Evaluation of switchgrass entries for acid soil tolerance

Abstract

Abstract Crop and forage yields are significantly reduced by strong soil acidity throughout much of the northeastern United States. Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.) is a valuable perennial warm‐season pasture species generally regarded as tolerant to stress conditions, i.e., infertile, dry, or low pH soils; however, switchgrass has not been studied for variability in acid soil tolerance. The objectives of this study were (a) to compare the responses of different switchgrass entries to soil acidity, and (b) to identify selected agribotanical trait response to unlimed (‐L) and limed (+L) soil. Sixteen entries (cultivars, germplasms, and breeding populations) were studied in short‐ and meso‐term experiments. Unlimed (pH 4.9) and limed (pH 5.9) treatments of a sandy loam soil (Typic Dystrochrept) were used in both experiments. Switchgrass seedlings were exceptionally tolerant of soil acidity in the short‐term experiment. In the meso‐term experiment, acid soil stress significantly reduced all agribotanical tr...