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Persistence and growth of Lotononis bainesii–Digitaria decumbens pastures: 1. Sheep stocking rate

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

A. Pott  and
L. R. Humphreys
A. Pott
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4067, Australia
L. R. Humphreys
Affiliation:
Department of Agriculture, University of Queensland, St Lucia, 4067, Australia
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Summary

Sheep were grazed for 2 years at stocking rates of 7, 14, 21 and 28/ha on a pasture comprising Lotononis bainesii and Digitaria decumbens cv. Pangola at Mt Cotton, south–east Queensland. There were six replicates of each treatment grazed in rotation with 3 days' grazing followed by 15 days' rest.

The initial dominance of lotononis was lost after 6 months of grazing and lotononis failed to persist satisfactorily at any stocking rate. Demographic studies showed that lotononis behaved as a short-lived plant, predominantly annual, with some vegetative perennation as stolon-rooted units under heavy grazing. Soil seed reserves varied from 5800 to 400 m2 at the lightest and heaviest stocking rates respectively. Lotononis failed to regenerate under Pangola shading or inopportune high grazing pressure. Soil bulk density (0–7 cm) increased from 1·2 to 1·4 g/cm3 according to stocking rate.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 101 , Issue 1 , August 1983 , pp. 1 - 7
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1983

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