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Yield, Persistence, and Nutrient Harvest of Two Cultivars and Two Blends of Seeded Bermudagrass ( Cynodon dactylon ) in Swine Effluent Spray Fields
Author(s) -
Spearman Becky L.,
Freeman Sharon R.,
Poore Matthew H.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
crop, forage and turfgrass management
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.29
H-Index - 10
ISSN - 2374-3832
DOI - 10.2134/cftm2015.0171
Subject(s) - cynodon dactylon , agronomy , dry matter , weed , tifton , forage , growing season , mohawk , cultivar , nutrient , cynodon , effluent , yield (engineering) , zoology , biology , environmental science , ecology , metallurgy , philosophy , linguistics , materials science , environmental engineering
To determine yield potential, persistence, and nutrient removal, replicated blocks of two cultivars of seeded bermudagrass (‘Cheyenne’ and ‘Mohawk’) and two seeded bermudagrass blends (‘Laredo’ and ‘Ranchero Frio’) were planted in a commercial swine farm effluent spray field. Measurements were taken during a 4‐year period, including the establishment year. Total dry matter (DM) yields of 10,890 and 10,750 lb/acre for Cheyenne and Ranchero Frio were greater than for Laredo and Mohawk (10,090 and 10,080 lb/acre, respectively; P = 0.01) and decreased after a peak in the second growing season ( P < 0.01). Weed contribution to DM was large following establishment, negligible the second year, and then grew progressively greater thereafter (18.7, 0.3, 12.8, and 21.3% for the first through fourth seasons, respectively; P < 0.01). Weed DM composition was greater for Cheyenne than for Mohawk or the blends (17.2, 11.7, 12.2, and 12.0% for Cheyenne, Laredo, Mohawk, and Ranchero Frio, respectively; P = 0.02). Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) yields were proportional to DM yield; however, nitrate concentration was greater in forage from Cheyenne and Ranchero Frio than from Laredo and Mohawk (0.58, 0.60, 0.43, and 0.47% of DM, respectively; P < 0.01). Lower DM yields after Season 2 resulted in average DM yields that were close to the realistic yield estimates listed for common bermudagrass when applying swine effluent as source of N fertilizer, and were much lower than the realistic DM yield estimates for hybrid bermudagrass. Ranchero Frio and Cheyenne were well suited to this site because they produced the greatest average DM yield across years, but Ranchero Frio had less weed composition in the final year.