Availability to rhodesgrass ( Chloris gayana) of nitrogen in tops and roots added to soil

Abstract

15N-labelled Rhodesgrass material was prepared by growing plants in sand culture with labelled ammonium sulphate as their source of nitrogen. In a greenhouse experiment the labelled plant material in various physical configurations was added to an alluvial soil (fine sandy loam) from Samford with or without added mineral nitrogen. Two crops (six harvests) of Rhodesgrass were grown in the soil and the recovery of labelled nitrogen followed with time. Its partition at the end of the experiment was also determined. In general, after 16 months about one-third was recovered in the plant and two-thirds remained in the soil (plus any undecomposed added plant material). The only indication of volatile losses was a probable deficit of up to 10 per cent where litter (above-ground material) was placed on the soil surface. A higher nitrogen concentration in litter (1.3 per cent compared with 0.8 per cent) resulted in only a slight increase in labelled nitrogen recovery. Addition of mineral nitrogen (six doses of 50 kg N/ha) increased recovery from added litter material from 22 to 28 per cent and from added root material from 23 to 30 per cent. Grinding of added root material did not affect recovery. In the litter experiment, placing on the surface, incorporating in the top 2.5 cm of soil. and grinding and mixing with the soil resulted in final recoveries of 14, 28 and 32 per cent respectively. It is pointed out that caution must be exercised in extrapolation of results from laboratory and greenhouse studies to the field because many of the treatments used in the former are not analogous to field practices.