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Background and aims <p>This study evaluated how increasing forage species diversity affects herbage and root mass, associated C and N accumulation, and soil particulate organic matter (POM).</p> Methods <p>Over three years a field experiment compared a baseline system of warm-season perennial bahiagrass (<i>Paspalum notatum</i>) annually overseeded with black oat (<i>Avena strigosa</i>) to eight mixtures containing 3 to 6 species, including legumes and grasses, differing in seasonal growth (warm vs. cool season) and life cycle (annual vs. perennial). Added legumes included warm-season forage peanut (<i>Arachis pintoi</i>) and cool-season white clover (<i>Trifolium repens</i>), while added grasses included warm-season limpograss (<i>Hemarthria altissima</i>) and cool-season annual ryegrass (<i>Lolium multiflorum</i>).</p> Results <p>Increasing diversity from the two-species baseline to mixtures containing 3–6 species increased herbage accumulation, root mass and respective C and N accumulation under cool and warm seasons. The addition of legume species consistently increased herbage and root N accumulation. The addition of warm-season species increased annual herbage accumulation, while cool-season species increased both herbage and root mass during the cool-season. Only annual ryegrass contributed to greater soil POM-C and POM-N after three years.</p> Conclusions <p>Increasing diversity in forage mixtures from two to 3 − 6 species had a positive effect on herbage, roots and C and N accumulation in a subtropical environment in Southern Brazil. The contribution of species varied depending on whether they were cool or warm-season species, or whether they belonged or not to the legume family. Selecting complementary species based on functional characteristics is therefore key to obtaining benefits from diverse forage swards.</p>

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Increasing diversity of warm- and cool-season species enhances aboveground and root carbon and nitrogen accumulation in subtropical forage mixtures

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月1日

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  • Ricardo Henrique Ribeiro,
  • Jeferson Dieckow,
  • André Fischer Sbrissia,
  • Felipe Bratti,
  • Henrique Almeida Santos Ducheiko,
  • Marcelo Trybek,
  • Anibal de Moraes,
  • Marília Barbosa Chiavegato

摘要

Background and aims

This study evaluated how increasing forage species diversity affects herbage and root mass, associated C and N accumulation, and soil particulate organic matter (POM).

Methods

Over three years a field experiment compared a baseline system of warm-season perennial bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum) annually overseeded with black oat (Avena strigosa) to eight mixtures containing 3 to 6 species, including legumes and grasses, differing in seasonal growth (warm vs. cool season) and life cycle (annual vs. perennial). Added legumes included warm-season forage peanut (Arachis pintoi) and cool-season white clover (Trifolium repens), while added grasses included warm-season limpograss (Hemarthria altissima) and cool-season annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum).

Results

Increasing diversity from the two-species baseline to mixtures containing 3–6 species increased herbage accumulation, root mass and respective C and N accumulation under cool and warm seasons. The addition of legume species consistently increased herbage and root N accumulation. The addition of warm-season species increased annual herbage accumulation, while cool-season species increased both herbage and root mass during the cool-season. Only annual ryegrass contributed to greater soil POM-C and POM-N after three years.

Conclusions

Increasing diversity in forage mixtures from two to 3 − 6 species had a positive effect on herbage, roots and C and N accumulation in a subtropical environment in Southern Brazil. The contribution of species varied depending on whether they were cool or warm-season species, or whether they belonged or not to the legume family. Selecting complementary species based on functional characteristics is therefore key to obtaining benefits from diverse forage swards.