The effects of different nitrogen doses on herbage and seed yields of annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum cv. caramba)

This study has been carried out during the growing seasons of 2003-2004 and 2004-2005 in Turkey, to determine the effects of different nitrogen doses on the herbage (150, 230, 310, 390, 470, 550, 630 and 710 kg ha -1 ) and seed yields (150, 170, 190, 210, 230, 250, 270 and 290 kg ha -1 ) of and some agricultural characteristics of annual ryegrass cv. “caramba”. Two different trials were established separately for the production of herbage and seed in the research. According to the two-year research, applications of different nitrogen doses are observed to be important for all properties of herbage yield and properties except for plant height of seed yield. As a result, the highest forage yield in annual ryegrass with the aim of green herbage is obtained to be of (54834 kg ha -1 ) 470 and (54976 kg ha -1 ) 550 kg ha -1 at nitrogen levels, plant height (71.9 cm), crude protein ratio (21.2%) and the yield of crude protein is (1982 kg ha -1 ) 470 kg ha -1 . It was obtained for the seed production that the highest number of tiller (626 item/m 2 ), fertile tiller number (483 item/m 2 ) and grain yield are (0.54 mg) 210 kg ha -1 , spikelet number per grain is (32.7 item) 250 kg ha -1 and (33.6 item) 270 kg ha -1 , the highest seed yield is (343 kg ha -1 ) 250 kg ha -1 from the nitrogen dose application. In the light of information, the highest values were obtained from total 470 kg ha -1 nitrogen application in herbage production and 250 kg ha -1 in seed production.