Two orchardgrass swards of different density were established in the fall of 1963; HD sward, broadcasted at the rate of 2.2kg/10a, 445 plants per m^2 remained alive when snow melted in the next spring, and LD sward, drilled in rows of 37.5cm apart with 15cm distance between hills, about 20 plants per m^2. From April to July in 1964, the development of orchardgrass was divided into six stages (I-VI). At each stage, plant and canopy height, plant weight, production structure including LAI and relative light intensity, CO_2 concentration of the air under canopy and chemical constituents of the plant parts were measured. The results obtained are summarized as follows: 1. The growth of plant in terms of dry matter and tiller number was very poor in the HD sward as compared to that in the LD sward under severe competition for light and other growth factors. However, dry matter production per area was always greater in the HD sward. 2. The Leaf Area Index of the HD sward reached 12 at booting stage and remained almost constant for a while till full head stage and then declined rapidly to 5 due to lodging and death of lower leaves. LAI of LD sward reached to 5.3 even at full head stage. The lower leaves near ground surface of the LD sward always received light contributing something to the dry matter production. However, those of the HD sward could not receive light beyond compensation point at boot stage, and thereafter most of the lower leaves which distributed 30cm above ground surface were under the similar shading. The CO_2 concentration of the air around these leaves reached to 1.5mg/L even on clear windless days suggesting some minus, photosynthesis there. Consequently, the lower leaves, weaker tillers and often whole individuals died resulting in the decrease of density. In the LD sward, on the contrary, no death of plant occurred although with the death of lower leaves to lesser extent. 3. The fructosan content in the stubble was consistently higher than in the rest parts. Green leaves and stems contained always less than 1%, although with higher percentage in green leaf-blade during winter under snow cover. At the end of the previous year the stubble stored more than 25% fructosan, but much of it was consumed under the snow-drift. In the early April, the fructosan in the stubble dropped to 0.2% in the HD and 1.5% in the LD swards respectively, due to consumption for the rapid elongation of plants. Therefore this period may be highly critical for orchardgrass management, especially in high density sward. Thereafter from boot to early head stage, fructosan again increased in both swards, but much earlier in LD sward. Total sugar declined in the both period of spring rapid elongation and of summer maturation with heavier decrease in HD sward in the early April. 4. Green leaf-blade contained the highest amount of protein-N, followed by leaf-sheath and stem and then by stubble. Even in stubble, however, protein-N reached around 3% just after snow melted with higher level in the LD sward. Levels of protein-N in green leaf and stem reached to a peak when stem elongation began, being 5% in leaf-blade and 4% in leaf-sheath and stem and thereafter declined gradually to maturity. The LD sward always contained higher level of protein-N than the HD sward. Soluble-N content showed similar seasonal pattern as proteinN, but fluctuated to lesser degree although with higher content in the stubble under snow cover. It attracted our attention that nitrate-N content increased up to more than 0.3% at the end of April, declining gradually to early head stage and dropped to less than 0.1% thereafter. 5. Most tillers of LD sward which had been formed by December headed in the next spring (11 heads per plant), but the most younger tillers formed later in spring (a part of the primary and most of the secondary tillers) continued vegetative growth. In case of HD sward, on the contrary, each plant ha
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Field plot experiments were conducted in 1964 to find out the factors that affect the yearly change of density in the orchardgrass sward. Two swards of different density (HD and LD) were the same as described in the previous report (II), and one more sward (LS) was added (high density, equal to HD in seeding rate, but band-seeded) to compare its dry matter yield with that of HD plot. The growth stages of orchardgrass plant were divided into the following six stages, at each of which the initial harvest was taken with two cutting heights, leaving 5cm (L) versus 10cm (H) of stubble. I: Early Reproductive II: Boot III: Early Head IV: Full Head V: Full Bloom VI: Mature At each successive cut following the initial harvest plants were clipped when they grew up to 50cm in height. The results obtained are summarized as follows: 1. Density decreased markedly in HD sward, but with no dead plant in LD sward. Death in HD sward resulted mainly from the following three reasons: (1) Death due to mutual shading: Death of weaker plants under shading by stronger plants at the early to full bloom stages. (2) Death due to harvest: a. Death of weaker plants with no recover after harvest from April to early May when the stored carbohydrates in the stubble became minimum resulted from being consumed for the rapid growth of plant under comfortable environment, although much nitrogen was retained in the stubble. b. Death of weaker plants after cutting in July and August-"summer depression"-with a long spell of hot and dry weather near ground surface, although the stubble contained rather much carbohydrates. 2. Generally, plants died less severely when the initial harvests were made at earlier growth stages and at higher level of cutting. However, the difference of the number of alive plants among plots initially harvested at different stages became lesser through the year due to various factors concerned. 3. In the high density sward, dry matter yield of the initial harvest increased with increased growth stage till full bloom, but decreased at mature stage due to lodging of the sward. In the low density sward, however, no lodging occurred and dry matter of the initial harvest was highest at mature stage. Yield and vigor of regrowth for the successive cuts following the initial harvest was more excellent with earlier initial cut, but the total yearly fresh and dry matter yield was highest for the plots initially harvested at full bloom stage, sincethe yield difference among the initial harvests wasso great as to dominate the total yearly yield. 4. Crude protein yield of the initial harvests run almost parallel to that of dry matter. The total yearly yield of protein, however, showed no significant difference among plots of different stages of initial harvest with closer defoliation, but when cutted at higher level showed discrepancy with that of dry matter and increased with earlier initial harvest. 5. Although full bloom stage might be the best to harvest when taking dry matter yield, chemical composition and water content in consideration so far as the forages of the initial harvest be utilized primarily for hay or silage, but the earlier initial harvest might be better from the view-point of protein yield, palatability and persistency of sward density, provided the forages be utilized form soiling or grazing. 6. In case of HD sward, when the intial cut was taken at stage I, the main-stem died by the 2nd cut even if its shoot apex was not removed although few primary branches grew up to heading. When cutted at II or III stage, all main-stem died with their shoot apexes removed and some of the primary branches continued their vegetative growth although some which had already turned into reproductive phase stopped their development of young head due to injury from the cut just above the apexes. In case of LD sward, on the contrary, most main-stem and primary branches were not removed thei
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