The Evolution of a Forage Mixture with Red Clover among Four Experimental Years

Abstract

Grassland productivity is a complex attribute defined by a series of interdependent indices with important role in the characterization of one grassland culture productivity. Among this the most important are the soil-climatic conditions, the technology applied, floristic composition, forage quality, etc. The present paper aims to follow the behaviour of a forage mixture with red clover among fourth experimental year. We followed the behaviour of a complex mixture consisting of Trifolium pratense (15%), Lolium perenne (20%), Festulolium (25%), Festuca arundinacea (25%) and Phleum pratense (15%) under the influence of mineral fertilization in the climatic conditions specific Plateau of Transylvania, Romania. Experience was installed in the spring of 2012 in experimental fields located inside the Agricultural Research and Development Station Turda. The experimental area is characterized by an average annual temperature of 10.40C C and average annual rainfall of 523.2 mm. Soil type is faeoziom vertic clay. The mixture was sown on 12.5 cm and 25 cm distances between rows and they were fertilized in early March with complex NPK and ammonium nitrate (33.3%) in four different doses: V1- control variant, unfertilized, V2-N50P60K80, V3- N75P60K80 and V4-N100P60K80. The experimental parcels were mowed 3 times /year. Analysing the complex forage mixture we observed an interesting evolution among the fourth experimental years. Fertilization with medium amounts of nitrogen seemed to have a favourable influence on forage mixture productivity. The results showed that the forage mixture studied can generate high productivity and quality if adequate technology is applied.

Keywords

• forage, mixture, red clover, fertilization.