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Influence of soil nitrogen and potassium levels on the growth and composition of lucerne grown to first flower in four temperature regimes
Author(s) -
Lee ChinTian,
Smith Dale
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.2740231005
Subject(s) - shoot , potassium , nitrogen , composition (language) , chemistry , zoology , nutrient , horticulture , chemical composition , human fertilization , botany , agronomy , biology , linguistics , philosophy , organic chemistry
One‐year‐old plants of lucerne were grown through two first‐flower harvests in growth chambers set at 35/29, 28/22, 21/16 and 16/10 °C day/night temperatures with and without N and K fertilisation. Time to first flower decreased from 50 to 17 days as temperatures increased. Averaged over all fertility levels, shoot heights; shoot numbers; and yields of leaflets, stems, herbage, roots and total plant decreased as temperatures increased. Neither N nor K materially affected these growth measurements, with a few exceptions. Averaged over all fertility levels, concentrations of P, K, Fe, B, Cu and Zn in the herbage, and all N fractions in the leaflets, stems and herbage, decreased as temperatures decreased; Ba, Sr and total non‐structural carbohydrates (TNC) increased; Ca changed very little; while Mg, Na, Al and Mn were variable. Neither N nor K affected the percentages of most minerals. However, N and K increased herbage Mg and K percentages, respectively. N increased all N fraction percentages, but K had little effect on them. K did not affect TNC percentages, but N decreased them in the herbage at 35/29 and 28/22 °C and in the roots at 35/29 °C.