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Longer defoliation interval ensures expression of the ‘high sugar’ trait in perennial ryegrass cultivars in cool temperate Tasmania, Australia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 July 2014

L. R. TURNER*
Affiliation:
Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, Tasmania, Australia
D. J. DONAGHY
Affiliation:
Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
K. G. PEMBLETON
Affiliation:
Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, Tasmania, Australia
R. P. RAWNSLEY
Affiliation:
Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, Tasmania, Australia
*
*To whom all correspondence should be addressed. Email: Lydia.Turner@utas.edu.au

Summary

Perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) cultivars have been developed to express higher levels of leaf water-soluble carbohydrates (WSC), but expression of this ‘high sugar’ trait varies between environments and is likely to be further influenced by the extent of plant re-growth. The herbage WSC concentration and the ratio of WSC to crude protein (WSC : CP) in high sugar cultivars AberMagic and SF Joule were therefore compared with a control cultivar, Arrow, under cool temperate Tasmanian conditions and two defoliation interval treatments. The irrigated cultivars were subjected to defoliation at either the 1·5-leaf or 3-leaf stage of re-growth, and additional components of nutritive value (fibre concentrations and metabolizable energy content) and dry matter (DM) yields were measured throughout a 12-month period (March 2011 to March 2012). The high sugar trait was consistently expressed in AberMagic, which under both the 1·5-leaf and 3-leaf stages defoliation intervals, displayed the highest WSC concentration (mean 194 and 247 mg/g DM, respectively, compared with 153 and 178 mg/g DM for Arrow) and highest WSC : CP ratio (mean 0·74 and 1·29, respectively, compared with 0·58 and 0·85 for Arrow). Defoliation at the 3-leaf stage of regrowth ensured greater expression of the high sugar trait in both AberMagic and SF Joule, as measured by the increase in WSC concentration and WSC : CP ratio as a result of increasing defoliation interval. The strength and consistency of trait expression in AberMagic under the 3-leaf stage defoliation interval warrants further research to investigate its effect on rumen nitrogen (N) partitioning and milk production in this environment.

Type
Crops and Soils Research Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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References

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