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Title: HERBAGE PRODUCTIVITY AND BOTANICAL COMPOSITION OF HILL PASTURE AS A FUNCTION OF CLIPPING AND SITE FEATURES

Author
item Belesky, David
item Feldhake, Charles
item Boyer, Douglas

Submitted to: Agronomy Journal
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/1/2001
Publication Date: 5/1/2002
Citation: Belesky, D.P., Feldhake, C.M., Boyer, D.G. 2002. Herbage productivity and botanical composition of hill pasture as a function of clipping and site features. Agronomy Journal. 94:351-358.

Interpretive Summary: The complex topography of the Appalachian Region creates a variety of growing conditions associated with differences in elevation, soil depth and water holding capacity, and aspect or exposure to incoming light. These conditions influence the types of plants capable of growing at a particular site and the amount of production obtained. This is widely known for many plant communities but is not clearly understood for production situations on hill pasture in the humid, eastern US. We conducted a thorough inventory of microclimate, soil and botanical inventory for a small watershed landscape typical of those found in the region. Variability in conditions and the variety of plants associated with a particular aspect suggested widely varying potential for pasture production. Although the entire area was treated in the same fashion with phosphate rock and over- seeded with clover, plant productivity was least on the steepest slope facing to the northeast and greatest in a natural drainageway that crossed the watershed. We also imposed different clipping strategies representing what a producer might do. Stockpiling, or accumulating herbage until the end of the growing season, allowed weeds to flourish and led to decreased herbage production compared to more frequently clipped plant stands. Our findings will help producers identify areas in their pastures that are responsive to management and will enable them to optimize pasture productivity on highly variable landscapes.

Technical Abstract: Soil resources and microclimate vary widely across the complex topography of hilly terrain. Resulting microsite conditions lead to varying floristic associations and herbage production patterns, which complicate management for agricultural production. We investigated herbage production and the floristic composition of a previously unmanaged hill-pasture as a function of slope aspect. The site was over-sown with white clover (Trifolium repens L.) and orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), fertilized with reactive phosphate rock (PR), and clipped once, twice, or three times each year. Slope aspect had a significant impact on cumulative herbage production, whereas the influence of canopy management was mixed. The least (1.9 Mg ha-1) amount of herbage production in a given season occurred on a northeast facing slope and the greatest (4.6 Mg ha-1) in a natural drainage area traversing the pasture. Herbage production was 80% greater by the end of the experiment, but the relative ranking of production among aspects stayed the same. Canopy management interacted with aspect to influence production and botanical composition. Botanical composition was also strongly influenced by aspect with velvetgrass (Holcus lanatus L.) predominating in the natural drainage area and red fescue (Festuca rubra L.) occurring primarily on the northeast facing aspect. Canopy management had the greatest influence on botanical composition while aspect influenced cumulative yield. Stockpiling pasture for late summer use appears to be inappropriate from the standpoint of herbage production and fewer legumes, although it is a low-cost means of pasture utilization.