Journal Articles

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    Effective Proportion of Plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) in Mixed Pastures for Botanical Stability and Mitigating Nitrous Oxide Emissions from Cow Urine Patches
    (MDPI (Basel, Switzerland), 2023-05-24) Vi C; Kemp PD; Saggar S; Navarrete S; Horne DJ; Hou F
    Plantain (Plantago lanceolata L.) is recognised for its ability to improve summer feed productivity as well as mitigate nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from grazed pastoral soils. This study aims to determine the proportion of plantain required in perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) and white clover (Trifolium repens L.), or RWC, mixed swards to maintain yield stability and to quantify N2O emission reductions. The botanical composition was monitored when plantain was sown at different rates of 0%, 30%, 50% and 70% in RWC pastures under grazing by dairy cows over 2 grazing years. Urine from cows grazing RWC (6.15 g N L−1), 30% (5.40 g N L−1) and 50% (4.40 g N L−1) plantain mixed pastures was used to measure N2O emissions (n = 5) from the pastures of their origin and to assess the impact of the plantain rhizosphere on N2O emissions by applying the RWC urine to the 50% plantain mixed pasture, and vice versa, in late summer–autumn using the static chambers technique. After declining in spring, the plantain content recovered in early autumn and reached a peak of 40% in the 30% plantain mixed pasture and around 50% in the 50% and 70% plantain mixed pastures in winter. A lower N content in urine, and therefore a lower urine N-loading rate from cows grazing in the 50% plantain mixed pasture, resulted in 39% lower total N2O emissions compared to RWC urine treatment. In conclusion, 30% to 50% plantain in mixed pastures was stable throughout the 2 years, and it not only reduced the urinary N concentration in grazing cattle but also contributed to reduced N2O EFs.
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    Growth of early weaned lambs on a plantain-clover mix compared with lambs suckling their dam on a plantain-clover mix or a grass based sward
    (NZSAP, 7/07/2016) Cranston, LM; Corner-Thomas, RA; Kenyon, PR; Morris, ST
    Plantain-clover mixes have high metabolisable energy content and have been shown to support greater liveweight gains in lambs both pre- and post-weaning when compared with grass. The aim of this experiment was to determine if a plantain-clover mix could be used as a means to wean lambs earlier. Twin-bearing ewes (n=67) with both lambs at a minimum live weight of 16 kg each were allocated to one of three treatments; 1) ewe and lambs together on grass, 2) ewes and lambs together on plantain- clover mix, 3) lambs weaned at approximately 8 weeks of age onto a plantain-clover mix and ewes on grass. Lambs that were weaned early were lighter (P<0.05) at approximately 14 weeks of age than those which remained with their dam on either a plantain-clover mix or grass (32.3±0.43 vs 34.7±0.44 vs 33.7±0.45 kg, respectively). However, ewes which had their lambs weaned early were heavier (P<0.05; 79.7±1.73 vs 75.5±1.68 vs 75.9±1.64 kg, respectively) and in better body condition score (P<0.05; 3.1±0.05 vs 2.9±0.05 vs 2.9±0.05, respectively) than those which remained with their lambs on either a plantain-clover mix or grass. This suggests early weaning improved ewe condition but did not improve lamb performance