I. Shoot and root competition

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Abstract
Partitioning shoot and root competition in mixtures of ‘Grasslands Huia’ white clover (Trifolium repens) and ‘Grasslands Maku’ Lotus pedunculatus growing on an acid, infertile Waipori upland YBE was investigated in a controlled environment. Yields from lotus monocultures were about three times those from clover monocultures. Yields of the lotus/clover mixture were between those of the monocultures (i.e., non-transgressive). Plant-relative yields showed that competition in the mixture was for soil resources and not for light, with lotus the aggressor and clover the subordinate. From herbage nutrient concentration and uptake data, cultivation treatment effects, and the effects of P applied during the experiment, it was concluded that a major factor causing low yields from clover monoculture and its subordinate role in a mixture was its inability to absorb P. This appeared to be due to intolerance of clover and tolerance of lotus to high levels of Al in the soil solution.

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