INTERACTION BETWEEN THREE WHITE CLOVER CULTIVARS AND TWO RYEGRASSES

Cultivars ‘S100’, ‘S184’ and Kersey, all white clover (Trifolium repens L.) were grown as monocultures or in 1.1 ratios with ‘S23’ and ‘Sabrina’ (an allotetraploid) ryegrasses (Lolium perenne L.). Results showed that yield of clover was decreased in mixture depending on the grass cultivar. Grass yields tended to be inversely related to clover yields and grass cultivars controlled the composition of the mixture. Frequent defoliation decreased yields of both grass and clover, but with differences between cultivars. It is suggested that combinations of cultivar and management may go far to control both yield and composition of grassclover mixtures.