Sod-Seeding Bahiagrass in Winter with Three Temperate Legumes

Bahiagrass, Paspalum notatum Flügge, is the major pasture grass in Florida and constitutes large hectarages in other Southern states. The species produces little forage during winter, thus overseeding with temperate legumes could be of great value to cattlemen. This experiment was designed to define the problems and potential of sod-seeding temperate legumes in bahiagrass. At the Ona Agricultural Research Center in south Florida, red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and ladino clover (T. repens L.) were seeded in 1976, and red andladino clover and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) were seeded in 1977 by a Zip sod-seeder or a disk and broadcast method (D+B). The following herbicides (active rates kg/ha): 0.56 paraquat, (1, 1' dimethyl-4, 4' bipyndium dichloride) 2 days before seeding, with sod burned at seeding (1976); 0.28 paraquat desiccation and burn (1977); 0.14 paraquat desiccation and burn (1977); 0.56 paraquat at seeding (1976); 0.28 paraquat at seeding (1976 and 1977); 2.49 dalapon (2, 2-dichloropropionic acid) (1976); 1.66 dalapon (1977); 2.49 dalapon, 13 days before seeding with 0.28 paraquat at seeding (1976); and no herbicide (1976 and 1977) were used to control sod growth. The 2-year average number of legume seedlings/m³ was 103 in the D+B seeding method vs. 49 in the Zip seeded plots. Paraquat-burn treated plots averaged 131 seedlings/m³ while all other herbicide treatments averaged 64. Legume dry matter yield was 6,130 kg/ha in the D+B plots vs. 4,500 kg/ha in sod-seeded plots. Yields averaged 6,740 kg/ha in paraquat-burn plots vs. 4,630 kg/ha in all other herbicide treatments. Crude protein and IVOMD in the D+B plots averaged 15.2 and 62.5%, respectively, vs. 14.0 and 60.6%, in Zip-seeded plots. Paraquat-burn treated plots averaged 15.2 and 63.2% crude protein and IVOMD, respectively, vs. 14.4 and 60.8% in other herbicide treatments. Alfalfa and red clover have considerable potential for providing high yield and quality forage when overseeded in bahiagrass. Removal of competition before seeding, as was done with the paraquat-burn treatments or the D+B seeding method, was more valuable than suppressing bahiagrass growth after seeding.