Performance of Modern Varieties of <i>Festuca arundinacea</i> and <i>Phleum pratense</i> as an Alternative to <i>Lolium perenne</i> in Intensively Managed Sown Grasslands

• Main Authors: Talea Becker, Johannes Isselstein, Rena Jürschik, Matthias Benke, Manfred Kayser
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020-04-01
• Series: Agronomy
• Subjects: temperate humid grasslands; forage grasses; persistence; herbage yield; climate change
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/10/4/540

<b> </b>In future, grass swards need to be adapted to climate change and interactions of management and site are becoming more important. The persistence of <i>Lolium perenne</i> on peatland or during dry periods is limited and alternative forage species are required. We tested the performance of a modern variety of <i>Festuca arundinacea </i>and <i>Phleum pratense</i> as an alternative to <i>Lolium perenne</i> on clay, peat, and sandy soils. Each of these grasses was sown as main species in mixture with <i>Poa pratensis</i> and <i>Trifolium repens</i> and the mixtures were subjected to different frequencies of defoliation. Differences in yield proportions in the third year were significantly influenced by main species, site and their interaction. Remaining mass proportions of main species after three years were smallest on peat; on all sites <i>Festuca arundinacea</i> showed the highest persistence and largest yield, followed by <i>Lolium perenne</i>. Mass proportions of <i>Phleum pratense</i> were small on peat soils and <i>Phleum</i> had been replaced there by <i>Holcus lanatus,</i> and by <i>Lolium perenne</i> and <i>Poa pratensis</i> on the clay and sandy soils. We conclude that the choice of grass species in mixtures is a management tool to control stability and productivity of grass swards under specific site conditions.