Switchgrass and big bluestem responses to amendments on strongly acid soil
Abstract
Abstract Native perennial warm‐season grasses are established and used in the northeastern United States for beef cattle (Bos taurus) production, wildlife habitat, and soil conservation. This research was conducted in Pennsylvania to study select plant growth responses and forage quality of switchgrass (SWG), Panicum virgatum L., and big bluestem (BBS), Andropogon gerardii Vitman, to dolomitic lime, and P and N fertilizers on strongly acid, fine‐loamy, mixed, mesic, Typic Fragiaqualfs. The soil amendments were applied after the first growing season. Growth of SWG and BBS was markedly improved by topdressings of lime and N fertilizer. In 1981 and 1982, untreated warm‐season grass yielded approximately 50%, and grass receiving the low rate of applied nutrients yielded 90%, of that with the high lime and fertilizer rate (8.76 Mg ha−1). Nitrogen fertilizer increased production of stems and leaf sheaths more than leaf laminae. Crude protein concentration (CPC) of both species generally was low, but N fertilizer increased CPC from 52 to 77 g kg−1. In vitro dry matter disappearance values were low, but significant species X N, lime X N, species X lime X N, and N X year interactions occurred. Lime effects were significant for concentrations of Ca, Mg, and Mn; P fertilizer for Ca, Mg, and P; and N fertilizer for Ca, Mg, P, and Mn. Aluminum concentrations in forage were low even with an exchangeable soil Al of 100 kg ha−1. Approximately 80% of the root mass of each species was within the top 10 cm of soil, but roots were observed growing along prism faces of the fragipan at 60 cm. The warm‐season grasses were productive on strongly acid (31 Mg lime ha−1 needed for neutralization), infertile soil, with low inputs of lime (4.5 Mg ha−1) and fertilizer.
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Previous research has shown application rates of 10-40 kg P ha-1 did not affect switchgrass yield for upland or lowland ecotypes.
“Previous research has shown application rates of 10-40 kg P ha À1 did not affect switchgrass yield for upland or lowland ecotypes (Jung et al., 1988;Muir et al., 2001).”
From Field-scale soil property changes under switchgrass managed for bioenergy (2011) · cites this paper as Jung et al., 1988
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Chapter 4: Crop Management of Switchgrass
Sanderson, M. A., Schmer, M. R., Owens, V. N., Keyser, P. D., & Elbersen, W. (2012) · Lincoln (University of Nebraska)
Sosa, S. R. (2013) · Rutgers University Community Repository (Rutgers University) · doi:10.7282/t32z1446
- Authors
- Jung, G. A., Shaffer, J. A., & Stout, W. L.
- Affiliations
- Agricultural Research Service (US)
- Corresponding author
- Jung, G. A.
- Venue
- Agronomy Journal
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 1988-07
- Volume
- 80
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 669-676
- ISSN
- 0002-1962 (ISSN-L)
- 1435-0645
- OpenAlex
- W2028645991
- Cited by
- 55
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2022: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 4 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 2 · 2014: 2 · 2013: 4 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 0.00
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Agronomy Journal (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Agronomy and Crop Science › Bioenergy crop production and management
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Forestry › Pasture and Agricultural Systems
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Agricultural Science and Fertilization
- Keywords
- switchgrass, big bluestem, Andropogon gerardii, soil amendment, dolomitic lime, nitrogen fertilization, phosphorus fertilizer, forage quality, crude protein, in vitro dry matter disappearance, root distribution, fragipan, soil fertility, warm-season grasses
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