Early spring and late autumn response to applied nitrogen in four grasses

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Summary: The regrowth of Aberystwyth S. 23 perennial ryegrass, S. 24 perennial ryegrass, S. 59 red fescue and S. 170 tall fescue was studied in field swards, comparing four levels of applied nitrogen, for 8 weeks following a clearing cut. The clearing cuts were in mid-October, mid-February and mid-March in each of 3 years, different plots being used on each occasion.The application of N increased the number of leaf primordia, the number of un-emerged leaves, the rate of leaf emergence and death, leaf blade length, width and weight, sheath length, number of leaves per unit area of ground and proportion of green tissue in total yield. The application of N had little effect on the number of leaves per tiller and tended to reduce weight per unit area of leaf blade. The increase in size, weight and number of leaf blades appeared to be major reasons for the positive effect of applied N on yield, previously reported; and the increase in sheath length contributed to the increase in proportion of yield above 4 cm. Rate of leaf extension was not closely related to yield and was more sensitive to temperature than was yield. Changes during regrowth in blade and sheath length helped to explain changes in weight per tiller, previously reported. The effects of improving weather conditions in late winter/early spring were similar to the effects of applied N: larger, heavier leaf blades, longer sheaths, a taller canopy, a lower proportion of dead material, younger leaves. The length of shoot apex per leaf primordium was relatively constant. Leaves continued to emerge, at a slow rate, in the period December–February. S. 170 had the biggest leaves, particularly in May, and the slowest rate of leaf turnover. Rate of leaf extension was increased by applied N more, on average, in the ryegrasses than in the fescues.

This publication has 17 references indexed in Scilit: