Abstract
In many old pastures it is important to introduce new species into the surviving sward. In this report, species selection was made for sod-seeding. Seeds and fertilizers were drilled in all experiments. Pasture grass was suppressed by grazing after sod-seeding. In a small plots experiment, eight species of grasses and legumes were compared in their adaptability for the sod-seeding both under grazing and cutting conditions. Kentucky bluegrass was dominant in the grazing pasture and orchardgrass was dominant in the meadow. Perennial ryegrass and red clover were well established in both swards in the next year of sod-seeding. Tall fescue, timothy and alfalfa could not be established in both swards. Although the establishment of orchardgrass, white clover and meadow fescue was observed in the year of sod-seeding, identification between sod-seeded plants and original plants could not be done in the next year of seeding. In the larger scale experiments, perennial ryegrass, white clover and tall fescue were sodseeded in grazing pasture, and their establishment was investigated under grazing condition. As a result, perennial ryegrass and white clover were well established, while tall fescue disappeared in grazing pasture. In conclusion, perennial ryegrass, red clover and white clover were considered to be suitable species for sod-seeding. Grazing after seeding eliminated thriving of surviving grasses, allowing the establishment of newly sod-seeded plant, despite of treading and defoliation by cattle.
