Grass and Forage Science最新文献

{"title":"Agronomic Responses of Two Major Perennial Forage Arachis Species in the Tropics as Affected by Stubble Height","authors":"Theyson D. Maranhão,&nbsp;Fagner J. Gomes,&nbsp;Alyce Monteiro,&nbsp;Cristiam Bosi,&nbsp;Bruno C. Pedreira,&nbsp;Patricia M. Santos,&nbsp;Gabriel C. Botechia,&nbsp;Carlos G. S. Pedreira","doi":"10.1111/gfs.70046","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gfs.70046","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>The use of forage legumes in pasture systems has been proposed as an option not only for enhancing herbage nutritive value, but also as a tool to aid in the recovery of degraded/degrading grass pastures and an important provider of a variety of ecosystem services. Perennial peanuts (<i>Arachis</i> spp.) comprise a group of species whose potential has been widely demonstrated in forage systems in warm areas of the globe, but comparisons across species are scarce in the literature. The objective was to explain the impact of two stubble height on the herbage accumulation (HA), plant-part composition and canopy structural traits of ‘Belmonte’ pinto peanut (PP; <i>Arachis pintoi</i> Krapov. W.C. &amp; Greg cv. Belmonte) and ‘Florigraze’ rhizoma peanut (RP; <i>Arachis glabrata</i> Benth cv. Florigraze) in a tropical environment of southeastern Brazil. Irrigated small plots were harvested at 4 and 8 cm height every 42 days, during both rainy/warm and dry/cool seasons from March 2020 to March 2022 in Piracicaba, Brazil. In the warm season, PP had 46% greater HA than RP (6470 kg DM ha⁻¹). In addition, PP had 88% and 37% greater leaf area index and leaflet proportion than RP (2.6% and 47%, respectively) in the harvested herbage. Weed proportion was greater in RP (28%) than in PP (2.8%). During the warm season, the 8-cm stubble height resulted in greater canopy height (16 vs. 12 cm) and stolon proportion (16% vs. 14%), but lower specific leaflet area (228 vs. 243 cm² g⁻¹) compared to the 4-cm stubble height. In the cool season, at 4 cm stubble height PP had 17% greater petiole proportion (8.8%) and 82% greater stolon proportion (2.8%). Regardless of stubble height and season, PP is a superior option than RP for warmer tropical areas.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12767,"journal":{"name":"Grass and Forage Science","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146162351","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Global Occurrence, Impact, and Mitigation Strategies of Fusarium Species and Their Mycotoxins in Natural Grasslands and Cultivated Forage Grasses","authors":"María Cecilia Pérez-Pizá,&nbsp;Sebastián Vicente,&nbsp;Francisco José Sautua,&nbsp;Ana María Pacin,&nbsp;Marina Julia Sansinena,&nbsp;Sofía Noemí Chulze,&nbsp;Marcelo Aníbal Carmona,&nbsp;Sebastián Alberto Stenglein","doi":"10.1111/gfs.70045","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gfs.70045","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p><i>Fusarium</i> species are increasingly recognised as important components of grass-based forage systems due to their ecological versatility, dual lifestyles, and ability to produce mycotoxins harmful to livestock. Although historically underexplored in pastures, growing evidence reveals their presence in both cultivated forage grasses and natural grasslands, raising concerns about forage quality, pasture establishment and persistence, feed safety, and the role of these systems as reservoirs of pathogenic and/or toxigenic fungi. This review synthesises global knowledge on the occurrence, ecological functions, and toxigenic potential of <i>Fusarium</i> species in these systems. It begins with a conceptual overview of key traits, including taxonomy, pathogenicity, endophytism, inoculum sources, and mycotoxin production, which are essential to understanding their behaviour in diverse environments. We then compile and compare global reports of <i>Fusarium</i> detection in cultivated forage grasses and natural grasslands, highlighting species diversity, distribution patterns, and host associations. Based on this evidence, we discuss available management strategies and, where specific tools are lacking, propose context-adapted approaches informed by knowledge from more extensively studied cropping systems. Finally, we identify critical knowledge gaps and propose future research directions to support early detection, risk assessment, and sustainable management. By integrating biological, ecological, and applied perspectives, this review aims to enhance the sustainability of forage production and safeguard both animal and human health.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12767,"journal":{"name":"Grass and Forage Science","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146162352","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Plant Growth-Promoting Rhizobacteria Impacting Forage Mass of Urochloa ruziziensis and Megathyrsus maximus: A Reliable New Strategy for Tropical Pastures","authors":"Gabriel Silva Guimarães,&nbsp;Artur Berbel Lirio Rondina,&nbsp;Bruno Fernandes Canelossi,&nbsp;Marco Antonio Nogueira,&nbsp;Mariangela Hungria","doi":"10.1111/gfs.70042","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gfs.70042","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Brazil is known for its extensive livestock production in pastures, supporting the world's second-largest herd of cattle and being the leading beef exporter. However, livestock farming in Brazil has frequently been associated with soil degradation and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. We evaluated the effects of using plant growth-promoting (PGPR) elite strains of <i>Azospirillum brasilense</i> and <i>Pseudomonas fluorescens</i> to improve pastures of <i>Urochloa ruziziensis</i> (Ruzi grass) and <i>Megathyrsus maximus</i> (Zuri guineagrass). A 2-year field study was performed with both grasses to assess the effects of inoculation on soil enzyme activity, root traits, forage mass and nutritive value. In the first year, inoculation was via seed treatment; in the second, foliar spraying was used on the same treatments. Inoculation of <i>U. ruziziensis</i> with <i>A. brasilense</i> and <i>P. fluorescens</i> improved root traits related to water and nutrient uptake, including root dry weight, length density, volume, and root-hair incidence. <i>A. brasilense</i> increased <i>U. ruziziensis</i> forage accumulation by 10.3%, while <i>M. maximus</i> increased 9.2% with <i>P. fluorescens</i>. Remarkable increases were observed for <i>U. ruziziensis</i> inoculated with <i>A. brasilense</i> in the nutrient content and for <i>M. maximus</i> inoculated with <i>P. fluorescens</i>, with average increase by 21.4% for N, 22.8% for P, and 10% for K. These results demonstrate the potential of PGPR to enhance tropical pasture production but highlight the need to study specific host genotype–PGPR interactions. Given the limited global efforts in sustainable tropical pasture strategies, PGPR may provide a feasible alternative to increase production efficiency.</p>","PeriodicalId":12767,"journal":{"name":"Grass and Forage Science","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/gfs.70042","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146154883","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Agronomic Performance of Perennial Ryegrass (Lolium perenne L)—Ribwort Plantain (Plantago lanceolata L) and Perennial Ryegrass Swards Under Intensive Dairy Cow Grazing","authors":"Lauren Elizabeth Chesney,&nbsp;Naomi Rutherford,&nbsp;Francesca Carnovale,&nbsp;Conor Holohan,&nbsp;Alan Gordon,&nbsp;David Patterson","doi":"10.1111/gfs.70041","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gfs.70041","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study investigated the agronomic performance and root characteristics of perennial ryegrass and mixed perennial ryegrass–plantain swards under intensive rotational grazing by dairy cows in Northern Ireland over two full grazing seasons (2023–2024). Key objectives were to evaluate herbage yield, growth dynamics, utilisation, botanical composition, forage quality and root morphology. Total seasonal yield PRG and PRG-PL were 11,683 and 11,766 kg DM ha⁻¹, respectively. The PRG-PL swards exhibited greater herbage utilisation (80.5% vs. 76.7%). Herbage quality analyses showed mixed perennial ryegrass–plantain swards had higher ash (<i>p &lt;</i> 0.001) and acid detergent fibre (<i>p &lt;</i> 0.01), but lower neutral detergent fibre (<i>p &lt;</i> 0.001), water-soluble carbohydrates (<i>p &lt;</i> 0.001), digestibility (<i>p &lt;</i> 0.001) and gross energy (<i>p &lt;</i> 0.001) compared to perennial ryegrass. Botanical composition remained consistent across years, with mixed perennial ryegrass–plantain swards averaging ~29% plantain. Root assessments revealed perennial ryegrass swards had significantly greater fine root development (<i>p &lt;</i> 0.001), biomass (<i>p &lt;</i> 0.001) and surface area (<i>p &lt;</i> 0.001) to 30 cm soil depth, whilst mixed perennial ryegrass–plantain sward roots were fewer in number but exhibited slightly thicker diameters in deeper layers. Plate metre calibration showed no significant difference (<i>p &gt;</i> 0.05) between sward types, validating the use of a common equation. Notably, mixed perennial ryegrass–plantain swards (<i>p &lt;</i> 0.05<i>)</i> showed increased growth during periods of low rainfall, suggesting enhanced drought resilience. These findings indicate that incorporating plantain into perennial ryegrass swards can enhance utilisation efficiency and potentially improve resilience under variable climatic conditions without compromising annual productivity. This research provides robust, year-on-year data supporting the agronomic viability of moderate plantain inclusion in temperate grazing systems.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12767,"journal":{"name":"Grass and Forage Science","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146155138","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Forage Mass, Nutritional Value, Cattle Performance and Economic Indicators in Urochloa decumbens Pastures in Monocrop or Silvopastoral Systems","authors":"José Lypson Pinto Simões Izidro,&nbsp;Alexandre Carneiro Leão de Mello,&nbsp;Márcio Vieira da Cunha,&nbsp;Valdson José da Silva,&nbsp;José Carlos Batista Dubeux Júnior,&nbsp;Suellen Brandão de Miranda Costa,&nbsp;José Ronaldo dos Santos,&nbsp;Daniel Bezerra do Nascimento,&nbsp;Maria Telma de Aquino Rodrigues,&nbsp;Géssica Solanna Calado Soares,&nbsp;Janerson José Coêlho","doi":"10.1111/gfs.70038","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gfs.70038","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>This study evaluated forage mass, nutritional value, forage intake, animal performance and economic indicators in <i>Urochloa decumbens</i> pastures under monoculture and a silvopastoral system (SPS) with <i>Mimosa caesalpiniifolia</i> (Benth.). The treatments were arranged in a randomised block design with three replications, and the experiment was conducted from 2020 to 2022 in Garanhuns, Brazil. We are using crossbred Holstein × Zebu calves under continuous stocking with variable stocking rate. No significant differences were detected in forage nutritional value or animal performance between systems. However, forage intake was higher in the SPS (3.29 vs. 2.54 kg DM animal⁻¹ day⁻¹), and during the rainy season SPS pastures showed greater crude protein concentration (127 vs. 94 g kg⁻¹ DM). The highest average daily gain (0.52 kg animal⁻¹ day⁻¹) and stocking rate (1.51 AU ha⁻¹) occurred during the first grazing season. Beef production did not differ statistically between systems (9 vs. 12 @ ha⁻¹ year⁻¹), but the presence of <i>M. caesalpiniifolia</i> enhanced economic performance in the SPS. Timber revenue compensated for lower meat yield, resulting in higher net profit (US$ 933.5 vs. US$ 642.9 ha⁻¹ year⁻¹) compared with monoculture. The equivalent annual net present value (US$ 192.8 ha⁻¹ year⁻¹) further confirmed the economic viability of tree-based livestock production. Therefore, although both systems produced similar forage mass, nutritive value and animal performance, the integration of woody legumes increased forage intake and improved profitability, highlighting silvopastoral systems as an efficient strategy for livestock production with additional revenue diversification.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12767,"journal":{"name":"Grass and Forage Science","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146057925","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Reseeding of a Long-Term Permanent Grassland With a Multi-Species Sward: 1. Biomass Yield Effects","authors":"Jonathan E. Holland,&nbsp;Dario Fornara,&nbsp;Alan W. Gordon,&nbsp;J. David Patterson","doi":"10.1111/gfs.70040","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gfs.70040","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Grassland is a key resource for livestock production, but it also provides biodiversity within agricultural landscapes. Improved management practices are required to reconcile competing demands for different ecosystem services provided by grasslands. This study investigated the effects of applied nutrients and sward composition on herbage biomass dry-matter (DM) yield in Northern Ireland. A long-term grassland experiment established with eight nutrient treatments (unfertilised control, inorganic fertiliser [NPK], cow and pig slurry at three application rates each) and two sward types (multi-species sward, MSS; permanent grassland, PG) was harvested as a silage-cut system three times (spring, summer and autumn) over 3 years. The mean annual yield of the MSS (12,010 kg DM ha⁻¹ year⁻¹) was 24% higher than PG (9670 kg DM ha⁻¹ year⁻¹). Seasonal effects on DM yield were highly significant for both sward types, with the greatest production in spring followed by summer and the lowest yield in autumn. Sward type × nutrient treatment interactions significantly affected the DM yield with the greatest DM yield for the high slurry treatments, while the NPK fertiliser treatment was similar to the low cow slurry treatment. The MSS had a greater DM production over a wide range of nutrient input levels which suggests that MSS can be introduced to both intensive (high input) and extensive (low input) grassland systems. Future research is required to evaluate the long-term performance of the MSS to provide greater DM production and the persistence of introduced species to improve sward biodiversity.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12767,"journal":{"name":"Grass and Forage Science","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146057726","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Estimation of Plant Alpha Diversity by Hyperspectral Data in Grassland","authors":"Li Wen,&nbsp;Peng Yu,&nbsp;Zeng Qingqiu,&nbsp;Zeng Weiying,&nbsp;Liu Yuqi","doi":"10.1111/gfs.70036","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gfs.70036","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Accurate estimation of plant alpha diversity is crucial for understanding ecosystem dynamics and advancing biodiversity conservation. However, quantifying alpha diversity in grasslands remains challenging due to the small size of plant individuals and complex background interference. This study explores the use of UAV-acquired hyperspectral remote sensing data to estimate plant diversity in the Hunshandak Sandland, Inner Mongolia—a temperate continental monsoon grassland characterised by arid climates and desertified landscapes. Field surveys were conducted across areas with contrasting vegetation cover, collecting data on species richness, height and coverage. Four alpha diversity indices (species richness, Shannon-Wiener index, Simpson index and Pielou's evenness index) were calculated from the field data. A total of 1274 spectral vegetation indices, derived from spectral variation, principal components and texture features, were analysed. Spearman correlation analysis and random forest models were used to evaluate relationships between plant diversity indices and spectral metrics across gradients of vegetation coverage (indicated by NDVI) and species richness. The results showed that spectral indices derived from characteristic bands reflecting leaf pigment and photochemical traits—such as NDMI, NPCI and SRPI—and indices from the R package rasterdiv (e.g., NDMI-REN1, ARI-REN0, MVI-REN1) achieved high accuracy in estimating species richness. For the Shannon-Wiener index, Simpson index and Pielou's evenness index, the most effective indices were NDVI-REN1, ARImn and REP-CRE, respectively. Overall, spectral indices performed better in estimating the Shannon-Wiener (<i>H</i>), Simpson (<i>D</i>) and Pielou (<i>P</i>) indices than species richness. Estimation accuracy improved with increasing gradients of community coverage and complexity in grasslands. This study demonstrates the potential of UAV-based hyperspectral data for grassland diversity monitoring and highlights the importance of selecting context-appropriate vegetation indices to address challenges posed by vegetation cover and community complexity. These findings provide a foundation for developing efficient ecological monitoring models in sandy grasslands and analogous ecosystems.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12767,"journal":{"name":"Grass and Forage Science","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146002421","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Annual Legume Seedbank Management Involves Compromises Between Feeding Value to Sheep and the Impact of Seed Mass and Dormancy on Survival of Ingested Seeds","authors":"Hayley C. Norman,&nbsp;Matt G. Wilmot,&nbsp;Joshua K. Hendry,&nbsp;Elizabeth Hulm,&nbsp;Belinda F. Hackney,&nbsp;Robert J. Harrison","doi":"10.1111/gfs.70033","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gfs.70033","url":null,"abstract":"<div>\u0000 \u0000 <p>Senesced annual legumes provide nutrients for small ruminants during summer, yet grazing pressure may significantly deplete seedbanks. We quantified seed passage and nutritional value of pods from 15 modern pasture legume cultivars fed to sheep in metabolism crates. Seed passage ranged from 8% (serradella, <i>Ornithopus</i> spp.) to 87% (biserrula, <i>Biserrula pelecinus</i>), with significant differences observed between species and among accessions within species. To extend the analysis, we incorporated 38 data points from historical studies, revealing that seed passage was best predicted by an exponential regression model incorporating individual seed mass and hardseededness. Seed passage declined sharply with increasing seed mass; a 0.3 mg increase corresponded to a 25% reduction in passage. In clovers (<i>Trifolium</i> spp.), hardseededness and seed mass were strong predictors of seed passage, explaining 64% and 58% of the variation. In contrast, seed mass accounted for 27% of variation in passage of medics (<i>Medicago</i> spp.). Dry matter digestibility of pods (51%–63%) and seeds (75%–90%) varied, as did crude protein content. If a sheep consumed 1 kg of pods, the ME apparently digested from 0.3 to 6.9 MJ, while energy lost via seed passage was 0.3 to 2.7 MJ. Bladder clover (<i>Trifolium spumosum</i>) appears well-adapted to endozoochory, producing large quantities of small, hard seeds (42% passage) that are embedded in senesced pod material that is nutritionally rich and easily prehended. Agronomists can improve persistence and summer feeding value of aerial seeded legumes by selecting for traits associated with feeding value and seed passage.</p>\u0000 </div>","PeriodicalId":12767,"journal":{"name":"Grass and Forage Science","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146016392","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Harvester-Mounted NIRS as a High-Throughput Approach for Predicting Forage Nutritive Value","authors":"Agnieszka Konkolewska,&nbsp;Stephen Byrne,&nbsp;Helena Hennessy,&nbsp;Rachel Keirse,&nbsp;Patrick Conaghan,&nbsp;Aonghus Lawlor,&nbsp;Dan Milbourne","doi":"10.1111/gfs.70039","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gfs.70039","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) is an effective method for quantifying key plant constituents in dried and milled forage samples. However, the labour-intensive nature of sample preparation for laboratory-based NIRS limits its application for selection in routine forage breeding. The implementation of higher throughput analysis through in-field NIRS measurements could enhance the selection process for improved quality attributes in perennial ryegrass. Perennial ryegrass samples were collected from breeding plots under evaluation in 2022 and 2023 and subjected to chemical analysis for dry matter digestibility (DMD) to form a calibration dataset. During plot harvest, samples were scanned using a Zeiss Corona Extreme at 2 nm intervals (950–1690 nm). Various mathematical spectral treatments were evaluated for each calibration, ranked according to the root mean squared error of prediction (RMSE) and the ratio of percent deviation (RPD). This resulted in the development of robust calibrations for DMD using harvester-mounted NIRS on fresh samples. The most effective calibrations demonstrated moderate precision for DMD with <i>R</i>² = 0.76 and an RPD of 2.18. The utilisation of harvester-mounted NIRS will facilitate the routine collection of forage digestibility data throughout the growing season, without additional labour requirements, thereby supporting the development of novel forage grasses with enhanced digestibility profiles.</p>","PeriodicalId":12767,"journal":{"name":"Grass and Forage Science","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/gfs.70039","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146002053","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Regenerative Management and Phosphorus Fertiliser Effects on Dryland Pasture Yield and Botanical Composition in New Zealand","authors":"Kaitlin J. Watson,&nbsp;Jim L. Moir,&nbsp;Charlotte J. Alster,&nbsp;Leo M. Condron,&nbsp;Alistair D. Black","doi":"10.1111/gfs.70037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/gfs.70037","url":null,"abstract":"<p>This 3.5-year grazed farmlet study investigated the impacts of regenerative agriculture and soil phosphorus (P) fertiliser on herbage dry matter (DM) yield and botanical composition in sheep-grazed dryland pastures. Four treatments compared regenerative with conventional agriculture, under high and low P fertiliser, with Olsen P targets of 10 and 20 mg P kg⁻¹. The regenerative system utilised a 12-species diverse pasture mix with short-duration grazing and long recovery periods, whereas conventional featured a lucerne (<i>Medicago sativa</i> L.) monoculture with best-practice grazing. In Year 1, conventional yield outperformed regenerative by 3 t DM ha⁻¹ (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.01). However, in Years 2 and 3, yields were similar across all treatments, averaging 7.7 t DM ha⁻¹ in Year 2 and 10.3 t DM ha⁻¹ in Year 3. Fertiliser had a minor effect, with high-P treatments yielding 796 kg DM ha⁻¹ more than low-P (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.01), regardless of management system. In the regenerative treatment, legume content dropped from 34% in spring 2022 to 17% in autumn 2025, while sown grass content increased from 9.5% to 63% over the same period. Unsown species (weeds) contributed more to total herbage DM in conventional than regenerative (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001), while the proportion of dead material was greater in regenerative (<i>p</i> &lt; 0.001). Overall, regenerative matched conventional herbage yield in Years 2 and 3 but showed declining pasture quality due to reduced legume presence. Phosphorus fertiliser had a limited impact on yield and further research is required on how regenerative practices influence P dynamics in dryland pasture soils.</p>","PeriodicalId":12767,"journal":{"name":"Grass and Forage Science","volume":"81 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/gfs.70037","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145969750","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}