Effect of Seed Mixture on Forage Yields and Botanical Composition at an Altitude of 400 m in Jeju island

The objective of this study was to determine the growth characteristics of cool (C1) and warm season grasses (C2) in pastures mixed with C1 and C2 at an altitude of 400 m in Jeju island to establishing pasture suitable for grazing horses and to evaluate the effect of pastures mixed with tall and short type grasses on the intake characteristics of horses. C1 used in this study was Kentucky bluegrass, redtop (short type grass) and tall type grasses were orchardgrass and tall fescue, respectively. Treatments of this study were consisted of four groups and the short type grass used in pastures mixed with C1 and C2 was mainly bermudagrass. Four treatment groups were follow as; Treatment 1 (bermudagrass + Kentucky bluegrass + redtop) 2) Treatment 2 (bermudagrass + tall fescue + orchardgrass) 3) Treatment 3 (Kentucky bluegrass + redtop) 4) Treatment 4 (tall fescue + orchardgrass). Bermudagrass was a little winter killing and inhibition of plant growth at an altitude of 400 m. Plant heights in pastures mixed with C1 and C2 were grown better than that in pastures mixed with C1. Especially, plant height in Treatment 4 was higher than other treatments. Dry matter yield was in the following order: Treatment 4 greater than Treatment 3 greater than Treatment 2 greater than Treatment 1. Dry matter yield in pastures mixed with C1 increased as compared with pastures mixed with C1 and C2. Dry matter yield in Treatment 3 was higher than other treatments. In the first investigation regarding vegetation distribution, bermudagrass ratios among grasses in Treatment 1 and Treatment 2 were 11.7 and 13.3%, respectively. The growth of bermudagrass in winter was low due to the cold damage. However the growth of Kentucky bluegrass, redtop, tall fescue and orchardgrass was good. In the second investigation, bermudagrass ratios among grasses in Treatment 1 and Treatment 2 were 5.0 and 11.7%, respectively. Growth of forage in the second investigation was poor as compared to the first investigation. nutritive values(crude protein content, neutral detergent fiber content, acid detergent fiber content, digestibility) were good in pastures mixed with C1 Especially, nutritive values in pastures mixed with tall was higher than those of pastures mixed short grasses. P content among minerals in Treatment 1 was higher than other groups. However, the content of Ca, Mg and Mn were lower. The contents of Ca, K, Mg, Na, Cu, Zn and Fe in Treatment 2 were higher. However, the contents of K, Mg, Na, Cu, Zn and Fe in Treatment 3 were lower. Therefore, we suggest that cool season grasses with short grasses were sowed to establishing pasture suitable for grazing horses at an altitude of 400 m in Jeju island.