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Title: MATURITY-NUTRIENT UPTAKE RELATIONSHIPS IN BERMUDAGRASS RECEIVING SWINE EFFLUENT

Author
item Brink, Geoffrey
item Pederson, Gary

Submitted to: Agronomy Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/4/2000
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Harvest management of bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] optimized for quality hay production may differ from that for nutrient uptake. Our objective was to determine the relationship between maturity and nutrient uptake in bermudagrass fertilized with swine effluent. Primary spring and summer growth of `Coastal' hybrid and common bermudagrass grown on a Brooksville silty clay loam (fine, smectitic, thermic Aquic Hapludert) were harvested every seven days for a total of nine harvests. During each harvest cycle, swine effluent was applied to supply 175 kg N ha-1 and 35 kg P ha-1. Maximum mean DM yield (0.98 kg m-2) and P uptake (2.9 g m-2) occurred at 56 d during both growth periods. Maximum N uptake was measured at 49 d (22.5 g m-2) in the spring and at 56 d (18.1 g m-2) in the summer. Coastal bermudagrass P conc. declined linearly with time, while that of common bermudagrass exhibited a nonlinear trend with P conc. declining most rapidly over the last three weeks. Results suggest that nutrient uptake by bermudagrass is maximized by harvest intervals exceeding those recommended for quality hay production.