Abstract
The study was carried out to examine the effects of preseeded temperate grasses on the bahiagrass growth and forage production during estiblishment of bahiagrass pasture. Study sites were north and south aspects which were both about 25°-30° slopes at about 400m of altitude in Miyazaki prefecture. Comparisons were made between two treatments ; A mixture of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.), redtop (Agrostis alba L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.) was preseeded on Sept. 11 in 1979 and bahiagrass was overseeded on May 21, 1980 (Temp+Bahia plot), and bahiagrass was seeded alone on May 21, 1980 without preseeding temperate grasses (Bahia alone plot). The results obtained were as follows ; On north aspect, winter survival of bahiagrass was very poor and almost no bahiagrass production was recorded after first year on both Temp+Bahia and Bahia alone plots. On the contrary, on south aspect, bahiagrass became dominate gradually in course of time of years on both plots. Temp+Bahia plot showed better bahiagrass growth at second and third years than on Bahia alone plot. Lesser weeds invasion on Temp+Bahia plot in spring appeared to moderate the suppression of bahiagrass growth by weed species during spring to early summer. Temp+Bahia plot also showed longer productive season, significantly greater annual forage yields.
