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Differences in water-use efficiency among perennial forages used by the dairy industry under optimum and deficit irrigation

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Abstract

The cost and scarcity of water is placing increasing pressure on Australian dairy farmers to utilise water for forage production as efficiently as possible. This study aimed to identify perennial forage species with greater water-use efficiency (WUE) than the current dominant species, perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.). Fifteen perennial forage species were investigated under optimum irrigation and two deficit irrigation treatments, over three years at Camden, NSW, on a brown Dermsol in a warm temperate climate. Under optimal irrigation, there was a nearly twofold difference in mean WUEt (total yield/evapotranspiration) between forages, with kikuyu (Pennisetum clandestinum Hochst. ex. chiov.) having the highest (27.3 kg ha−1 mm−1) and birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) the lowest (14.8 kg ha−1 mm−1). Kikuyu was also the most water use efficient forage under the extreme deficit irrigation treatment, although its mean WUEt declined by 15% to 23.2 kg ha−1 mm−1, while white clover (Trifolium repens L.) in the same treatment had the largest decline of 44% and the lowest WUEt of only 8.8 kg ha−1 mm−1. In order to maximise WUE for any forage, it is necessary to maximise yield, as there is a strong positive relationship between yield and WUEt.

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Acknowledgments

This study was financially supported by Dairy Australia, DIDCO, Industry and Investment NSW, The University of Sydney, Wrightson seeds and PGG seeds. We are grateful to many staff involved in the project including Ajantha Horadagoda, Kuldip Nandra, Lindsay Campbell, Peter Beale, Peter Orchard, Euie Havilah, Paul Looby, Nawash Haddad, Wim Van Kouterik, Didi Lam, Shannon Bennetts and Kristine Riley. Idris Barchia, Peter Thomson and Navneet Dhand provided valuable advice and assistance with statistical analysis. We thank Kerry Greenwood, Alister Lawson, Kevin Kelly, Ron Hacker, Mark Norton and Sean Murphy for their comments on the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Industry and Investment NSW, Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute, Woodbridge Rd, Menangle, New South Wales, 2570, Australia

    J. S. Neal

  2. Faculty of Veterinary Science, The University of Sydney, MC Franklin Lab, Camden, New South Wales, 2570, Australia

    J. S. Neal & W. J. Fulkerson

  3. Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Sydney, Food and Natural Resources, Sydney, New South Wales, 2006, Australia

    B. G. Sutton

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  1. J. S. Neal
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Correspondence to J. S. Neal.

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Communicated by S. Raine.

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Neal, J.S., Fulkerson, W.J. & Sutton, B.G. Differences in water-use efficiency among perennial forages used by the dairy industry under optimum and deficit irrigation. Irrig Sci 29, 213–232 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-010-0229-1

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