Abstract #M110

# M110
Cool season grass-legume mixtures in north-central Florida.
Erick R. S. Santos*1, José C. B. Dubeux1, Lynn E. Sollenberger2, Marta M. Kohmann2, Stephanie Pope2, Hiran M. S. Silva1, Ana C. C. Melo1, 1University of Florida–North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC), Marianna, FL, 2University of Florida – Agronomy Department, Gainesville, FL.

Grass-legume mixtures may increase dry matter (DM) yield and forage N concentration due to biological N2 fixation. A study was conducted to evaluate yield and botanical composition in different cool season grass-legume mixtures in Gainesville, FL from 4 February to 14 May 2014 (4 harvests). Treatments were allocated in a split-plot arrangement in a completely randomized block design with 4 replicates. Main plots were formed by annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) or a rye (Secale cereal L.)-annual ryegrass mixture. The subplot was the combination of cool-season legumes or presence/absence of N fertilizer in grass monocultures, as follows: (1) hairy vetch (Vicia villosa ssp.), (2) crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.), (3) red clover (Trifolium pratense L.), (4) ball clover (Trifolium nigrescens Viv.), (5) hairy vetch-red clover-ball clover, (6) crimson clover-red clover-ball clover, (7) N-fertilized grass (50 kg N·ha−1·cut−1), and (8) unfertilized grass. Total DM yield was greater for N-fertilized grass in the 2nd and 3rd harvests (660 and 1360 kg DM·ha−1). Mixtures containing subplot-Treatments 3 and 6 increased total DM yield in the 4th harvest (1250 and 1280 kg DM·ha−1, respectively) and did not differ from N-fertilized grass in this harvest. Legume DM yields were minimal in Harvests 1 and 2. In the 3rd and 4th harvests, the crimson clover-red clover-ball clover mixture had the greatest legume DM yield (330 and 730 kg DM·ha−1), followed by crimson clover (320 kg DM·ha−1) in the 3rd harvest, and by red clover (660 kg DM·ha−1) in the 4th harvest, whereas hairy vetch presented the lowest productivity in both harvests (33 and 31 kg DM·ha−1). Dry matter yield of annual ryegrass and rye-annual ryegrass did not differ among harvests. Grass DM yield was greater for N-fertilized grass in the 2nd and subsequent harvests (660, 1360, and 1220 kg DM·ha−1). Red clover and the crimson clover-red clover-ball clover mixture were not different in DM yield than N-fertilized grass in the last harvest, while the other mixtures did not differ from the unfertilized grass.

Key Words: annual ryegrass, rye, crimson clover