Harvest Yield and Growth Response White Clover Cultivars to Infrequent , Frequent Defoliation and Their Alternation

예취주기의 상호전환에 따른 White clover 품종의 예취수량 및 생장

Pasture composed of about 30% botanical composition of white clover (Trijolium repem L.) is desirable in its productivity and quality. To get information on maintaining its productivity in the pasture, the experiment was canied out to determine the effect of infrequent, frequent defoliation or their alternation on change of its harvest yield and growth. Individual plants of Regal, Louisiana S-1, Grasslands Huia and Aberystwyth S184 were grown in 22cm plastic pot containing a 2 : 1 : 1 soil : sand : Peat moss mixture for 27 days after transplanting 50day seedlings raised on 3cm pots, and then all their fully expanded leaves are removed. Defoliation treatments were forced every 1 (CC, frequent), 4 week (RR, infrequent) or their alternations (CR, RC) after 8 weeks from the removal. To analyze the treatment effects, plants were sampled on 0 (the removal day), 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks after the removal and seperated to leaves, petioles, stolons and roots. Each harvest yield of infrequent defoliation (RR) was higher than that of frequent defoliation (CC). Their alternations (RC, CR), however, forced fluctuation of the yield according to defoliation interval. Fraction weights from their altemations showed intermediate ones of infrequent and Frequent defoliation whose weights did the similar result to their harvest yields. Fraction and total dry weights per plant, shoot/root ratio were changed by relative span of defoliation interval, which resulted from the weights of leaves and petioles, removed parts. Root and total dry weight per plant of Regal were greater than the other cultivm in infrequent defoliation interval regardless of continuous or alternations. Productivity of white clover in pasture, therefore, can be controlled by alternation of infrequent and frequent defoliation or reverse.