Influence of Applied Nitrogen on the Performance of 23 Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) Varieties
1973
Frank, K. D. | Pesek, John
Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) pastures and the N fertilization of these pastures are important to beef cattle production in the humid and subhumid parts of the United States. Nitrogen in excess of 200 kg/ha per year is required for economic yields. We studied the influence of two levels of N (270 and 540 kg/ha per year) on forage yield, concentration of NO₃-N, N, P, and K or 23 orchardgrass varieties from diverse areas of the world. NO₃-N, total N, percentage of P, and forage yield were affected significantly by applied N, varieties, and time after application of N. Percentage of K was influenced by varieties and time after application of N. Percentage of P in the forage tended to decline with increased N, but remained above the level considered adequate for optimum production. The late-maturing varieties, as a group, contained higher concentrations of NO₃-N and total N, and produced less total dry matter than did medium- and early-maturing varieties. Variability also existed among varieties within a maturity group, and more variability was observed at the higher rate of applied N. Concentration of NO₃-N at the high rate of N varied from 0.3 to 0.8%. Positive linear relationships were observed between NO₃-N content and total N content for the individual forage harvests.
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