EFFECTS OF NITROGEN RATES AND HARVEST SCHEDULES ON YIELD AND QUALITY OF WESTERWOLDS RYEGRASS GROWN AS A SUMMER ANNUAL

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Abstract
Westerwolds ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam. ’Promenade’) was grown on fine sandy and light loam soils. Nitrogen was applied at 40, 80, or 120 kg/ha after emergence and after both the first and second harvests. The 1st harvest under schedules A, B and C was on 10, 15 and 22 July followed by the 2nd harvest in 28, 37 and 40 days and the 3rd harvest in 30, 50 and 37 days after the 2nd harvest, respectively. The 4th harvest for schedule A was 46 days after the 3rd harvest. Mean dry matter yields ranged from 6.26 to 9.03 t/ha, total N in tissue from 2.09 to 2.99%, in vitro digestibility of dry matter from 73.3 to 76.3%, and dry matter content from 12.1 to 14.1% depending on the N rate and/or harvest schedule. Nitrate-N concentration in plant tissue was low for 40 and 80 kg/N/ha/application but reached up to 0.45% for the 120 kg/ha/application under harvest schedule A. Yield distribution within the season was most uniform for schedule B. A 3-harvest schedule with 80 kg/ha of applied N at seeding and after the 1st and 2nd harvests was suitable management for Promenade Westerwolds ryegrass in this region.