Some changes in the structure of a perennial ryegrass sward frequently but leniently defoliated during the summer

Abstract

The growth of a regularly trimmed perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) sward was examined over a period of 49 days in late summer. The sward was trimmed every seven days to a height at which there was sufficient herbage left to intercept between 90% and 95% of the incident light at local noon. Tiller number per unit of ground area increased slightly during the first seven days of growth and declined later. The yields of young leaf, mature leaf, and senescent material that were present in the sward after trimming reached a maximum after 14, seven, and 14 days of growth respectively, and then declined. By contrast, yields of sheath and dead matter increased progressively throughout the study. Rate of tiller appearance was lower at the end than at the start of the study. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.