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Herbage production and persistence of two tropical perennial grasses and forage sorghum under different nitrogen fertilization and defoliation regimes in a summer‐dominant rainfall environment, A ustralia
Author(s) -
Boschma S. P.,
Murphy S. R.,
Harden S.
Publication year - 2015
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 - 10.1111/gfs.12130
Subject(s) - perennial plant , agronomy , sorghum , forage , biology , fertilizer , growing season , nitrogen , chemistry , organic chemistry
An experiment was conducted in inland northern N ew S outh W ales ( NSW ) to assess the response of tropical perennial grasses C hloris gayana ( R hodes grass) cv. Katambora and D igitaria eriantha (digit grass) cv. Premier and annual forage sorghum ( S orghum bicolor ssp. bicolor × S . bicolor ssp. drummondii hybrid) cv. Sweet Jumbo fertilized with five rates of nitrogen (N; 0, 50, 100, 150 and 300 kg N ha −1 ) and defoliated every 2 or 6 weeks over two growing seasons. Tropical perennial grasses were highly responsive to N fertilizer, while there was no significant response by forage sorghum. Herbage production of Rhodes grass increased linearly whereas digit grass had a high response at 50–100 kg N ha −1 . Nitrogen‐use efficiency was highest during the growing season when rainfall was higher. During this season, digit grass had the highest N efficiency (148 kg DM kg −1 N applied) at 50 kg N ha −1 , and Rhodes grass (66 kg DM kg −1 N applied) at 100 kg N ha −1 . Plant frequency of both perennial species increased and then stabilized at high levels (>84%, cell size 0·1 by 0·1 m) during the two growing seasons. Plant frequency of Rhodes grass declined over the winter period, but recovered within 6 weeks of commencement of the growing season. Soil nitrate levels indicated that unused nitrate moved down the soil profile during wet winters. Implications of leaching below the rooting zone are discussed.