Kirkham, F. W., Tallowin, J. R. B., Sanderson, R. A., Hoppe, G. M., Goodyear, J. (2002). Role of organic fertilizers in the sustainable management of semi-natural grasslands, II - Botanical studies. BGS Occasional Symposium, Conservation Pays? Reconciling environmental benefits with profitable grassland systems. Proceedings of the joint British Grassland Society / British Ecological Society Conference, University of Lancaster, 15-17 April 2002, Frame, J. ISBN:0905944402, 36, 153-155
Abstract Triticale is generally treated as a self‐pollinating crop and line breeding is practised. Hybrid breeding has been discussed for some time, but there is little information for winter triticale. This study investigated heterosis for eight agronomic traits in F 1 and F 2 hybrids grown together with their parents as drilled plots in three environments. On average, grain yield heterosis was 12.5 dt/ha (a relative 10.5%) compared with the mid‐parent value for F 1 hybrids, and 6.2 dt/ha (5.0%) for F 2 hybrids and withawide range of 4.4–17.1 dt/ha for F 1 hybrids. A positive contribution to the heterosis of yield was made by kernels/spike and 1000‐kernel weight, whereas spikes/m 2 showed negative heterosis. Hybrid plants in F 1 and F 2 were taller than mid‐parents (8.3 cm and 5.3 cm, respectively), with a tendency to earlier heading. The negative heterosis for falling number in F 1 and F 2 hybrids could be a problem for commercial production of triticale hybrids. By selecting parents for combining ability and the identification of heterotic patterns, grain yield heterosis of 20% appears feasible.
Following recent changes in EU agricultural support policy, the impending imposition of controls on fertilizer use, concerns over eutrophication, pollution and loss of biodiversity and the introduction of the Single Farm Payment (SFP), grassland farmers in Ireland are seeking alternative, diversified options for land use. It is proposed that silvopastoral systems, where widely spaced, protected trees are grown in grazed pasture in a regular or varied pattern is a sustainable, economically viable land use option. Although there are few examples of silvopastoral practice on the island of Ireland, experiments and trial plantations established since 1989 have given encouraging results. In Northern Ireland, protected Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) planted at 5 m x 5 m (400/ha) spacing in intensive sheep grazed pasture have created landscape, environmental, production, economic, social, animal welfare and sustainability benefits. Trees have been successfully managed along with the stock (sheep until year 11 then cattle), no reduction in livestock output was found until year 10 and enhanced biodiversity and animal welfare was measured. At year 15, hurley quality ash butts (126/ha) were sold for €1048/ha plus firewood. Grass production increased following removal of the trees. There are several demonstration sites of on-farm practice. In Ireland, a silvopastoral experiment was established in 2002 in ryegrass-dominated pasture grazed by beef cattle using Quercus robur in an alley design at Teagasc Johnstown Research Centre in Co. Wexford. The system has been successfully established and a unique silvopastoral resource is now available for future research at a time of increasing interest in silvopastoral systems in the EU.
'%3e%3cpath fill='%23012169' d='M0 0v30h60V0z'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23fff' stroke-width='6' d='m0 0 60 30m0-30L0 30'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23C8102E' stroke-width='4' d='m0 0 60 30m0-30L0 30' clip-path='url(%23b)'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23fff' stroke-width='10' d='M30 0v30M0 15h60'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23C8102E' stroke-width='6' d='M30 0v30M0 15h60'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/svg%3e)
'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23a' transform='rotate(23.036 .093 25.536)'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23a' transform='rotate(45.87 1.273 16.18)'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23a' transform='rotate(69.945 .996 12.078)'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23a' transform='rotate(20.66 -19.689 31.932)'/%3e%3c/svg%3e)
'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23a' transform='rotate(72 0 0)'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23a' transform='rotate(-72 0 0)'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23a' transform='scale(-1 1) rotate(72)'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3c/defs%3e%3cpath fill='%23012169' d='M0 0h1200v600H0z'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23FFF' stroke-width='60' d='m0 0 600 300M0 300 600 0' clip-path='url(%23b)'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23C8102E' stroke-width='40' d='m0 0 600 300M0 300 600 0' clip-path='url(%23c)'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23FFF' stroke-width='100' d='M300 0v300M0 150h600' clip-path='url(%23b)'/%3e%3cpath stroke='%23C8102E' stroke-width='60' d='M300 0v300M0 150h600' clip-path='url(%23b)'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23d' fill='%23FFF' transform='matrix(45.4 0 0 45.4 900 120)'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23d' fill='%23C8102E' transform='matrix(30 0 0 30 900 120)'/%3e%3cg transform='rotate(82 900 240)'%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23d' fill='%23FFF' transform='rotate(-82 519.022 -457.666) scale(40.4)'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23d' fill='%23C8102E' transform='rotate(-82 519.022 -457.666) scale(25)'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3cg transform='rotate(82 900 240)'%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23d' fill='%23FFF' transform='rotate(-82 668.57 -327.666) scale(45.4)'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23d' fill='%23C8102E' transform='rotate(-82 668.57 -327.666) scale(30)'/%3e%3c/g%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23d' fill='%23FFF' transform='matrix(50.4 0 0 50.4 900 480)'/%3e%3cuse xlink:href='%23d' fill='%23C8102E' transform='matrix(35 0 0 35 900 480)'/%3e%3c/svg%3e)