HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Springer, T. L. Articles by McNew, R. W. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Springer, T. L. Articles by McNew, R. W. Agricola Articles by Springer, T. L. Articles by McNew, R. W. Related Collections Crop Ecology Forage Management

FORAGE & GRAZINGLANDS

Combining Ability of Binary Mixtures of Introduced, Cool- and Warm-Season Grasses and Legumes

^a USDA-ARS, Southern Plains Range Research Station, 2000 18th St., Woodward, OK 73801
^b Kansas State Univ., Western Kansas Agricultural Research Centers, Hays, KS 67601
^c Dep. of Statistics, Univ. of Arkansas, Fayetteville 72701. Mention of a trademark or a proprietary product does not constitute a guarantee or warranty of the product by USDA, Kansas State University, or the University of Arkansas and does not imply approval to the exclusion of other suitable products. All programs and services of the USDA are offered on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status, or handicap

^* Corresponding author (tspringer{at}spa.ars.usda.gov).

When two forage species are grown together they can be compatible, compete, or allelopathic with each other. We estimated the combining ability effects for introduced, cool- (CS) and warm-season (WS) grasses and legumes grown in binary mixtures. Six pure stands and 15 mixtures were transplanted into field plots in a replicated randomized block design at Woodward, OK. Plots were harvested three times a year over a 2 yr period. Each harvest was analyzed as a mixed model combining ability analysis. The dependent variables were forage dry matter (DM) and crude protein (CP) yield. Specific combining ability (SCA) effects for DM yield were either zero or negative for mixtures of CS grasses or mixtures of WS grasses. For DM yield the SCA effects were either zero or positive for CS grass-legume mixtures or zero or negative for WS grass-legume mixtures. A few grass–grass and grass–legume mixtures produced positive SCA effects; but, their species compositions were highly skewed toward one species. When SCA effects are zero, species compete with each other. This was the case for yellow bluestem [Bothriochloa ischaemum (L.) Keng. var. ischaemum (Hack.) Celarier and Harlan]–legume mixtures. Yellow bluestem-legume mixtures averaged 59% yellow bluestem: 41% legume DM forage across harvests. Yellow bluestem-legume mixtures may be a suitable forage production system for the Southern Plains. Long-term grazing studies are needed to determine the sustainability of these mixtures.

Abbreviations: CP, crude protein • CS, cool season • DM, dry matter • GCA, general combining ability • LTA, long-term average • SCA, specific combining ability • WS, warm season