The effects of sowing chicory in different ratios with ryegrass, either with or without red clover, on forage yield and chemical composition

摘要

The effects of chicory (Cichorium intybus) (cv. Puna II) in sowing mixtures with perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) (cv. Premium) (PRG) or PRG with red clover (Trifolium pratense) (cv. Merviot) on the chemical composition of harvested forage was investigated. Field plots (10x2.5 m) were sown with chicory and ryegrass in differing proportions, and either with or without red clover, in a replicated randomized design with four blocks. Treatments consisted of chicory sown with PRG alone or a ryegrass-red clover mix, resulting in 10 combinations with chicory included as 0.9, 0.7, 0.5, 0.3 and 0.1. Forages were sown at rates corresponding to a proportion of their usual monoculture rate, not the total seed rate. A Haldrup plot harvester was used to determine total yield and sub-samples were taken for chemical analysis. Overall, when chicory was sown in combination with ryegrass only, there was a positive effect of increasing chicory in the sward on the DM and crude protein yield. However, when sowing chicory in combinations with PRG and RC, the highest DM, CP and WSC yields were found with increasing and decreasing proportions of red clover and chicory, respectively.