ARS | Publication request: Regionalized levels of soil phosphorus and phosphorus saturation in beef cattle pastures with and without grazing

Submitted to: ASA-CSSA-SSSA Annual Meeting Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: November 1, 2010
Publication Date: November 1, 2010
Citation: Sigua, G.C., Myer, R.O., Mackowiak, C.L., Coleman, S.W., Chase, C.C. 2010. Regionalized levels of soil phosphorus and phosphorus saturation in beef cattle pastures with and without grazing [abstract]. ASA, CSSA, and SSSA International Meeting. Paper No. 51-4.

Technical Abstract: Available soil phosphorus (P) in various agro-ecosystems is regulated by climate, soil type, vegetation, and management practices. Available soil P in bahiagrass beef cattle pastures were compared with rhizoma peanut pastures and bermudagrass pastures. For each location, the pain plot was represented by grazing management (grazing vs. no grazing) while forage type (bahiagrass vs. perennial peanut-bahiagrass mix at Brooksville, FL and bahiagrass vs. bermudagrass at Marianna, FL) represented sub-plot treatments. Soils were sampled concurrently from these locations (2004to too7) with or without grazing. Soil available P concentration and the degree of soil P saturation varied with pasture location (P=0.0001), grazing management (P=0.01), and forage type P=0.0001). There were interactions between pasture location and grazing management as well as between grazed and non-grazed pastures but soil P concentration varied with forage type (peanuts, 25.1 mg kg; bahiagrass, 19.3 mg kg) ¬¬¬¬¬with an interaction between grazing management and forage type. At Marianna, soil P concentrations were greater in non grazed (11.3 mg kg) than grazed (8.9 mg kg) pastures. Based upon results from this study, pasture grazing by beef cattle appeared to have minimal (if any) effect on soil available P status.