Isotopic studies on the uptake of nitrogen by pasture grasses. II. Uptake of fertilizer nitrogen by Rhodes grass in posts

Abstract

Nitrogen uptake by Rhodes grass was a linear function of the quantity of 15NH4N03 applied for rates up to the equivalent of 400 lb N/ac, but the proportion of fertilizer nitrogen recovered in the plants fell significantly when the rate was increased to 800 lb N/ac. A nitrogen pretreatment equivalent to 200 lb N/ac had relatively little effect on the uptake of 15NH4N03 by the grass, despite the fact that it almost doubled the weight of roots in the pots when the 15NH4N03 was first applied. Over the range 0–400 lb N/ac, 84.1%% of added total nitrogen and 75.5% of added 15N was taken up by plants that received no nitrogen fertilizer during the pretreatment phase, and 80.3% of added total nitrogen and 71.9% of added 15N was taken up by plants that received a pretreatment of 200 lb N/ac. Fertilizer nitrogen was distributed between tops and roots in the ratio (averaged for the two pretreatments) of 5.2 : 1 for total nitrogen and 4.5 : 1 for 15N; these ratios were constant over the range 0–400 lb N/ac and were not significantly different.