its value in hill land improvement.

Notes: An experiment extending over a 2½-year period from June 1976 to October 1978 assessed the effect on herbage yield of method of establishment, species and level of N application.Perennial ryegrass cv. Gremie and Italian ryegrass cv. RvP were established by broadcasting or drilling into cultivated ground or by direct-drilling, using a Howard Rotaseeder, into paraquat-sprayed but uncultivated ground. These treatments were combined with annual rates of N application of 0, 120, 240 or 360 kg ha-1.Over the experiment drilling into cultivated ground gave the highest yield—3·6 and 4·8% higher than the broadcast and direct-drilled treatments, respectively. Italian ryegrass consistently outyielded perennial ryegrass, with an overall mean dry matter yield advantage of 23·7%. There was no significant interaction between sowing method and species; direct-drilled Italian ryegrass produced a mean yield 17·3% higher than that of drilled perennial ryegrass.

Notes: The length of life of the root axes of a plant was taken as the interval between the prevention of the plant from producing any further axes and the death of the shoot. Of the cultivated species studied Lolium perenne had the shortest lived roots and Dactylis glomerata the longest with Phleum pratense, Festuca arundinacea, F. pratensis and F. rubra intermediate. Holcus lanatus and Nardus stricta had long lived roots comparable with Dactylis glomerata. The ranked order of species is in general agreement with the observations reported in the literature.

Notes: Flowering behaviour of plants of six cultivars of Trifolium repens (Kent Wild White, Grasslands Huia, S100, Blanca, Olwen and Milkanova) growing in field plots at the Grassland Research Institute, Hurley, was recorded in mid-July. Half of each plot had been defoliated in early May, the other half in mid-June. In all cultivars defoliated in May, inflorescence initiation had stopped even though the natural photoperiod at that time was well above the critical daylength for initiation Defoliation in mid-June had led to a renewal of inflorescence initiation in all cultivars.The results confirm that the stimulatory effect of defoliation on inflorescence initiation in plants that have stopped initiation in long days, which has previously been observed in Grasslands Huia in controlled environments, also occurs in the field and in other cultivars.

Notes: The mineral composition of Lolium perenne, Dactylis glomerata, Trifolium repens, Lotus corniculatus and six non-leguminous broadleaved herbs was determined at two sites on copper-deficient soils with and without soil-applied copper sulphate at 2 kg Cu ha-1. D. glomerata was richer than Lolium perenne in P, Mn and Cu, and T. repens was richer than either grass species in Ca, P, Mg and Cu. D. glomerata cultivars differed in Ca, P, Na and Mg concentrations, and L. perenne cultivars in Ca concentration. Lotus corniculatus contained less Ca, P, Na and Mn but more Zn than T. repens. Achillea millefolium was rich in K, Cichorium intybus in K, Mg and Zn, Petroselinum crispum in Na and Zn, Rumex acetosa in K, P, Mg and Zn and Taraxacum officinale in Na, Mg and Zn. Rumex was low in Na and Plantago lanceolata in Na and Mn. None of these herbs was richer than T. repens in Cu. Copper sulphate application raised the Cu concentration of the herbage only slightly, species or varieties differing little in their response to applied Cu. It is concluded that adjustment of botanical composition, with or without copper sulphate application, will not help to prevent hypocupraemia in grazing stock.

Notes: Two experiments are described in which groups of lactating cows, non-lactating cattle and weaned calves grazed a sequence of swards varying in maturity and herbage mass under strip grazing management at a daily herbage allowance of 60 g dry matter per kg live weight. Lactating cows ate 43% and 76% more herbage than non-lactating cattle of similar weight in the two experiments but herbage OM intakes per unit live weight by the calves and lactating cows were similar.Variations in diet digestibility and herbage intake in the lactating and non-lactating cattle with changes in sward conditions were similar. In the first experiment the calves were experienced grazers; the variation in the digestibility of the herbage selected was less in the calves than the adult cattle, but the variation in herbage intake was greater. The calves in the second experiment were younger, and they were inexperienced grazers; their ability to increase herbage intake in response to changing sward conditions was poorer than that of adult cattle, though variations in diet digestibility were similar in all classes.The practical implications of these results are discussed briefly.

Notes: A mathematical model which simulates the response of grass to irrigation over a range of rainfall and soil conditions is described. Using the model the probable costs and benefits from investing in irrigation facilities for intensive beef and dairy production have been determined. Irrigation only appears to show a reasonable return on investment where the mean summer rainfall is less than 350 mm or the water-retaining capacity of the soil is low. Furthermore, investment in irrigation is only likely to be logical where the rate of fertilizer N applied is greater than 300 kg N ha-1. It also appears that a strategy of partial irrigation is unlikely to yield the maximum financial gain. Overall the indications are that for the foreseeable future only a small percentage of the total grassland area in the UK can be irrigated profitably.

Notes: Six red clover cultivars, three diploid—Essex, Sabtoron and Violetta—and three tetraploid— Teroba, Red Head and Hungaropoly—were sown alone and with each of three companion grasses—timothy (S48), tall fescue (S170) and perennial ryegrass (S24). The productivity and persistency of the red clover cultivars were compared over 4 years. Dry matter (DM) yield, DM digestibility and the crude protein (CP) concentration were assessed and botanical analyses conducted on herbage samples from each treatment at each of three harvests per annum. Annual fertilizer application consisted of 165 kg P and 312 kg K ha-1.Comparing clover cultivars alone Essex was significantly less productive and less persistent than the other five cultivars. Yield and persistency of the five other cultivars did not differ markedly within years with the exception that the diploids were significantly less productive than the tetraploids in the fourth year. Over all 4 years mean annual total DM and clover DM yields of the five cultivars were between 12·2 and 13·2 t ha-1 and between 9·2 (79·2% of total DM yield) and 10·2 (83·2%) t ha-1 respectively, and differences were not significant.Up to the end of the third year there was little or no advantage gained by the inclusion of a companion grass, annual total DM yields being between 11·2 and 14·2 t ha-1 for clover alone and between 10·2 and 14·2 t ha-1 for clover-grass mixtures. In the fourth year there was an overall tendency for the yield of the clover alone to be lower, between 7·2 and 12·2 t ha-1, than that of the clover-grass mixture, between 8·2 and 13·2 t ha-1, and this was more pronounced with the diploid than with the tetraploid clover cultivars. Sown with companion grasses, Essex and Hungaropoly were lower in yield and in contribution than the other cultivars over the 4 years. The influence of the companion grass on total dry matter yield showed that the contribution of timothy was low relative to that made by tall fescue and perennial ryegrass. Perennial ryegrass made the most varied contribution from year to year. Tall fescue was the most consistent contributor with all clover cultivars and at the end of 4 years both yield and clover-grass balance had not changed materially.No pronounced differences in DM digestibility were evident between treatments.Crude protein concentration of the pure clover was similar to that of the clover-timothy treatments and both would appear to be superior to either the clover-perennial ryegrass or clover-tall fescue mixtures.It is considered that red clover dominant swards are suitable for use under a cutting regime and can provide high yields of DM at a low cost for up to 4 years. Such swards are self-sufficient in N and in addition soil N accumulation can be exploited in the production of succeeding crops.

Notes: The effects of severity of grazing on the herbage intake and milk production of continuously stocked British Friesian cows calving in February–March were examined in three experiments conducted in the years 1976–78 (experiments 1–3 respectively) using a put-and-take technique. In experiment 1 four grazing severities were imposed by maintaining swards with different herbage masses (2500, 3000, 3500, 4000 kg OM ha-1); in experiments 2 and 3 there were two severities of grazing maintained by keeping swards canopies at constant heights of 5 and 7 cm (experiment 2) and 5 and 7·2 cm (experiment 3). Cows were reallocated to treatment every 8 weeks in experiments 1 and 2 and there were three periods, whereas they all grazed throughout a 23-week period on the same treatment in the final trial.A decrease in the quantity of herbage on offer or in sward height reduced herbage intake and milk production in all experiments. Mean daily herbage OM intakes were 11·2, 12·2, 12·2 and 12·2 kg respectively in experiment 1, 12·2 and 13·2 kg respectively in experiment 2 and 12·2 and 152 kg respectively in experiment 3. Mean daily solids–corrected milk yields were 14·2, 15·2, 15·2 and 16·2 kg respectively in experiment 1, 14·2 and 16·2 kg respectively in experiment 2 and 12·2 and 17·2 kg respectively in experiment 3. It was apparent from the data obtained in the first two trials that grazing at a sward canopy height of 7 rather than 9 cm had little effect, but that at 5 cm there were significant depressions in both herbage intake and milk production. Milk yield was depressed to a greater extent when cows were kept on the same treatment for the whole season.

Notes: Twenty-four Hereford × Friesian cows and their South Devon cross calves were allocated to three herbage allowances allotted daily for three periods of 8 weeks in a Latin square design. The daily allowances were 17, 34 and 51 g dry matter per kg cow plus calf live weight. Milk production was depressed by 0·2 and 1·2 kg d-1 at the medium and low allowances. The corresponding falls in liveweight gain were for cows 0·26 and 0·25, and for calves 0·27 and 0·24 kg d-1. Residual sward height after grazing gave a better indication of the animals' reaction to sward conditions and the management imposed than actual herbage allowance. The quantity per unit area and the composition of material present were important factors influencing intake. Calves were unable to compete with their dams to maintain herbage intake at the lower allowances and therefore are likely to benefit from additional feeding or creep grazing when residual sward height falls below 6cm for periods in excess of 1–2 weeks.

Notes: The data from 12 individual cattle grazed on a uniform sward were used to compare field sampling of faeces with three time-schedules for rectal sampling of faeces. Estimates of digestibility from a faecal nitrogen equation were compared with estimates based on in vitro digestibility, or modified acid-detergent fibre determinations, on clipped herbage samples.Field sampling gave a lower coefficient of variation (8%) in chromic oxide content than did grab sampling (14%). Grab sampling introduced an upward bias in estimates of faecal output compared with field samples. The estimate of digestibility based on the faecal index was intermediate to those based on clip samples from the upper and lower horizons of the sward. There was no difference in the mean digestibilities estimated from in vitro or MAD fibre.

Notes: Groups of eight Hereford × Friesian cows and their South Devon cross calves were set stocked over a 24-week grazing season at 3·23 (low), 3·21 (medium) or 4·24 (high) cows ha-1 together with their calves. For the first 8 weeks only two-thirds of the total area was grazed. Increasing the stocking rate from low to medium reduced daily milk yield and cow and calf liveweight gains by 1·2, 0·24 and 0·29 kg d-1 respectively, and from medium to high by 1·2, 0·24 and 0·23 kg d-1. The main sward factor influencing faecal output and herbage intake was the quantity of organic matter on the pastures but the digestibility of the herbage selected also exerted a significant effect on the intake of cows. Major depressions in the herbage intake of cows occurred once the average sward height fell below 7 cm. Output of calf live weight was 628, 658 and 743 kg ha-1 for the 3 stocking rates from low to high, and for cows 246, 179 and 30 kg ha-1. It was concluded that decisions on pasture management should be taken in relation to the cow rather than the calf on set-stocked swards.

Notes: Swards of L. perenne and P. annua were treated at the 2–3 leaf stage with recommended rates of ethofumesate (5 and 10 kg a.i. ha-1). P. annua ceased normal growth, became swollen at the shoot base and eventually showed signs of senescence. L. perenne showed no visible defects, treated swards being more vigorous than untreated. Scanning electron micrographs showed that the developing leaf primordia of P. annua had been affected by the ethofumesate. In both grass species, ethofumesate induced abnormalities in cell division. These abnormalities caused irreversible damage to P. annua but only slight distortion of L. perenne which later recovered and resumed normal growth. More detailed biochemical studies are required to determine the specific effects of ethofumesate on cell growth.

Notes: A description is given of equipment designed to be fitted to either sheep or cattle, and to record automatically information on the jaw movements associated with both grazing and ruminating, movements of the head in plucking mouthfuls of herbage, and the time spent in grazing. The equipment has been successfully tested against alternative visual and mechanical methods of measuring grazing behaviour.The use of modified equipment in detailed studies has shown (a) that the maximum acceleration of the head in a longitudinal plane when plucking mouthfuls of herbage was twice as great in sheep as in cattle and in the sheep, but not in the cow, increased as sward height decreased; and (b) that the ratio of jaw movements to head movements was always greater than unity in both sheep and cattle, and was greater on tall than on short swards in two out of three comparisons. The rate of biting was significantly lower on tall than on short swards.

Notes: In experiments to determine the minimum fertilizer requirements for improved pasture on deep peat, yields were initially low and declined rapidly. Within 2 years persistence of sown species was poor when only 2·5 t lime ha-1 was applied. Analytical data suggested that K deficiency and low soil pH were contributory factors. When K was omitted from a composite nutrient solution, clover yield was reduced by 50% when 2·5 t lime ha-1 was applied but was not significantly reduced with 5·0 t lime. Clover alone produced little response to either P or K separately, but highly significant positive interactions were recorded. Clover, but not ryegrass, responded to K topdressing in field cut-herbage experiments. There was a 3-fold increase in ryegrass yield with combined P and K topdressing under grazing; 10 times more N and K were recycled in urine on this treatment than on the control.It was concluded that at least 5·0 t lime, 60 kg P and 80 kg K ha-1 are required for pasture establishment and that soil pH should be maintained above 5·0 to minimize K requirements. The significance of nutrient cycling and of lime × K and P × K interactions is discussed in relation to the persistence of sown species and the maintenance of improved swards on deep peat.

Notes: Two growth experiments were carried out in January-March 1978 in which simulated swards of perennial ryegrass were (1) heated by soil warming cables to give soil surface temperatures of approx. 7·5-9·C above ambient temperature, (2) shaded with netting to reduce light levels by approx. 50%, or (3) both heated and shaded.Heating alone increased leaf appearance, death, extension, lamina size, leaf area index (LAI), tillering (month 1)and whole plant weight (month 2) and reduced stubble water-soluble carbohydrates and specific leaf weight (SLW).Shading alone increased leaf extension, lamina size and LAI but to a lesser extent than did heating. Shading decreased SLW, leaf death rate, tillering (month 2), stubble carbohydrates and whole plant weight, but not herbage weight.The effects of heating plus shading were similar to those of heating alone, except that the increases in leaf size, extension and LAI were even greater, and shoot bases and roots had low or negative growth rates.In general the heating treatments caused a rapid turnover of leaf material, but net herbage growth was relatively insensitive. It is concluded that (1) temperature rather than light was limiting whole plant growth, especially from mid-February to mid-March and (2) mild, dull weather in winter is likely to induce tiller death associated with reduced investment in carbohydrate reserves.

Notes: The experiment was undertaken to examine the interactions between yield responses to secondary applications of fertilizer N and length of regrowth interval following three levels of primary N. A sward of S24 perennial ryegrass received all combinations of three fertilizer treatments, nil, 50, and 100 kg ha-1 N for primary growth harvested on 21 May and four treatments, nil, 33, 66 and 100 kg ha-1 N for the second growth harvested 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 weeks later.Cubic equations of growth were derived from the yields of dry matter and both the direct response to secondary N and the residual responses to primary N increased as regrowths developed. A positive residual effect to increasing primary N was obtained at the three lower levels of secondary N for weeks 4–7 but a negative response was obtained with the highest level of secondary N. The implications are discussed in terms of target responses and yields and the growth interval required to attain these targets.

Notes: Four grass silages of two chop lengths and two D-values were made from S23 perennial ryegrass, and compared in a feeding experiment with lactating cows and in an eating-behaviour study with non-lactating cows. The median chop lengths were 11·6 and 11·5 mm in the short silages and 18·2 and 19·5 mm in the medium silages. Chop length had negligible effects on D-value and on pH with values of 3·81 and 3·94 on the short and medium silages respectively.Silage DM intakes were higher on the short than on the medium-chop silages in both experiments except where the high D-value silage was supplemented with concentrates. Milk yields were not affected significantly by chop length with daily values of 19·3 and 19·7 kg per cow on the short and medium treatments respectively with the high D-value silage, and 18·2 and 18·3 kg per cow with the low D-value silage. Chop length had only small and non-significant effects on milk composition.Eating times expressed as min per kg DM were significantly lower on the short than on the medium-chop silages.It is concluded that the small differences between the short- and the medium-chop silages were of no economic importance.

Notes: The practise of sward desiccation using glyphosate or paraquat followed by direct drilling of seed gave an environment which increasingly inhibited germination and establishment when the interval between spraying and drilling was decreased from 21 days to nil. Burning or removal of old sward improved establishment. Calcium peroxide used as a seed dressing improved seedling establishment in most treatments.

Notes: Book review in this article Tropical Pastures and Fodder Crops By L. R. Humphreys The Role of Nitrogen in Intensive Grassland Production Edited by W. H. Prins and G. H. Arnold. Agricultural Botany, 1. Dicotyledonous Crops, 2. Monocotyledonous Crops, By N. T. Gill and K. C. Vear, Third edition revised by K. C. Vear and D. J. Barnard

Notes: Results of experiments where timothy, perennial ryegrass and mixtures of these two in the presence and absence of white clover and receiving various nitrogen treatments were compared, have been considered in the light of previous related experiments. There is evidence that under certain conditions greater yields of sown grass can be achieved from mixed seedings than from either of the two grasses on its own. No yield advantage was gained from mixtures of species when cut infrequently after a late first cut. Inclusion of white clover changed the balance of species in favour of perennial ryegrass and no yield advantage occurred with mixtures in the presence of clover. Yield advantage may be related to seasonal changes in the order of dominance of the two grass species in mixed seedings.

Notes: The lignin and total hemicellulose concentrations of ten varieties of temperate grasses (five species) were determined with increasing maturity. A strong correlation existed between the lignin and hemicellulose concentrations. Lignin and hemicellulose concentrations tended to be higher in cocksfoot and timothy than in perennial ryegrass and diploid varieties also had higher lignin and hemicellulose concentrations than their tetraploid counterparts. The hemicellulose fractions were further separated into their linear and branched components whose compositions were determined. The varieties with higher lignin concentrations showed a higher linear:branched ratio and the ‘linear’ components also had higher xylose: arabinose ratios. These findings were consistent for both leaf and stem tissue although the effects from stem tissue were more marked.

Notes: Nitrogen fertilizer was applied at 0, 30,60 and 90 kg N ha-1 in March 1976, 1977 and 1978 to plots containing perennial ryegrass cv. Barlenna sown either alone or with white clover cv. Blanca, Sabeda, Olwen and S100 in four replicated blocks.Dry matter (DM) yield of all swards responded positively to N with the response being highest in the no-clover swards in two of the three years. Annual DM yields were lower in the no-clover than in the mixed swards at any given N level. The higher levels of N reduced DM yield in mixed swards at some harvests in midsummer.Swards of S100 were consistently among the lower yielding mixed swards, whereas the other three clover cultivars varied in their relative yields. There were no N x cultivar interactions for white clover yields; irrespective of cultivar, N application reduced annual white clover yield by similar amounts.It is concluded that it is beneficial to apply moderate amounts of N fertilizer to mixed swards in spring and that under these conditions the yield differences between swards including medium-large and smaller leaved white clover cultivars are similar to differences between the inherent yield potential of these cultivars in mixed swards receiving no N.

Notes: In order to assess the relative effects of protein content and acid on intake, grass silage was given ad libitum to twelve entire male calves, initially 4 months of age and 117 kg liveweight (LW), either alone or supplemented with fishmeal at 50 g dry matter (DM) per kg silage DM. These two diets were offered alone or with additions of lactic acid at 50 g per kg silage DM in a partial changeover design in which lactic acid levels only were reversed between two 28-d measurement periods.In the absence of lactic acid, fishmeal significantly increased absolute intake but not intake relative to LW. There was a significant interaction between treatments in that the addition of lactic acid depressed DM intake in the absence of fishmeal (23·9 vs 21·1 g kg-1 LW) but not in its presence (23·2 vs 23·1 g kg-1 LW). Addition of fishmeal increased the digestibility of DM from a mean of 0·708 to 0·744 (P 〈 0·05), of gross energy from 0·646 to 0·694 (P 〈 0·01) and of N from 0·422 to 0·592 (P 〈 0·001) but had no significant effect on the digestibility of cellulose (0·766 vs 0·788 for treatments without and with fishmeal respectively). Lactic acid addition had no effect on the digestibility of plant components and, further, interaction effects between treatments were not significant. Supplementation with fishmeal reduced the total time spent eating and ruminating (Ro value) from a mean of 284 to 240 min kg-1 DM (P 〈 0·01) and increased urine pH from 8·34 to 8·50. Lactic acid influenced neither Ro value nor urine pH and the interaction effect did not reach significance for these two parameters.The results indicate that the addition of fishmeal can overcome a depressant effect of lactic acid on intake and it is suggested that the responses to treatment were mediated via changes in the ratio of energy to protein supply rather than as a result of treatment effects on digestive efficiency or acid-base balance.

Notes: Between 1976 and 1978 a further 154 beef animals were grazed in separate groups on Alberts and Far field at Begbroke Hill, the former being a paddock system and the latter being set-stocked. Each year part of Alberts received complete fertilizer (147–180 kg ha-1 N) and part did not. All of Far field received complete fertilizer (140–190 kg ha-1 N). Drought caused a reduction in output in 1976, but in 1977 and 1978 total production of live weight was 9·07 and 8·74 t respectively from 11·65 ha grassland. Calculations of corrected outputs show that maxima of 829 kg ha-1 in Alberts and 908 kg ha-1 in Far field were achieved from fertilized grass. The highest output in Alberts represented 929 livestock unit grazing days per ha or 87·9 GJ ha-1 in 1978.

Notes: Two early perennial ryegrass varieties (Cropper and RvP Hay Pasture), an intermediate perennial ryegrass (Talbot) and an early cocksfoot (Roskilde) were grazed fortnightly by sheep, mown to simulate grazing or left undefoliated from January to May. The effects of spring management on ear emergence, D-value (in vitro) and conservation yields were assessed in each of the 2 years 1976 and 1977. Grazing and mowing had a similar effect on date of first (5%) and 50% ear emergence of the ryegrass varieties; the effect was an average delay of 2 d in both stages of growth over the 2 years. Defoliations significantly (P〈0·001) delayed the fall in D-value with no significant differences between grazing and mowing in the ryegrass varieties, nor in cocksfoot in 1977. The occurrence of a D-value of 67 was delayed by between 3 and 8 d for the ryegrasses and 9 and 11 d for the cocksfoot. The early ryegrasses produced stemmy regrowths and fell to 67 D-value about 4 weeks after the final defoliations in 1976 and after 5–6 weeks in 1977. The fall in D-value took 7–14 d longer in the intermediate ryegrass. Yields were significantly (P 〈 0·001) reduced by grazing and mowing, particularly in 1976. The DM yield reductions in mid June averaged 25% for the ryegrasses and 41% for the cocksfoot.The results indicate that either first or 50% ear emergence may be used to indicate times when a D-value of 67 will be reached in grazed or ungrazed swards but further work is required to determine the effect of weather conditions on the accuracy of this prediction. An early fall in D-value of early perennials after spring grazing, and a marked reduction in yield of cocksfoot, suggests that these grasses should be used sparingly where spring grazing of fields set aside for conservation is a feature of the farming system.

Notes: Paraquat and glyphosate were sprayed on to simulated swards in a glasshouse experiment. Residues of these herbicides depressed emergence, growth and survival of Lolium perenne seedlings sown after spraying.Residues of paraquat applied at a rate (1·5 kg ha-1) within the range normally used for sward destruction killed nearly all seedlings of a normal L. perenne variety, Barlenna, but had much less effect on the paraquat-tolerant variety, Causeway. It was estimated that Causeway was almost nine times as tolerant of paraquat residues as Barlenna. Sowing at a depth of 20 mm gave some protection against paraquat residues. A delay of 10 d between spraying and sowing had equivocal effects. It was concluded that residues of paraquat used for killing swards before direct drilling may hinder the establishment of normal L. perenne varieties but not of paraquat-tolerant varieties.Residues of glyphosate had equal effects on the two varieties and the effects were severest on seedlings sown on the soil surface immediately after spraying. It is thought to be unlikely that glyphosate residues in sprayed herbage would be a problem in direct drilling.

Notes: Small-plot trials with Lupinus albus cv. Kievskij Mutant (sweet) and L. angustifolius cv. Kubesa (bitter) and Uniwhite (sweet) were sown in April 1977. Sequential whole-crop samples of the above ground dry matter (DM) were taken to assess the interaction of DM yield and forage quality during crop growth. Both species had similar DM yields, exceeding 11 t DM ha1 in August. L. albus displayed superior whole-crop in vitro digestibility from late July, due to the large contribution to total DM yield from this time from its succulent, highly digestible pod shells. L. angustifolius showed higher N contents in June and early July, but N concentrations fell below those of L. albus from early August. The steady decline in digestibility of forage from L. angustifolius suggests this species should be harvested rather earlier than L. albus. Harvested in mid-August, L. albus should yield 11 t DM ha-1, ata D-value of 64 and 23·5 g N per kg DM, whereas L. angustifolius harvested 10–14 d earlier should give the same DM yield, but at a D-value of 58 and 22·0 g N per kg DM. Lupins can thus be regarded as having good potential forage yields, but providing material of only moderate quality.

Notes: Book review in this article Turfgrass Management By A. J. Turgeon; illustrated by F. A. Giles Feeding Strategy for the High Yielding Dairy Cow Edited by W. H. Broster and H. Swan Seed production Proceedings of the 28th Easter School in Agricultural Science, University of Nottingham, 1978 Edited by P. D. Hebblethwaite

Notes: Dactylis glomerata and Holcus lanatus were grown together in boxes with either full competition, root competition only, shoot competition only or no competition between them. The boxes were either fertilized (150 kg ha-1N, 100 kg ha-1 K, 80 kg ha-1 P) or not fertilized. The experiment was continued for 13 months, and a total of six cuts were taken. H. lanatus was more competitive than D. glomerata throughout the experiment, though the effect declined after flowering during the second growing season. The effects of root competition were generally much greater than those of shoot competition and tended to increase during the first year. However, the effects of root competition declined, relative to shoot competition, after flowering in the second growing season.Fertilizer applications slightly increased the root competitive ability of H. lanatus relative to D. glomerata but slightly reduced its shoot competitive ability.

Notes: Several different techniques for the non-destructive estimation of pasture or range biomass are critically reviewed and compared to remote sensing methods. Similarities and differences between the visual estimation procedure, β-attentuation, capacitance meters, weighted disc, and spectral methods are discussed in terms of accuracy, time, ease of operation, operational constraints and calibration procedures. No one technique has been shown to be superior across the board to the other techniques reviewed for ground-based biomass estimation. A discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of each non-destructive method allows for the selection of the technique most suited to a particular application.

Notes: A comparison was made of the effect of a cereal supplement during early lactation on the performance and intake of ewes suckling two lambs while rotationally grazing pasture at stocking rates of 20, 17 or 14 ewes per ha. Supplement (S) at the high (H) and medium (M) stocking rates resulted in higher organic matter (OM) intakes (grass + supplement) of 2040 and 2500 g d-1 respectively, compared with the herbage OM intakes of unsupplemented (U) ewes of 1750 and 2040 g d-1 respectively. At the low (L) stocking rate the total OM intake of supplemented ewes and the herbage OM intake of unsupplemented ewes was similar at 2250 and 2210 g d-1 respectively.Lamb growth rate (g d-1) to 12 weeks of age was significantly lower on treatment UH (229) compared with those on UM (253) and UL (262). Growth rates on S treatments were similar (SH 248; SM 261; SL 272) and there were no significant differences between S and U within stocking rates. Unsupplemented ewes lost significantly more weight during the period of intake measurement than those receiving supplement. The speed of rotation was faster where supplement was not fed at the medium and high stocking rates and herbage accumulation under UH was less than under SH. Only at the high stocking rate did feeding a supplement give a higher financial output.

Notes: Calibration of an earth-plate forage capacitance meter was conducted on pure stands of Festuca arundinacea Schreb., Medicago sativa L., Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. and Trifolium repens L. and a mixture of Trifolium repens and Dactylis glomerata L. Dry weight (DW) prediction equations were developed using the instrument capacitance reading modified by visual estimates of height, stand density and species percentage. In general, meter readings (MR) correlated better with DW than with fresh weight or weight of water and especially when the area harvested exceeded 0·537 m2. Correlation between MR and DW improved with increasing top plate area and with decreasing distance between the top plate (suspended sheet of aluminium) and the earth-plate ground. The use of a plastic shield to suppress the forage to a uniform height caused a reduction in the correlation between MR and DW.The use of MR to predict DW from selected settings, their linear and curvilinear relationships and several auxiliary observations gave results with R2 values ranging from 0·94 to 0·99, depending on species and mixture.

Notes: The response of marsh birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus uliginosus) to inoculation with appropriate Rhizobium spp. was compared over 2 years. Inoculated and uninoculated seed was sown at 5 kg ha-1 on three soil types, brown earth, peaty podsol and deep peat. Perennial ryegrass cv. Perma was sown at 20 kg ha-1 as a companion species. Plots received either no N or a light starter dressing of 30 kg ha-1 N. Significant benefits from inoculation were recorded for Lotus germination and nodulation, Lotus and non-Lotus herbage DM harvested and Lotus cover on the deep peat, and to a lesser extent on the other soil-types. Due to particularly uneven early establishment, work on the peaty-podsol site was discontinued at an early stage. There was a trend towards depression of Lotus where N had been applied to inoculated plots.

Notes: The effects of fertilizer treatment were studied over two seasons on a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of altitude and major soil group. The soil groups were brown earths and podzols and the altitudinal zones were 260–320 m and 380–440 m. Major responses were found to N only and these were generally linear in terms of overall dry matter yield up to the highest treatment level of 176 kg ha-1. Productivity on brown earths was significantly higher than on podzols and differences between soil groups were not removed by increasing fertilizer input. In most instances 88–132 kg ha-1 N would have to be added to podzols to achieve the same yields as on brown earths with no N input. Apparent fertilizer recoveries and responses per unit of fertilizer input did not, however, differ markedly between soil groups. Overall yields were comparable with those from lowland situations at similar levels of N input, but the growing season was short and 60–80% of production was obtained by early July.

Notes: Plants of Holcus lanatus L. and Lolium perenne L. were grown in monocultures and in 50:50 mixtures and cut at three heights and at three frequencies during 24 weeks. The higher the H. lanatus plants were cut the greater was their harvested yield but height of cutting did not affect the yield of L. perenne. Reduction in the frequency of cutting increased the total harvested yield of both species in monoculture. In mixture, H. lanatus dominated L. perenne, especially with high and infrequent cutting. Stubble yields generally followed harvested yields.In a second experiment, H. lanatus plants were cut sequentially in spring; plants cut in early June produced very few panicles in the regrowth.In a third experiment the growth of decumbent tillers in late summer on spaced plants of H. lanatus produced a stoloniferous growth habit. The production of lateral shoots and roots on these stolons was measured in spring on plants undergoing various types of defoliation. Regular cutting of the parent plant increased the production of lateral shoots on stolons but did not affect the production of lateral roots.The significance of these results is discussed in relation to the manipulation of swards containing these two species.

Notes: Three first-harvest grass silages made from S23 perennial ryegrass cut on 25 May, 13 June and 25 June, and termed early, medium and late silages respectively, were compared in a 16-week feeding experiment with fourteen Ayrshire cows. The early, medium and late silages had D-values of 71·2, 65·0 and 62·5 respectively. The early silage was offered alone, whereas the medium and late silages were supplemented with a concentrate containing 208 g crude protein per kg DM at rates of 2, 3 and 4 kg per 10 kg milk. Silage DM intake was 12·8 kg per cow per d on the early silage treatment, and decreased progressively as concentrate intake increased on the other silage treatments. The mean daily milk yields were 16·0 kg per cow in the early silage treatment, 17·0, 18·4 and 20·4 kg per cow in the medium silage treatments, and 16·8, 18·1 and 20·2 kg per cow in the late silage treatments on the 2-, 3- and 4-kg concentrate treatments respectively. Fat concentration in the milk was not affected significantly by treatment, whereas the CP and SNF concentrations increased progressively and significantly as supplementary feeding increased. From the relationship between milk yield and concentrate intake it was calculated that the medium and late silages required a daily concentrate supplement of 2·1 kg DM per cow to give the same daily milk yields as the early silage.

Notes: Applications of either sewage sludge or N as ammonium nitrate were made to a 15-year-old hayfield over a 2-year period. The original seeding mixture was unknown but was believed to be timothy (Phleum pratense L.) and red clover (Trifolium pratense L.). During the second year, botanical separations indicated that applications of both N and sewage sludge resulted in reduced proportions of red and volunteer white clover (Trifolium repens L.) as well as volunteer Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.). During the growing season a decline in proportion of timothy (Phleum pratense L.) was observed for the control as well as for the N and sludge treatments. In contrast, quackgrass (Agropyron repens (L.) Beauv.) was markedly stimulated by the treatments and the proportion of it in the hay increased during the growing season.

Notes: Italian ryegrass, Lolium multiflorum Lam., cv. RvP., was broadcast in spring on to fine and coarse seedbeds at seed rates of either 2 or 20 kg ha-1. Each of the four combinations of sowing condition was either left untreated or treated with fungicide or insecticide. The establishment of the sown species and of weeds under each regime was measured and their relative contribution to dry matter assessed in four cuts during the sowing year. Seed rate affected weed invasion and yield more than seedbed condition. Insecticide treatment increased the establishment and yield of ryegrass and its contribution to total herbage yield under all four sowing conditions. The fungicide treatment had no effect. The improvements caused by insecticide treatment were associated with a reduction in the level of infestation by shoot flies, Oscinella spp. (Diptera: Chloropidae): the effect of a single treatment in April was still detectable in October.

Notes: Book review in this article The Response of Perennial Ryegrass to Fertilizer Nitrogen in Relation to Climate and Soil Report of the Joint ADAS/GRI Grassland Manuring Trial—GM20 Technical Report No. 27, Grassland Research Institute By J. Morrison, M. V. Jackson and P. E. Sparrow Recognition and Control of Pests and Diseases of Farm Crops (2nd edition) By Ernst Gram An Introduction to Practical Animal Breeding By Clive Dalton Planned Beef Production By David Allen

Notes: An improved electronic capacitance pasture meter is described, and data on its calibration and use in a grazing trial are presented. The instrument is light (1·4 kg) and portable, and uses integrated circuits to record the readings from a number of sampled sites. It has a digital display and can be constructed for a modest cost. The meter is mainly responsive to the surface area of the herbage and hence it is less sensitive to variations in moisture content of the pasture than previous meters. Thus it can be calibrated to measure the mass of herbage dry matter to ground level and reduces the need to collect and dry herbage samples for frequent recalibration of the instrument.

Notes: A forage capacitance-measuring scheme is presented which uses the earth and plants growing in it as one plate of a two-plate capacitor. Low frequency analogue circuitry is coupled with digital circuitry to sense and read out digitally the capacitance as a function of the forage under the sensing head. The circuitry is linear, reasonably stable and offers the opportunity for electrically confining the sensed area. The apparatus behaviour is characterized by a mathematical describing function.

Notes: Dactylis glomerata and Lolium perenne were grown in single-species stands and in mixed-species stands in boxes for 1 year. Plants were grown in paired rows in each box with full competition below ground, but aerial partitions prevented shoot competition. The rows were cut either frequently (six cuts) or infrequently (three cuts).In single-species stands, frequent defoliation reduced the root competitive ability of D. glomerata plants, when growing with infrequently defoliated plants, though this occurred only if no N fertilizer was applied. Frequent defoliation did not affect the root competitive ability of L. perenne plants, in single-species stands, whether or not N fertilizer was applied.In mixed-species stands, the root competitive ability of D. glomerata was always greater than that of L. perenne, though N fertilizer applications and frequent cutting both reduced the root competitive ability of D. glomerata relative to L. perenne.Mixtures of frequently cut and infrequently cut plants, in unfertilized single-species stands, always yielded more than the mean of the uniformly treated stands (frequently or infrequently cut); they usually yielded more than the highest-yielding uniformly treated stand. Mixtures of frequently and infrequently cut plants, in fertilized single-species stands, always yielded less than the mean of uniformly treated stands.Mixed-species stands usually yielded more than the mean yield of the component species, and sometimes yielded significantly more than the highest yielding component. This effect generally increased with time.Relative yield totals (RYT) were consistently greater than 1·0, in both single-species and mixed-species stands, when no N fertilizer was applied. RYT were greatest (1·2–1·6) when neither N nor P fertilizer was applied, and generally increased with time.The results are discussed in relation to the effects of cutting on root competition and the probable value of mixed-species stands.

Notes: Sites were established on good quality grass swards in areas representative of three of the most extensive soil parent materials in north-east Scotland and covering an altitudinal range of 260–460 m. Overall yields of herbage dry matter in 1975 were high, ranging from 6280 kg ha-1 with no fertilizer to 9190 kg ha-1 with an application of 100, 26 and 50 kg ha-1 N, P and K respectively. Differences in production between parent material and altitude groupings were found to be associated with differences in major soils group and past land use, with long-enclosed brown earths outyielding podzols recently reclaimed from heather moorland by about 30% overall. Increasing inputs of fertilizer appeared to reduce the effects of soil and climatic conditions. Brown earths showed higher apparent recoveries of N fertilizer than did podzols.

Notes: Six groups of five 18-month-old wether sheep received a diet of dried grass ad libitum with a pelleted ground barley/oat supplement containing various levels of salt for 30 d. The first group received grass of high Na concentration (7·3 g per kg DM) with no added salt in the supplement, a second group received low sodium grass (4·2 g per kg DM) with no salt additions, and the other four groups received the low sodium grass with varying levels of salt added to the supplement to provide a final dietary Na concentration ranging from 7·0 to 18·0 g per kg DM.Dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM) intakes were significantly reduced for groups receiving salt supplementation. The digestibilities of DM and OM were reduced for all groups on the low sodium grass diets compared with the high sodium grass diet, but were not affected by salt supplementation.No consistent changes were observed in the molar proportions of volatile fatty acids in rumen fluid, but N availability and retention were higher for the animals on the high sodium grass diet.The high sodium grass diet gave a better apparent availability and retention of minerals than the low sodium grass diets and, while addition of salt tended to improve the availability of minerals, the urinary loss of minerals increased with salt addition to the diet.There were no changes in plasma Na levels, and plasma K changes were inconsistent. However, plasma Ca concentration was reduced significantly for salt-supplemented diets with a Na concentration above 7·0 g per kg DM, and plasma Mg was significantly depressed at dietary Na concentrations above 15·0 g per kg DM.

Notes: An investigation of the carbon economy of single S184 white clover plants nodulated with an effective strain of Rhizobium trifolii growing on N-free nutrient solution and supplied with 150 parts/106 N as NH4NO3 has shown that 10% more of the C fixed per day is available for growth in the plants supplied with combined N. The difference between the two groups of plants is a result of higher respiratory activity in the roots of plants growing exclusively on N2. In terms of shoot growth, however, the difference in growth rate is likely to be less than 10%, because the rate of root growth is greater in the plants supplied with a moderate level of combined N. There is no evidence that NO-3 and CO2 compete for photosynthetically produced reductant in the leaves of plants grown on N2+NH4NO3, since no reduction in net photosynthesis was observed in plants assimilating combined N.An experiment carried out on detached leaflets of white clover grown on N2 and on N2+ NH4NO3 has shown that NO-3 -reducing activity is present in the leaflets of plants grown on N2+ NH4NO3 but not in plants grown on N2 and that the activity is light-dependent. Measurements of 14CO2 respired in the light and dark by leaflets previously allowed to photosynthesize 14CO2 showed that the ratio of 14CO2 output in the light to 14CO2 output in the dark was no higher in plants grown on N2+ NH4NO3 than in plants grown on N2. This observation is consistent with the finding that N source does not affect net photosynthesis in whole plants.

Notes: Two experiments were conducted to estimate the influence of initial cutting dates in March and April and of cutting frequencies on Guinea grass, elephant grass and star grass productivity. Increasing delay in date of first cut in the season resulted in a progressive increase in dry-matter yield. 72–81% of the tiller population at any cut were vegetative and this helped to maintain good aftermath yield for each date of first cut. Early April cuts gave the highest dry-matter yield and early March the least.Harvesting frequencies affected the sward productivity such that the annual dry matter yield increased with increasing harvesting interval from 6800 kg ha-1 for a 3-week interval to 13,000 kg ha-1 for a 10-week interval. The proportion of green leaf in the dry matter dropped from 57·7% at 3-week intervals to 32·0% at 10-week intervals. Seasonal effects showed that potential yield was reduced by a short interval between harvests early in the season but not late in the season. Species differences in quality and in the harvesting interval that gave the maximum yields were noted. These results are discussed in relation to management of the sward throughout the growing season.

Notes: A preliminary investigation evaluated six grass-suppressing herbicides applied on two occasions in late winter to a predominantly ryegrass ley containing only 15% ground cover of white clover. Substantial increases in clover growth, estimated visually, and flower head numbers per unit area were recorded in the first summer after treatment with 2·8 kg ha-1 carbetamide, 0·8 kg ha-1 propyzamide and 0·6 kg ha-1 paraquat. To achieve these increases, visual estimates suggested that spring growth of grass was reduced by 40–80%. However, grass growth recovered fully by mid-summer on the majority of the treatments.The following year five of the herbicides were compared in a field experiment. Dry matter (DM) and nitrogen (N) assessments of the grass and legume components were made at three harvests in the first growing season and a single harvest in the second year. Carbetamide, paraquat and, especially, propyzamide increased the proportion of clover in the DM (to 89% in the case of 1·2 kg ha-1 propyzamide); in general, using herbicides to raise clover contents above 20% lead to reductions in spring grass growth of about 70%. However, such reduction was offset by subsequent increased growth so that total annual yields were largely unaffected. The increased legume content resulted in an increased N concentration in both grass and legume components, measured in the second summer. At this time, the greatest increase in total N yield (up to 35%) was recorded from 0·6 kg ha-1 propyzamide. Potential uses to achieve legume dominance by grass-suppression are suggested and the needs for further research are outlined.

Notes: The effect of sowing date, within the period from late May to mid-August, on the DM yield of five leafy forage brassica crops sown to a stand was examined over the period 1976–78. Kale was the crop most sensitive to variation in sowing date and yields declined progressively with later sowings. There was no yield benefit from sowing rapes or stubble turnips earlier than mid- to late-June. Raphanobrassica produced yields as good as rape when sown in June. In 1978, DM yields of rape, kale and Raphanobrassica increased from September to early November, largely as a result of stem growth; kale was slower to accumulate DM than rape in late summer but continued growing longer into the autumn. The DM concentrations of all crops increased from September to December. Rape had a higher DM concentration than stubble turnip. Raphanobrassica was 10–25 g kg-1 lower in DM concentration than rape or kale. Raphanobrassica produced 23–59% flowering plants from late-May to early-June sowing. Harvest date affected DM yield and concentration, leaf: stem ratio and flowering percentage. The effects of sowing dale on DM concentration were small.

Notes: Herbage dry-matter yields of sown plots of white clover were greatly reduced by a natural infection of clover rot (Sclerotinia trifoliorum), the extent of the reduction being related to the level of infection. Examination of seasonal yield patterns suggested that although the plants apparently recovered from the disease it re-exerted its influence later in the season. No effects on seed yield could be detected but effects on the development of inflorescences and the proportion of ripe heads surviving to harvest were noted. Marked differences between varietal types existed for some of the characters examined.

Notes: A simple technique for extracting stem nematodes from air-dried samples of lucerne is described. The technique was found to be suitable for use in a breeding programme to improve resistance to stem nematodes in lucerne.

Notes: Book review in this article Ecology and Utilization of Desert Shrub Rangelands in Iraq By D. C. P. Thalen Population Biology of Plants By J. L. Harper How Grasses Grow By R. H. M. Langer Plant Strategies and Vegetation Processes By J. P. Grime Proceedings of the 36th Southern Pasture and Forage Crop Improvement Conference, 1979. Beltsville, Maryland, USA. Tropical Pasture Seed Production By L. R. Humphreys

Notes: The history and development of the multiple-probe capacitance meter used for in situ, non-destructive estimations of herbage mass is reviewed. An elementary, semi-theoretical electric-field analysis focuses attention on the inherent difficulties associated with the multiple-probe approach. This report establishes the background for the introduction of an ‘earth-plate’ capacitancemeter.

Notes: Studies have been carried out to measure the response to selection for canopy characters, as measured on young spaced plants, and the associated changes in sward yield in Lolium. In addition certain of the selection lines were compared with and found to be more productive than several existing bred varieties, indicating the considerable scope for improvement of dry matter yield through breeding.The canopy characters which were associated with high yield are compared with those which confer high yielding ability on a spaced plant and an individual in a community. The plant breeding implications of the results are briefly discussed.

Notes: A series of preliminary trials is described to assess the potential and some of the cultural requirements of new cultivars of forage peas grown as pure stands in the west of Scotland. Optimum sowing date was late March for harvesting 15 weeks later to leave sufficient of the growing season for a catch crop or the establishment of a grass sward. Yield of dry matter (DM) at harvest was approximately 6 t ha-1 but DM concentration varied greatly with season. The digestibility of the organic matter was of the order of 0·700 and the crude protein concentration in the DM 170 g kg-1. DM yield increased with increasing seed rate up to 200 kg ha-1 the maximum rate tested.

Notes: Thousand-seed weight, germination and seedling dry weight were measured in some tetraploid hybrid ryegrasses to study variations in seed quality. In cv. Sabrina, seed from spaced plants had a higher 1000-seed weight and seedling dry weight, and a slower germination rate than seed from narrow drills. Seed from later emerging groups of inflorescences had a low 1000-seed weight and seedling dry weight, but a high germination rate. Seeds of cv. Sabrina, Leri and Augusta harvested at between 10 and 25 d after peak anthesis had low 1000-seed weights, low germination rates and low seedling dry weights. Air temperatures between inflorescence emergence and seed maturity also affected seed quality; an increase in temperature from a 15°/10°C regime to a constant 25°C environment reduced 1000-seed weight and seedling dry weight, but increased germination rate. It is concluded that year-to-year variation in seed characters will occur because of temperature and other climatic changes, but seed quality can also be influenced by the time at which the seed is harvested. If combine harvesting is carried out at a moisture concentration of about 400 g kg-1 (≡40%) then maximum yields of seed of a high quality should be obtained.