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Response of cut grass to potassium and to the mineral sylvinite
Author(s) -
Webb John,
Whinham Neville,
Unwin Roger J
Publication year - 1990
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.2740530303
Subject(s) - potassium , sodium , chemistry , dry matter , zoology , yield (engineering) , nutrient , agronomy , perennial plant , biology , materials science , organic chemistry , metallurgy
An experiment was carried out at five sites in England and Wales to investigate the effect of applying potassium (K) at 0, 31 and 62 kg ha −1 in all combinations with sodium (Na) at 0, 20 and 40 kg ha −1 . The nutrients in the form of chlorides were applied to perennial ryegrass swards for each of several cuts per year for up to four years. Additional plots received Sylvinite, a naturally occurring mixture of potassium and sodium chloride, at 120 and 240 kg ha −1 . At three sites significant (P<0.05) yield increases due to K and Sylvinite applications were measured when ‘available’ soil K fell below 100 mg litre −1 and the K content of herbage from the control plot was 1.2% of dry matter. At two sites in the absence of applied K there were significant (P<0.05) yield responses to Na. In all aspects Sylvinite behaved similarly to mixtures of the two salts at the appropriate levels of application.