ChileanJAR

During 90 days (December to February) of the 1977/78 and 1978/79 seasons, a trial was conducted with 18 Holstein Friesian cows, grazing three diferents pastures (treatments): alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) cv. Lahontan; birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) cv. Ouimey, and red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) cv. Ouiñequeli. The experiment was developed at the La Platina Exp. Sta. (INIA, Santiago), on irrigated soils, class III, Maipo series. Cows were allocated in groups of six, in a sWltch-back design, each group rotating among treatments, every 30 days. The main objective of the experiment was to compile information on the milk production potential of birdsfoot trefoil, using alfalfa and red clover for comparison. Principal measurements recorded were: milk production/cow and per hectare, liveweight change and dry matter yield (D.M.). In th is same order, results were: 17.32, 16.37 and 16.67 It/day/cow (P > 0.05); 2881, 1639, and 2356 It/ha; -1, -1 and -6 kg/cow; 5340, 3720 and 4020 kg D.M./ha, for red clover, birdsfoot trefoil, and alfalfa, respectively. It was concluded that birdsfoot trefoil has the capacity to mantain yields of 16 to 17 It/day/cow, without differing from alfalfa and red clover. However, the level of milk yield/ha was reduced in a third, in comparison to the other two species.