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Fertilization of Switchgrass in the Greenhouse with Various Levels of N and K 1
Author(s) -
Smith Dale
Publication year - 1979
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/agronj1979.00021962007100010038x
Subject(s) - panicum virgatum , agronomy , loam , human fertilization , dry matter , anthesis , pasture , panicum , biology , soil water , cultivar , bioenergy , biofuel , ecology
Switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum L.) is a warm‐season, native grass that may have value in humid areas for summer pasture. The objective of this research was to obtain additional information on its response to N and K fertilization. Soil cores of ‘Forestburg’ switchgrass were removed from the field before spring growth started and transplanted into plastic pots in a warm greenhouse (27 to 35 C). The soil was a Dodge silt loam (Typic Argiudoll) with low levels of N and K. Potted plants were fertilized with 0,50,100,200, and 400 kg/ha of N as NH 4 NO 3 in all combinations with 0 and 200 kg/ha of K as KCl. Plants were harvested 52 days later at near anthesis. Fertilization with N significantly increased the dry matter yields (g/pot) of herbage and of stem base tissue (stubble), percentage and content (mg/pot) of N in the herbage, and content of total nonstructural carbohydrates (TNC) in the stubble. Fertilization with N decreased significantly the percentage of K in the herbage, but did not influence the content of K in the herbage and the percentage of TNC in the stubble. Fertilization with K significantly increased stubble dry matter yields, but did not influence the yields of herbage. Fertilization with K significantly increased the percentage and content of K in the herbage and content of TNC in the stubble, but did not influence the percentage and content of N in the herbage or percentage of TNC in the stubble. It was concluded that the vegetative growth of switchgrass is very responsive to N fertilization to the highest rate applied (400 kg/ha), but was not affected greatly by fertilization with K.