 | Abstract 351Soil treatment, plant species and management effects on improved pastures on a solodic soil in the semi-arid subtropics. 2. Cattle liveweight gains.Russell,-JS Div. of Tropical Crops and Pastures, CSIRO, St. Lucia, Qld. 4067, Australia. Australian-Journal-of-Experimental-Agriculture. 1985, 25: 2, 380-391; 26 ref. Increased and sustained liveweight gains of Hereford steers were obtained in 1974-9 on improved pastures on solodic soil at Kogan, S. Queensland. Annual liveweight gains of almost 160 kg/steer were obtained at a stocking rate of 0.62 steers/ha on N-fertilized Chloris gayana, C. gayana + Medicago spp. and C. gayana + Medicago spp. + Macroptilium atropurpureum. Application of hydrated lime and gypsum resulted in a 54% increase in liveweight gain/ha on C. gayana + Medicago spp. The capacity of C. gayana/legume pastures to sustain higher stocking rates was much less than that of N-fertilized C. gayana. Rate of liveweight gain varied seasonally. This abstract relates to the following species: |