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Harvest Stubble Height and K Fertilization Affect Performance of Jiggs and ‘Tifton 85’ Bermudagrasses
Author(s) -
Kohmann Marta M.,
Sollenberger Lynn E.,
Vendramini João M.B.,
Silveira Maria L.,
Moreno Leonardo S. B.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
crop science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.76
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1435-0653
pISSN - 0011-183X
DOI - 10.2135/cropsci2017.05.0308
Subject(s) - tifton , cynodon dactylon , human fertilization , cynodon , biology , fertilizer , agronomy , hay , zoology , potassium , chemistry , organic chemistry
Use of Jiggs bermudagrass [ Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] for hay has increased in warm climates like southern Florida, but effects of defoliation and K fertilizer management on Jiggs adaptation to environments with frequent winter freezes are not known. During 2 yr, K fertilization (0, 17, and 34 kg K ha −1 harvest −1 ) and cutting stubble height (SH, 8 and 16 cm every 28 d) effects on herbage accumulation (HA), ground cover, K removal, and tissue and soil K were evaluated for Jiggs and ‘Tifton 85’ ( Cynodon spp.) bermudagrasses. All treatments received 240 kg N ha −1 yr −1 . Herbage accumulation was greater for 8‐ than 16‐cm SH (8050 and 7330 kg ha −1 yr −1 , respectively) and increased linearly from 7040 to 8120 kg ha −1 yr −1 with increasing K fertilization. Potassium fertilization did not affect grass percentage ground cover, but Jiggs had 17 (2014) and 40% (2015) greater cover than Tifton 85. Increasing K fertilization increased tissue K concentration (15 to 19 g kg −1 in 2014 and 13 to 25 g kg −1 in 2015) and K removal in HA (from 104 to 149 kg ha −1 in 2014 and 88 to 216 kg ha −1 in 2015). During 2 yr, soil‐extractable K declined 6 mg kg −1 for the zero K level but increased 6 mg kg −1 when K was applied. In a cooler subtropical region characterized by frequent winter freezes and across a range of K fertilizer and SH levels, Jiggs sustained ground cover better than Tifton 85, but K fertilization did not affect persistence.