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Effect of fertilization date and litter removal on grassland forage production
Author
Wikeem, B. M.
Newman, R. F.
Ryswyk, A. L. Van.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
1989-09-01
Body

The effects of application dates of urea fertilizer and dormant-season removal of litter were examined on a bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicatum [Pursh] A. Love subsp. spicata)- Sandberg's bluegrass (Poa sandbergii Vasey) site in southern British Columbia. Forest grade urea, applied at 100 kg N/ha, increased the yield of both spring (53%) and summer (73%) forage compared to the unfertilized control. Spring forage production was not affected by the application date of urea. Summer forage yields, however, were 20% higher when urea was applied on snow-free (October and March) compared to snow-covered ground (November, January, and February). Dormant-season removal of litter reduced spring forage yields by different amounts (P<0.05) in 1984 (29%) and 1981 (25%). Albiet a small difference, this suggests that removal of litter may interact with annual weather conditions and confound measurements of absolute spring herbage yields in a long-term study. In contrast, dormant-season removal of litter reduced summer forage production consistently by 23% in both 1981 and 1984. This technique might therefore be used to reduce clipping time for summer plots in fertilizer trials. If absolute estimates of above ground herbage production are required, control plots should be clipped each year to account for the losses in yields induced by dormant-season removal of litter. This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information. Migrated from OJS platform August 2020

Language
en
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Journal Issue/Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.2307/3899551
Additional Information
Wikeem, B. M., Newman, R. F., & van Ryswyk, A. L. (1989). Effect of fertilization date and litter removal on grassland forage production. Journal of Range Management, 42(5), 412-415.
ISSN
0022-409X
OAI Identifier
oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/645002
Journal Volume
42
Journal Number
5
Journal Pages
412-415
Collection
Rangeland Ecology & Management (REM)
Journal Name
Journal of Range Management
Keywords
urea
Pseudoroegneria spicata
Poa secunda
British Columbia
browse plants
plant litter