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Soil Oxygen and Temperature Effect on Tetany Potential of Three Annual Forage Species 1
Author(s) -
Elkins Charles B.,
Hoveland Carl S.
Publication year - 1977
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/agronj1977.00021962006900040026x
Subject(s) - lolium multiflorum , agronomy , forage , chemistry , secale , pasture , lolium perenne , red clover , tetany , lolium , zoology , biology , poaceae , endocrinology
Grass tetany, a metabolic disorder of cattle on pasture, has often been related to low Mg and high K levels, and high K/(Ca+Mg) equivalent ratios in forages. These forage mineral imbalances often occur during wet periods when soil O 2 may be low. The effect of 2, 4, 8, 16, and 21% soil air O 2 , on Ca, Mg, and K contents of rye ( Secale cereale L.), ryegrass ( Lolium multiflorum Lam.), and arrowleaf clover ( Trifolium vesiculosum Savi) was studied in the growth chamber at 22 C day air temperatures and 12 or 16 C night temperatures. Increasing soil O 2 , had little effect on Ca or Mg content of rye forage but increased K from 2 to 5%, and increased the K/(Ca+Mg) ratio to over 4. Uptake of K, Ca, and Mg was generally lower at 12 than at 16 C. Ryegrass forage, grown at increasing soil air O 2 , had higher K, Ca, and Mg contents. Concentrations of K, Ca, and Mg in ryegrass were lower at 12 than at 16 C. Magnesium levels at 2 to 16% soil O 2 were below the critical level of 0.2% at 12 C air temperature. Soil O 2 had little effect on the composition of arrowleaf clover forage, except for a small increase in K. These results indicated that ryegrass forages, grown on poorly‐drained soil would likely be more tetany‐prone than that grown on well‐drained soil. However, rye forage would be more tetany‐prone when grown on well‐drained soil. The high Mg levels of arrowleaf clover showed its value in balancing tetany‐prone grass forage when it is maintained in a pasture.