GROWTH ANALYSIS OF WHITE CLOVER (Trifolium repens L.) AND INDIRECT METHODS TO ESTIMATE ITS FORAGE YIELD

Abstract

Dry matter (DM) accumulation and its relationship to some indicators of physiological efficiency on white clover (Trifolium repens L.) growth was studied to determine the optimal harvesting time by season. The experiment was carried out at the Colegio the Postgraduados Campus Montecillo, Texcoco, Mexico. Twenty-four plots, each measuring 3.7 X 1.7 m, were used, and distributed in a completely randomized design with eight treatments and three replicates. The treatments consisted of weekly successive cuts during an eight-week sprouting cycle during the middle of each season of the year. The evaluated variables were dry matter accumulation, crop growth rate (CGR), intercepted radiation (IR), and plant height (cm) estimated through the ruler and rising plate meter methods. Most herbage accumulation (p ≤ 0.05) occurred at the eighth week of the spring (2,688 kg DM ha^-1). Most CGR (p ≤ 0.05) occurred at the first week of the summer (84 kg DM ha^-1 day^-1). The largest IR occurred at the sixth and ninth week of the summer (100 %). Maximum height occurred at week eight of the summer (p ≤ 0.05), which was 32 and 23.3 cm for the ruler and the rising plate meter methods, respectively. Dry matter yield increased linearly due to the favorable climatic conditions during spring-summer, where there was a higher intercepted radiation and higher crop growth. The ruler method showed a higher coefficient compared to the ascending plate, so the ruler method for white clover can be recommended.