EFFECT OF CULTIVAR, SOWING TIME, AND DENSITY ON THE GROWTH OF SUBTERRANEAN CLOVER IN WINTER

In winter and early spring in Mediterranean environments, animal produ ction is often limited by the low herbage availability associated with low growth rates and short swards, which result in low intake. In the present study, 26 subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) cultiv ars were evaluated for herbage availability early in the season. There were large variations in dry matter yield (0.3-0.7 g/plant), sward he ight (2.9-9.3 cm), and leaf area index (1.0-5.1) among cultivars after 70 days of growth: indicating a possibility for selection of cultivar s based on these parameters. Increasing plant density from 460 to 4600 plants/m(2) increased dry matter yield from 88.5 to 362.8 g/m(2) and sward height from 2.6 to 8.3 cm at Day 60. Early sowing increased dry matter yield, sward height, petiole length, leaf number, and leaf size by 13, 6, 32, 10, and 23%, respectively, after 70 days of growth. The se results indicate that new pastures should be established early if s oil moisture is adequate, and that the time of the season break has an important influence on early growth of pastures and, consequently, on the budgeting of feed in farming practice.