Abstract. The clearing of trees and native vegetation over the past 160 years has caused deep drainage to groundwater in the Broken Plains area. Predictions are that continuing recharge will bring the water-table to within 2 metres of the surface over the next 30 years. This will lead to water-logging and dryland salinity. A solution is to introduce deep-rooted perennial species such as lucerne...

In a trial at Wairakei Research Station, the effect of three spring grazing managements on subsequent summer and early autumn hay product ion of lucerne was assessed re la t ive to hay management over the entire period. Overall the two rotational grazing treatments where the lucerne was grazed at an immature stage of growth (grazed at 12 to 15 cm, and at 25 to 30 cm) reduced subsequent produc t...

A report of mammary development in 6-month-old ewe lambs grazing lucerne on a commercial farm in North Otago provided an opportunity to investigate the possibility to use this as a tool to detect oestrogenic lucerne pastures. Of the 36 ewe lambs grazing lucerne at this farm, protruding mammary glands were visible in 19. In contrast, none of the 22 ewe lambs grazing grass had protruding mammary ...

Due to depleting water supplies and the cultivation of high water-demanding crops such as lucerne, effect deficits in crop production has become a major concern, especially semiarid regions China. A six-year field experiment (2012–2018) was conducted evaluate soil recovery fertility after lucerne-to-crop conversions on western Loess Plateau Six rotation treatments (lucerne initially grew from 2...

1. The relations between food intake, reticulo-ruminal motility and abomasal digesta outflow were investigated in ewes receiving lucerne (Medicago sativa) v. orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata) hay. Abomasal digesta outflow was recorded continuously by means of an electromagnetic flowmeter probe inserted into a duodenal T-shape cannula and the motility using strain-gauge force transducers. Volum...

1. Three diets of barley-canola-seed (Brassica campestris), lucerne (Medicago sativa) or chopped brome-grass (Bromus inermis) were given at intervals of 3 h to closely-shorn Suffolk wethers held at a temperature of 1-5 degree (cold) or 22-24 degree (warm). Apparent digestibility of organic matter (OM) and nitrogen was reduced by 0.08-0.05 and 0.04 units respectively for lucerne and brome-grass ...

An Italian "Dalita" ryegrass (Lolium italicum) and a European lucerne (Medicago sativa) were harvested at 5 different growth stages to determine the anatomical factors limiting their digestibility and in particular the effects of lignification of the tissues. In vitro digestibility, cell wall contents of the whole plant and stem of lucerne and of the whole plant, stem and leaf blade of ryegrass...

The flow pattern of unilateral parotid saliva in sheep was compared when a total of 800 g lucerne (Medicago sativa) hay was offered as one, two, four or eight distinct meals. These patterns were related to changes in the tonicity of rumen fluid and plasma and to plasma concentrations of gastrin and pancreatic polypeptide. Sheep having ad lib access to hay overnight were offered fresh hay from 0...

Social dominance is widely known to facilitate access to food resources in many animal species such as deer. However, research has paid little attention to dominance in ad libitum access to food because it was thought not to result in any benefit for dominant individuals. In this study we assessed if, even under ad libitum conditions, social rank may allow dominant hinds to consume the preferre...