Impact of the Last Grazing Time on the White Clover/Grass Swards Performance

Winter survival and longevity of grasses depend not only on the weather conditions but also on the state of grasses in the autumn, when their wintering shoots and roots are intensively accumulating reserves of nutrients (Stout, 1987; Sardana and Narwal, 2000). The long-term productivity of the sward depends on the species composition of grasses, frequency of use, nitrogen fertilisation, and timing of the last cut. The effects of these various factors on the sward can be very diverse in various geographic locations (Van Keuren, 1988; Taneja et al., 1994; Sollenberger and Newman, 2007). When utilising pastures in the regions of more humid climate, it is very important to finish grazing at the right time so as to allow the sward to accumulate the necessary amount of nutrients and to prevent excessive trampling or poaching of the sward by livestock. Sward trampling results in the reduction in sward productivity and in the occurrence of forbs, moreover, it requires extra costs for the elimination of sward surface defects, especially when combined management (grazing and cutting) of the sward is applied. Consequently, the differences in the optimum time of the last cut are relatively great for different sward types and depend on many factors. The objective of the present study was to determine the time of the last cut in the sowing year and years of use of two pasture swards of Festulolium and perennial ryegrass each sown with white clover