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Effect of Irrigation Frequency and Nitrogen Fertilization on Growth and Water Use of a Kikuyugrass Lawn ( Pennisetum clandestinum Hochst.) 1
Author(s) -
Mantell A.
Publication year - 1966
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/agronj1966.00021962005800060001x
Subject(s) - lawn , irrigation , agronomy , nitrogen , evapotranspiration , pennisetum , environmental science , moisture , zoology , dry matter , soil water , human fertilization , chemistry , biology , botany , soil science , ecology , organic chemistry
The response of a kikuyugrass lawn to irrigation frequency and nitrogen fertilizer was studied in a factorial experiment. When grass was irrigated every 21 days, the evapotranspiration from the 0‐ to 120‐cm soil layer was 486 mm during the months June to October, with a mean daily consumptive water use of 3.2 mm. The measured water loss from grass irrigated at this frequency, and fertilized monthly with 4.2 kg N/1000 m 2 was 0.62 of the evaporation from a screened Class A pan. About 60% and 80% of the total water extracted came from the 0‐ to 60‐ and the 0‐ to 90‐cm soil layers, respectively. No relation was found between root activity as represented by moisture extraction and root distribution as obtained by core removal. Absolute root weight was considerably increased by the monthly nitrogen applications. Dry matter yield was not markedly raised by regular nitrogen fertilization, unless irrigations were applied frequently. Infrequent irrigation of fertilized plots produced a lawn of only slightly reduced quality compared to that obtained when frequent irrigations were given in the absence of nitrogen, and the former treatment was accompanied by a considerable saving in water and labor.