The influence of harvest management and fertilizer application on seasonal yield, crude protein concentration and N offtake of grasses in northeast Saskatchewan
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Authors: D. H. McCartney, S. Bittman, and W. F. Nuttall
Date: 2004
Journal: Canadian Journal of Plant Science
Volume: 84
Number:
Pages: 205-212
Summary of Methods: In Saskatchewan, McCartney et al. compared annual and seasonal productivity, protein concentration, and N offtake by several adapted grasses as influenced by harvest management and fertilizer application in the central Aspen Parkland. Meadow bromegrass (Bromus riparius) had both high yield and relatively uniform seasonal production, making it a desirable grass for pastures in the central Parkland region. It also offered the most late-season yield. The high yield of green needlegrass (Nassella viridula) under multiple harvests suggests that this grass may also deserve consideration for use in pasture. Crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum) was clearly the best of all the grasses for early season production in this study. Using fertilized crested wheatgrass for early grazing would allow farmers to take their cattle off expensive winter-feed earlier. This study showed that meadow bromegrass herbage had lower protein concentrations than other productive grasses throughout the growing season, with or without fertilizer. This is a desirable attribute for pastures to be used by grazing beef cows and steers because the protein requirement for these classes of ruminants is low. While spring-applied fertilizer boosted yield in cuts 1 to 3, effect on protein concentration was mostly confined to the first cut. Grasses removed more N under multiple cutting than under two-cut management most likely due to the fact that the herbage in the multi-cut system was vegetative while the herbage was more mature in the two-cut system.
Article Summary / Main Points: None
Vegetation Types:
MLRA Ecoregions:
Agrovoc Control Words: Riparian zones Rangelands Wildlife
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: pasture, hay, protein yield, bromegrass, bromus spp., wheatgrass, elytrigia spp., green needlegrass, nassella viridula, fescue, festuca spp., altai wildrye, leymus angustus, russian wildrye, psathyrostachys juncea
Annotation: In this 3-year split-split-plot experiment, grasses were either fertilized annually or left unfertilized, and clipped either twice annually (two cut) in early July and September, or three to four times annually (multi-cut) in early June, early July, early August, and late September if there was sufficient herbage. Grazing intensity not defined.
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