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Effects of application of nitrogen fertilizer on concentrations of P, K, S, Ca, Mg, Na, Cl, Mn, Fe, Cu and Zn in perennial ryegrass/white clover pastures in south‐western Victoria, Australia
Author(s) -
McKenzie F. R.,
Jacobs J. L.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
grass and forage science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1365-2494
pISSN - 0142-5242
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2494.2002.00300.x
Subject(s) - zoology , fertilizer , perennial plant , nitrogen , urea , chemistry , dry matter , agronomy , lolium perenne , biology , organic chemistry
Effects of timing and rate of N fertilizer application on concentrations of P, K, S, Ca, Mg, Na, Cl, Mn, Fe, Cu and Zn in herbage from perennial ryegrass/white clover pastures were studied at two sites in south‐western Victoria, Australia. Nitrogen fertilizer (0, 15, 25, 30, 45 and 60 kg ha –1 ) was applied as urea in mid‐April, early May, mid‐May, early June and mid‐June 1996 to pastures grazed by dairy cows. At Site 1, N fertilizer resulted in a linear increase in P, K, S, Mg and Cl concentrations in herbage and a linear decrease in Ca concentration. For all times of application, concentrations of P, K, Ca, Mg and Cl in herbage increased by 0·0048, 0·08, −0·010, 0·0013 and 0·053 g kg –1 dry matter (DM) per kg N applied respectively. For S concentration, maximum responses occurred in mid‐May (0·012 g kg –1 DM per kg N applied). At Site 2, N fertilizer resulted in a linear increase in P, S and Na concentrations in herbage, a linear decrease in Ca concentration and a curvilinear increase in K and Cl concentration. The maximum responses for P, S and K concentrations in herbage occurred for the N application in mid‐June and were 0·015, 0·008 and 0·47 g kg –1 DM per kg N applied respectively. For Cl concentration, the maximum response occurred for the N application in early June and was 0·225 g kg –1 DM per kg N applied. Overall, applications of N fertilizer up to 60 kg ha –1 did not alter herbage mineral concentration to levels that might affect pasture growth or animal health.