Potential Pasture Production in the Uplands of Wales

Study of the growth of heavily fertilized swards of S23 perennial ryegrass ( Lolium perenne ) at a hill and a lowland centre in mid‐Wales during 1968–69 demonstrated that lower productivity in the uplands could only be partially attributed to a shorter growing season and poorer summer growth conditions. Comparison of yields with potential transpiration estimates indicated that winter damage had an important bearing on production during the following year. In 1969, the adverse combination of a mild autumn and a severe winter led to a spring tiller density which was less than 25% of normal at the hill centre. With an annual fertilizer input of over 500 kg N/ha (480 lb N/ac) total DM production in 1968 and 1969 was 10.6 and 4.4 t/ha at the upland site compared with 14.8 and 10.1 t/ha in the lowlands (9450, 3920, 13,190 and 9000 lb/ac).