J.R. LAZIER

Central Farm, Cayo District, Belize. Present address: ILCA, P.O. Box 5689, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Abstract

The shrub legume Codariocalyx gyroides (syn. Desmodium gyroides) was clipped in a replicated trial in Belize over seventeen months at intervals of two weeks, six weeks and a flexible cutting interval averaging eight weeks. Heights of clippings were 5, 25 and 50 cm. Dry matter yields were best when cut at 25 and 50 cm every six weeks. Plots left unharvested as feed reserve flowered, seeded and died. Leucaena leucoephala, planted as a control and harvested at 15 cm and six-weekly intervals, gave similar yields to C. gyroides cut at 5 cm. Plant persistence for C. gyroides at cutting heights 5, 25 and 50 cm and for leucaena was 0%, 33%, 51% and 88% respectively. Seed production averaged 23,000 seeds plant^-1 and some seedling regeneration occurred in leniently defoliated treatments. Plant populations were reduced by a root fungal disease.