15 



In terms of red clover seedling density and legume content of forage 

 the first year of production, 250-500 lbs/acre of 5-20-20 applied before 

 seeding was optimum (Table 5) . The decline in legume component with the 

 higher rate of fertilizer (1000 lbs/acre) was greater with sod seeding than 

 with conventional seeding. The higher fertilization rates, because of the 

 higher nitrogen, increased growth of recovering grasses in the sod-seeded 

 plots. In conventionally seeded plots there was little grass to stimulate. 

 It is not known whether comparable levels of 0-20-20 might have produced dif- 

 ferent results, but the practice of applying 500 lbs/acre or more of 5-20-20, 

 a common recommendation with conventional seedings, would not be advised 

 with sod seedings since nitrogen favors grass growth and results in excessive 

 competition with legume seedlings. 



Establishment of legume-grass mixtures 



Comparative results of seeding method and forage mixtures are shown in 



2 

 Table 6. Seedling density was between 20 and 30 legume plants/ft on all 



plots one month following seeding (data not shown) . Soil moisture was adequate 

 for seedling development. During the first two months following seeding more 

 rapid growth and development of Seedlings occurred with conventional, compared 

 with sod seeding, with legumes compared with grasses, and with alfalfa com- 

 pared with birdsfoot trefoil. For example, the first harvest, which repre- 

 sented similar amounts of legume growth on conventional plots was on July 15 

 and August 6 for the alf alf a-orchardgrass and birdsfoot trefoil-timothy 

 mixtures, respectively. Although the mixtures did not differ in yield the 



