Premium
Recycling and Recovery of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium by Coastal Bermudagrass: II. Under Grazing Conditions with Two Stocking Rates
Author(s) -
Rouquette F. M.,
Matocha J. E.,
Duble R. L.
Publication year - 1973
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1973.00472425000200010023x
Subject(s) - cynodon dactylon , forage , stocking , grazing , agronomy , phosphorus , nutrient , environmental science , nitrogen , growing season , biology , zoology , chemistry , ecology , organic chemistry
The effect of two stocking rates on the recycling of N, P, and K was studied for 2 years on a Coastal bermudagrass [ Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] sward. Samples for chemical analysis were taken at 14‐day intervals. Available forage, forage yield, and forage consumption were estimated from samples taken at 2‐ to 4‐week intervals. Soil samples were taken prior to, during, and at termination of the grazing trial. Plant nutrient recycling on the high stocked pastures was approximately twice as great during the dry, 1969 season and about 10% higher during the 1970 season compared to that on the low stocked pastures. Recoveries of applied plant nutrients averaged over stocking rates were 84, 50, and 155% for N, P, and K, respectively, during 1969, and 180, 73, and 172% for N, P, and K, respectively, during 1970. There was a substantial soil accumulation of plant nutrients under both stocking rates with a considerable advantage in favor of the high stocked pastures. On the high stocked pastures, total soil N accumulation was slightly less than twofold, available soil P increased threefold, and available soil K increased more than twofold over the 2‐year period.