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Evaluating the use of plant hormones and biostimulators in forage pastures to enhance shoot dry biomass production by perennial ryegrass ( Lolium perenne L.)
Author(s) -
Zaman Mohammad,
Kurepin Leonid V,
Catto Warwick,
Pharis Richard P
Publication year - 2016
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.7238
Subject(s) - lolium perenne , agronomy , pasture , perennial plant , shoot , dry matter , forage , biomass (ecology) , grazing , biology , lolium , environmental science , poaceae
Fertilisation of established perennial ryegrass forage pastures with nitrogen (N)‐based fertilisers is currently the most common practice used on farms to increase pasture forage biomass yield. However, over‐fertilisation can lead to undesired environmental impacts, including nitrate leaching into waterways and increased gaseous emissions of ammonia and nitrous oxide to the atmosphere. Additionally, there is growing interest from pastoral farmers to adopt methods for increasing pasture dry matter yield which use ‘natural’, environmentally safe plant growth stimulators, together with N‐based fertilisers. Such plant growth stimulators include plant hormones and plant growth promotive microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi (‘biostimulators’, which may produce plant growth‐inducing hormones), as well as extracts of seaweed (marine algae). This review presents examples and discusses current uses of plant hormones and biostimulators, applied alone or together with N‐based fertilisers, to enhance shoot dry matter yield of forage pasture species, with an emphasis on perennial ryegrass. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry