Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-4hhp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-05-04T12:59:02.049Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The effect of a wide range of fertilizer nitrogen application rates and defoliation intervals on the dry-matter production, seasonal response to nitrogen, persistence and aspects of chemical composition of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perennecv. S.24)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

P. W. Bartholomew  and
D. M. B. Chestnutt
P. W. Bartholomew
Affiliation:
The Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Department of Agriculture and the Queen's University, Belfast
D. M. B. Chestnutt
Affiliation:
The Agricultural Research Institute of Northern Ireland, Department of Agriculture and the Queen's University, Belfast
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

A small-plot experiment was made to assess the influence on dry-matter output from grass of a wide range of fertilizer nitrogen and defoliation interval treatments. There were five defoliation treatments, 22, 28, 45, 75 and 112-day regrowth intervalsroughout the growing season each at six levels of nitrogen application, ranging by 300 kg increments from 0 to 1500 kg/ha/year.

There was a marked interaction effect between treatments; a positive dry-matter response was maintained to a higher level of applied nitrogen with more frequent defoliation. In 2 years out of 3 maximum dry-matter yield was produced under a 75·day defoliation interval although the mean yield advantage over a 45-day defoliation system was only 11%. Mean yield of digestible dry matter appeared to reach a maximum under a 45·day defoliation interval at 600 kg N/ha but at the lower levels of N the maximum yield was reached at the longest growth interval.

Seasonal response to nitrogen under the 22–day and 28–day defoliation systems measured as the increase in yield resulting from increased N at each cutting date reached its peak in July–August. Application for these short growth periods early and late in the growing season appeared to be a relatively inefficient use of nitrogen.

The less frequently the sward was harvested and the higher the nitrogen application the greater was the reduction in ground cover as estimated by eye at the end of the growing season, this reached an estimated 25% reduction under 112·day defoliation at 300 kg N/ha/year.

In relation to published figures nitrate content of herbage did not reach dangerous levels until nitrogen application reached levels beyond those at which maximum dry·matter yield was achieved.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 88 , Issue 3 , June 1977 , pp. 711 - 721
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1977

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anslow, B. C. (1965). Grass growth in mid-summer. Journal of the British Grassland Society 20, 19–26.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anslow, B. C. & Green, J. O. (1967). The seasonal growth of pasture grasses. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 68, 109–22.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Armitage, E. B. & Templeman, W. G. (1964). Besponse of grassland to nitrogenous fertilizer in the West of England. Journal of the British Grassland Society 19, 291–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Baker, A. S. & Smith, B. (1969). Extracting solution for potentiometrio determination of nitrate in plant tissue. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry 17, 1284–7.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van, Burg P. F. J. (1970). Seasonal response of grassland herbage to nitrogen. Netherlands Nitrogen Technical Bulletin 1970 (8).Google Scholar
Burton, G. W., Jackson, J. E. & Hart, B. H. (1963). Effects of cutting frequency and nitrogen on yield, in vitro digestibility and protein, fibre and carotine content of Coastal Bermudagrass. Agronomy Journal 55, 500–2.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chestnutt, D. M. B. (1961). The effect of cutting treatment on the yield of dry matter and crude protein of eight perennial ryegrass varieties. Research and Experimental Record, Ministry of Agriculture for Northern Ireland 10, 35–62.Google Scholar
Collins, D. P. & Mccarrick, B. B. (1969). Effect of time and frequency of cutting on total and seasonal production of herbage. Irish Journal of Agricultural Research 8, %29–40.Google Scholar
Colman, B. L. & Lazenby, A. (1970). Factors affecting the response of some tropical and temperate grasses to fertilizer nitrogen. Proceedings of XIth International Grassland Congress, Surfers Paradise, 1970, 392–7.Google Scholar
Cowling, D. W. (1963). Nitrogenous fertilizer and seasonal production. Journal of the British Grassland Society 18, 14–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cowling, D. W. (1966). The response of grass swards to nitrogenous fertilizer. Proceedings of Xth International Grassland Congress, Helsinki, 1966, 204–9.Google Scholar
Demarquilly, C. (1970). Feeding value of green forages as influenced by nitrogen fertilization. Annales de Zootechniq 19, 423–37.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gately, T. F., Ryan, M. & Doyle, L. (1972). Effect of nitrogen on the yield, total-N and nitrate-N content of herbage over the growing season. Irish Journal of Agricultural Research 11, 63–75.Google Scholar
Heddle, R. G. (1967). Long-term effects of fertilizers on herbage production. 1. Yields and botanical composition. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 69, 425–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Holliday, R. & a (1965). The effect of fertilizer nitrogen and frequency of defoliation on yield of grassland herbage. Journal of the British Grassland Society 20, 32–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Marsh, R., Gordon, F. J., Murdoch, J. C. & Stevenson, W. E. G. (1976). Effeot of season and previous seasonal fertilizer N application rates on the response of an S. 24 perennial ryegrass white clover sward to fertilizer N. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 86, 335–42.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Minson, D. J., Raymond, W. F. & Harris, C. E. (1960). Studies in the digestibility of herbage. VIII. The digestibility of S. 37 cocksfoot, S. 23 ryegrass and S. 24 ryegrass. Journal of the British Grassland Society 15, 174–80.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morrison, J. (1973). Utilization of nitrogen by forage crops: national grassland manuring trials. In Grassland Research Institute, Hurley. Annual Report 1972 (1973) 38–9.Google Scholar
Reid, D. (1970). The effects of a wide range of nitrogen application rates on the yields from a perennial ryegrass sward, with and without white clover. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 74, 227–40.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reid, D. & Strachan, N. H. (1974). The effects of a wide range of nitrogen rates on some chemical constituents of the herbage from perennial ryegrass swards with and without white clover. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 83, 393–401.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Reith, J. W. S. & Inkson, R. H. E. (1961). The effects of fertilizers on herbage production. Part 1. The effect of nitrogen, phosphate and potash on yield. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 56, 17–29.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Simons, R. G., Davies, Alison & Trouohton, A. (1974). The effect of cutting height and mulching on aerial tillering in two contrasting genotypes of perennial ryegrass. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 83, 267–73.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tayler, J. C. & Rudman, J. E. (1966). The distribution of herbage at different heights in ‘grazed’ and ‘dung patch’ areas of a sward under two methods of grazing management. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 66, 29–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Tilley, J. M. A. & Terry, R. A. (1963). A two-stage technique for the in-vitro digestion of forage crops. Journal of the British Grassland Society 18, 104–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Williams, R. D. (1970). Tillering in grasses cut for conservation, with special reference to perennial ryegrass. Herbage Abstracts 40, 383–7.Google Scholar
Wilman, D. (1970). The effect of nitrogenous fertilizer on the rate of growth of Italian ryegrass. 3. Growth up to ten weeks; nitrogen content and yield. Journal of the British Grassland Society 25, 242–5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilman, D. (1975). Nitrogen and Italian ryegrass. 2. Growth up to 14 weeks; nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content and yield. Journal of the British Grassland Society 30, 243–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wilman, D., Koocheki, A. & Lwoga, A. B. (1976). The effect of interval between harvests and nitrogen application on the proportion and yield of crop fractions and on the digestibility and digestible yield and nitrogen content and yield of two perennial ryegrass varieties in the second harvest year. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 87, 59–74.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wolton, K. M., Brookman, J. S. & Shaw, P. G. (1971). The effect of time and rate of N application on the productivity of grass swards in two environments. Journal of the British Grassland Society 26, 123–31.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wright, M. J. & Davidson, K. L. (1964). Nitrate accumulation in crops and nitrate poisoning in animals. Advances in Agronomy 16, 197–247.CrossRefGoogle Scholar