The Response of S24 Perennial Ryegrass Swards to Irrigation

The response of established perennial ryegrass swards to irrigation was compared over 2 years. The swards received 250 (N1) or 500 kg N/ha (N2) and were cut 4 times each year. Water was applied in 5 irrigation treatments according to the potential soil water deficit: the soil was partially, or fully returned to field capacity after cutting; returned to field capacity after cutting and then whenever a 25 mm deficit arose; irrigated with 25 mm water whenever a 25 mm deficit arose independently of cutting; or irrigated at minimum intervals of 14 days, provided that the deficit was then at least 50 mm. There was little effect of irrigation on yield from the first cut in late May. Frequent irrigation gave the greatest increase in total annual yield (3.1 t/ha), hut partial irrigation after cutting was most efficient in use of water and equipment, provided that drought conditions were avoided. High concentrations of N in the herbage were associated with low DM yields, hut more N (percentage N DM yield) was recovered from the irrigated than from the unirrigated swards. More N was recovered than was applied in the N1 treatment; less was recovered than was applied in N2. In the N1 treatment the nitrate concentration was <500 ppm hut it was 1000–4000 ppm in N2. There was no consistent effect of irrigation on nitrate or K concentration.