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Uptake of Selected Nutrients by Temperate Grasses and Legumes
Author(s) -
Brink Geoffrey E.,
Pederson Gary A.,
Sistani Karamat R.,
Fairbrother Timothy E.
Publication year - 2001
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/agronj2001.934887x
Subject(s) - agronomy , lolium multiflorum , biology , forage , temperate climate , loam , lolium perenne , trifolium alexandrinum , vicia villosa , hay , poaceae , botany , cover crop , soil water , ecology
Temperate forages are used throughout the southeastern USA to provide feed for livestock when tropical and subtropical grasses are dormant and as a hay source. Long‐term utilization of broiler litter as a fertilizer in some areas of the region has elevated soil levels of P and micronutrients. Our objective was to compare P, Cu, and Zn uptake among temperate forage species from a Savannah fine sandy loam soil (fine‐loamy, siliceous, semiactive, thermic Typic Fragiudult) amended with litter under a single‐harvest system. Dry weight of ryegrass ( Lolium multiflorum Lam.) herbage was greater than all other species except ball clover ( Trifolium nigrescens Viv.) in 1997 and oat ( Avena sativa L.) in 1998. Clovers were susceptible to Sclerotinia crown and stem rot ( Sclerotinia trifoliorum Erikss.) that reduced plant density, vigor, and dry herbage weight. Although forage P concentration of all species was similar to or greater than ryegrass, only crimson clover ( T. incarnatum L.) had P uptake equal to ryegrass during both years (mean of 23.4 kg ha −1 ). This was attributed to the high correlation between dry herbage weight and P uptake ( r = 0.95 and 0.89 in 1997 and 1998, respectively). Legumes typically had greater Cu and Zn concentrations than ryegrass, but only crimson clover and hairy vetch ( Vicia villosa Roth) had comparatively greater Cu and Zn uptake during both years. The combination of desirable agronomic traits and nutrient uptake capacity make annual ryegrass a superior temperate forage species for use in southeastern pastures fertilized with broiler litter.