The Effects of Strategic Nitrogen Fertiliser Application During the Cool Season on the Composition of a Perennial Ryegrass-White Clover Pasture in the Western Cape Province of South Africa

Application of fertiliser N to stimulate DM production of perennial ryegrass-white clover pastures during the cool season can be an important management tool. Application of fertiliser N should however maintain clover contents between 30 and 50 percent (Martin, 1960; Harris, 1994). The aim of the study was to develop a better understanding of the effect of a strategic N fertiliser application during the cool season on the grass-clover balance and to identify possible management guidelines that would maximise dry matter production without suppressing clover content to values lower than required to maintain the benefit of clover in the pasture