Volume 206, Issue 1 p. 130-147
MISCELLANEOUS

Pasture restoration improvement methods for temperate degraded pastures and consequences of the climatic seasonality on soil–pasture complex

Constanza A. Descalzi

Constanza A. Descalzi

Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Instituto de Producción Animal, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile

Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Escuela de Graduados, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile

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Ignacio F. López

Corresponding Author

Ignacio F. López

Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Instituto de Producción Animal, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile

School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Centro de Investigación en Suelos Volcánicos, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile

Correspondence

Ignacio F. López, School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Private Bag 11 222, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand.

Email: I.F.Lopez@massey.ac.nz

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Peter D. Kemp

Peter D. Kemp

School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand

Centro de Investigación en Suelos Volcánicos, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile

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José Dörner

José Dörner

Centro de Investigación en Suelos Volcánicos, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile

Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Instituto de Ingeniería Agraria y Suelos, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile

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Iván Ordóñez

Iván Ordóñez

Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Instituto de Producción Animal, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile

Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Escuela de Graduados, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, Chile

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First published: 08 October 2019
Citations: 5

Abstract

Short persistence of renovated pastures is a major problem for pastoral production systems. Pasture species establishment, species performance and persistency and their relationships with soil–water attributes following pasture improvement methods were evaluated over two years. Fertilised naturalised pasture (FNP), non-fertilised naturalised pasture (NFNP), Lolium perenneTrifolium repens cultivated pasture (CP), L. perenneT. repens direct-drilled pasture (DP), and Bromus valdivianus, Holcus lanatus, Dactylis glomerata, L. perenne and T. repens direct-drilled pasture (DDP) were established as a randomised complete block design. Pastures were limed, fertilised and sheep-grazed. Plant growth compensatory mechanisms, by decreasing tiller number and increasing tiller size, equalised pasture yield during the establishment. In both years, the improved pastures yield was greater than that of NFNP. In the second year, DDP and FNP reached the higher pasture growth rate, with a seasonality diminishment. During the second summer, soil matrix potential at 0–20 cm soil profile exceeded the permanent wilting point, resulting in the pasture growth rate of NFNP and the sown pastures ranging from 0.0 to 3.6 kg DM/ha per day, while for FNP, it was 17.8 kg DM/ha per day. Sown species, fast-growing species spontaneous colonisation and growth were all stimulated in the improved pastures over species that tolerate stress, improving agronomical and ecological pasture features.

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