Influence of N and K fertilization and growth temperature on 13C/12C ratios of timothy (Phleum pratense L.)

Oecologia ◽  
1979 ◽  
Vol 44 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret M. Bender ◽  
Arden J. Berge
1989 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 501-512 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. BÉLANGER ◽  
J. E. RICHARDS ◽  
R. B. WALTON

The effects of over 25 yr of levels of applied N, P and K on forage DM yield, crude protein content, in vitro digestibility (IVD), botanical composition and persistence of a timothy (Phleum pratense L.) sward were assessed in a long-term field experiment on an acidic Riverbank L. Ammonium nitrate (0, 90, 180, 270 kg N ha−1), superphosphate (0, 15, 29, 44 kg P ha−1) and muriate of potash (0, 47, 94, 141 kg K ha−1) were applied annually in all possible combinations to a timothy sward since 1960. In the first 3 yr of the experiment, only N and K were required for maximum yield and persistence of timothy. The requirement for applied P, however, increased with time; in the last 3 yr (1985–1987) of the trial, the highest level of applied P resulted in profitable forage DM yield increases. After 25 yr, the productivity of the timothy sward was dependent upon a balanced application of all three macronutrients; absence of any one nutrient resulted in little or no response to applications of the other nutrients. The long-term persistence of timothy was solely dependent on K fertilization. The proportion of bentgrass and bluegrass species declined with increasing levels of applied K while that of timothy increased. The change in botanical composition due to applied N and K significantly affected IVD and crude protein content.Key words: N, P, K, fertilization, yield, persistence, timothy


1974 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 331-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. B. MacLEOD ◽  
J. A. MacLEOD

Timothy (Phleum pratense L.) and bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.) were grown in field experiments to evaluate the effects of N and K fertilization on protein, nitrate and nonprotein reduced N concentration in the forage. Concentrations of all N fractions studied generally increased as the rate of N application was increased. At high rates of N application (448 and 896 kg N/ha) nitrate N concentrations increased when rates of K application were increased from 56 to 440 kg/ha. Highest nitrate N concentrations were 0.37 and 0.43% for timothy and bromegrass, respectively. These were obtained at highest rates of N and K application (896 kg N/ha and 440 kg K/ha). Highest concentrations of nonprotein reduced N were 1.20 and 1.11% for timothy and bromegrass, respectively. Although the highest concentrations of nonprotein reduced N were obtained at highest rates of N and K application, rate of K application had no significant effect on this fraction.


1985 ◽  
Vol 65 (3) ◽  
pp. 787-791
Author(s):  
H. A. BURITY ◽  
B. E. COULMAN ◽  
M. A. FARIS

A greenhouse experiment has shown that total nitrogenase activity of alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is not significantly affected when grown in association with timothy (Phleum pratense L.), smooth bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss) or orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) except after initial harvest when decreased alfalfa activity was associated with smooth bromegrass or orchardgrass. It was concluded that mixed cultures of alfalfa with timothy, smooth bromegrass or orchardgrass have no effect on alfalfa N2 fixation. The results also suggest the occurrence of N transference from alfalfa to associated grasses. It is speculated that this transfer is not primarily due to the death of roots and nodule tissue (after harvest), but involves some degree of N excretion during the period before initial harvest.Key words: Alfalfa-grass mixtures, N2-fixation, nodule activity, N-transference


1988 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 1121-1129 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. N. MASON ◽  
P. M. FLIPOT

Five timothy (Phleum pratense L.) cultivars, Clair, Champ, Milton, Climax and Bounty, were harvested at first flower stage during 2 consecutive years and in the regrowth for 1 yr. The forages were each offered as hay to 15 young rams to evaluate voluntary intake. Five animals were used to determine initial harvest dry matter digestibility. The cultivars varied significantly in voluntary intake at first flower stage. The highest intake (g kg−0.75 d−1) averaged for the years was obtained in the early cultivar Champ (65.9), which was 10% more than that of the medium-late cultivar Climax. The cultivars did not differ significantly in dry matter digestibility. In the regrowth, the relative intakes of the cultivars were essentially reversed from that of the initial harvest. The voluntary intake was substantially higher but the differences among forages were less marked. Climax regrowth voluntary intake was higher (P < 0.05) than all cultivars, except Bounty. A 15% range in digestible dry matter intake was present among cultivars. The ranking of the culivars for digestible dry matter was different than for dry matter yield. Key words: Timothy, Phleum pratense L., voluntary intake, dry matter digestibility


1970 ◽  
Vol 50 (6) ◽  
pp. 685-691 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. LESSARD ◽  
M. HIDIROGLOU ◽  
R. B. CARSON ◽  
J. M. WAUTHY

Each of the species birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.), timothy (Phleum pratense L.), bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.), orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.), reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) and creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra L.) was grown in the field on 10 plots sampled at weekly intervals in rotation from June 13. Each plot was resampled after 6 weeks and all samples were analyzed for copper, molybdenum and sulfur. In most species, levels of Cu and Mo were highest in the early samplings and decreased with advancing maturity. Second-cut samples tended to be higher in Cu, Mo and S than first-cut samples. The S content was more uniform in the first cycle but increased considerably in the second cycle, especially in reed canarygrass. The ranges in Cu content were 7.4 to 14.1 ppm for birdsfoot trefoil and 3.7 to 11.4 ppm for the grasses. Mo ranged from 1.9 to 8.1 ppm in birdsfoot trefoil and from 1.0 to 6.5 ppm in the grasses. The overall range in S content was from 0.14 to 0.95%. The mineral composition of the crops is discussed in relation to the requirement of ruminants for these three elements.


1986 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 323-328 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. R. McELROY ◽  
B. R. CHRISTIE

The in vitro digestibility (IVD) of timothy (Phleum pratense L.) declines with advance in maturity. Forage quality reductions resulting from late harvesting could be minimized by developing cultivars with reduced IVD decline during maturation. This study examines variation for IVD decline among timothy genotypes. Clones originating from a single population were grown in simulated swards (100 plants m−2) at two Ontario locations in 1980 and 1981. Harvests were made every 5–6 d from early heading to late anthesis. Relative IVD declines were determined by regressing genotype performance on the population mean over several harvests. Considerable variation was found for relative IVD decline, but this parameter was not associated with IVD at early heading. Genotypes were identified which showed high IVD at heading and a 20% reduction in digestibility decline from heading to late anthesis. Changes in IVD were not associated with changes in the leaf content of forage. It is concluded that selection for reduced IVD decline, in addition to high digestibility at heading, might result in a 2–3% unit increase at anthesis.Key words: Timothy, Phleum pratense L., in vitro digestibility, IVD, IVD decline


1988 ◽  
Vol 68 (2) ◽  
pp. 471-480 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. SURPRENANT ◽  
R. MICHAUD

Near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) is a newly attractive technology introduced for the analysis of agricultural products and for which new instruments have been developed. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the capabilities of the Technicon InfraAlyzer 500 (I/A-500), a scanner monochromator type instrument, with regard to its potential utilization in the breeding of timothy (Phleum pratense L.) for higher nutritional qualities. Special features of this instrument were also used to further assess its capacities once the wavelengths were deliberately reduced and set to make the I/A-500 comparable to a 19 wavelength filter instrument such as typically found in a Technicon I/A-400R model. The investigation was performed using a total of 120 timothy samples collected from spaced plant nurseries in 1982 and 1984 and analyzed for acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), crude protein (CP), digestibility (DMM), water solubility (WS), water retention (WR) and packed volume (PV) in the laboratory. The equations developed with the I/A-500 had R2 and r2 larger than 0.85 for ADF, NDF, CP, DDM and WS in both 1982, and 1984, and combined 1982–1984 with the exception of DDM and WS in 1982 that had r2 of 0.76. The lower R2 and r2 obtained for WR and PV were attributed to poor laboratory procedures. The standard errors of calibration of ADF, NDF, CP and DDM were all as good or better than those previously reported, with other cool season grasses. The equations developed by using only the 19 wavelengths typically found in an I/A-400R provided R2 standard errors of calibration, r2 and standard error of analysis which were quite similar to those obtained with the I/A-500. Thus, we concluded that both the unrestricted wavelength selection of the I/A-500 and the restricted wavelength selection available in an I/A-400R would be adequate to evaluate forage quality in timothy. In this experiment, the main limitations appeared to have been related to the precision of the laboratory procedures and to the lack of variation in the populations under evaluation. As a general guideline to evaluate these two factors, it is proposed to use the ratio of the standard deviation of the population over the standard deviation of the laboratory procedure. In our experimentation a ratio larger than 5.0 appeared suitable to obtain adequate calibrations.Key words: Fiber, crude protein, digestibility, forage physical properties, Phleum pratense L.


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