A.M. BOWMAN¹, G.P.M. WILSON² and B.J. GOGEL>³

¹NSW Agriculture, Trangie,
²"Riverbend", Grafton,
³NSW Agriculture, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia

Abstract

Eleven accessions of perennial Arachis species were planted (as 30 × 30 cm sods) alone or with Argentine Bahia grass (Paspalum notatum) or with Bahia grass and Haifa white clover (Trifolium repens) in swards at Grafton in northern NSW. Swards were cut to 2–4 cm stubble at 2 cutting frequencies. The dry matter production and spread of the Arachis accessions were measured over 4 years from the beginning of summer 1990–91 until the end of summer 1993–94. Rainfall was below the long-term average (1074 mm) in 3 of the 4 years.
Arachis glabrata accessions, CPI 93469 and CPI 93483 (now cv. Prine) were the most productive, averaging between 0.9 and 2.9 t/ha of dry matter each year across the treatments. A hybrid (Arachis pintoi × Arachis repens) and Arachis glabrata CPI 93476 had the greatest spread, covering between 2.5 and 5.4 m² of ground area after 4 years of growth in pure stands.
The infrequent cutting treatment (twice per year) resulted, on average, in up to almost an extra tonne of dry matter produced per year by some Arachis accessions compared with the frequent cutting treatment (3–4 times per year). With lower cutting frequency, some accessions also covered up to an extra 1.5 m² of area after 4 years growth compared with more frequent cutting.
Cutting frequency usually had a greater effect on dry matter production and rate of spread of the Arachis spp. than did grass competition, although all accessions produced higher yields in pure swards than in mixed swards. The ability of some accessions, such as Arachis repens, to spread was also significantly reduced in mixed swards.