Importance of phosphorus and nitrogen in the nutrition of grass seedlings growing in mulga soil

Abstract

A pot experiment was conducted to compare the Importance of nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers to seedling growth of four grasses on mulga soil. Two native species, Monachather paradoxa (mulga oats) and Digitaria ammophila (silky umbrella grass), and two exotic ones, Anthephora pubescens (wool grass) and Cenchrus ciliaris cv. Biloela (buffel grass), were tested. Digitaria and the two exotic grasses reacted similarly to applied phosphorus while Cenchrus utilized soil nitrogen more readily than the others. Phosphorus produced marked growth responses, increased the nitrogen and phosphorus contents of the plants, reduced the time between emergence and tillering and reduced root/shoot ratios. Nitrogen fertilizer produced no significant responses and actually retarded very early seedling growth. There were no nitrogen x phosphorus interactions.