The growth of clover in the presence of ammonium sulphate

Abstract

It has long been held that the treatment of grassland with nitrogenous fertilizers, and especially with ammonium salts, reduces the clover content. This method has been applied also to the treatment of lawns and sports fields with a view to reducing the clover content of the turf. It has been suggested that the effect of the ammonium salts is to encourage the growth of the grass in competition with the clover, and also that the ammonium ions are specifically toxic to the clover plant. Since there is a growing volume of evidence that ammonium ions are, in fact, available to many plants and may be used by them directly, without nitrate-formation, it was thought desirable to examine the effect of the application of ammonium sulphate to clover plants grown in pots, where competition from grasses was not a factor in the consideration of the effect of manurial treatment.