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The Utilization of Water by Alfalfa (Medicago Sativa) and by Bluegrass (Poa Pratensis) in Relation to Managerial Treatments 1
Author(s) -
Sprague V. G.,
Graber L. F.
Publication year - 1938
Publication title -
agronomy journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.752
H-Index - 131
eISSN - 1435-0645
pISSN - 0002-1962
DOI - 10.2134/agronj1938.00021962003000120002x
Subject(s) - poa pratensis , medicago sativa , agricultural experiment station , state (computer science) , relation (database) , service (business) , agronomy , agriculture , library science , biology , mathematics , computer science , business , database , marketing , ecology , poaceae , algorithm
T responses of alfalfa and bluegrass to deficits in rainfall are highly variable under field conditions. Differences in soil fertility, topography, exposure, evaporational losses, and other interacting factors, cause some bluegrass pastures to remain green much longer during periods of drought than others immediately adjacent. Prom field observations it would appear that differences in grazing management also may be a highly significant cause of such variations. The stage of growth at which alfalfa is cut during periods of drought may hasten or retard recovery. In dry seasons, cutting at the early bud stage will usually provide a more immediate recovery than a cutting delayed until near the full bloom stage. However, when drought continues, the more immediate resumption of the growth of alfalfa with early cutting is not usually of practical significance. Moreover, with ample rainfall after cutting at or near full bloom recovery is prompt, except for some varieties of inherent slow recovery such as the Ladak, and the growth js usually more productive in Wisconsin, as recently reported by Graber and Sprague (4).3 The purpose of this experiment has been to determine if such variable field responses of bluegrass and alfalfa to moisture deficits may be, in part, a matter of difference in water utilization resulting from variations in managerial treatments of top growth and variations in nutritional levels. The designation "water requirement" as used in this paper refers to the ratio of the amount of water utilized by a plant to the dry matter produced by the plant exclusive of the subterranean parts. REVIEW OF LITERATURE