Yield, composition and quality of tall fescue as influenced by N fertility and soil water availability

Abstract

Abstract A study was designed to evaluate yield, quality and composition of tall fescue (Festuaa arundinaaea Schreb.) as influenced by water stress under 0, 100, and 400 kg N·ha‐1 during autumn in the southeastern U.S. Four replicates of each treatment were imposed in a completely random design in the field. The experiment was conducted in two successive years with treatments applied to an adjacent area to eliminate residual or carry‐over effects. Water status was verified by gypsum block, tensiometer, and determination of leaf stomatal resistance. Plant tissue was harvested three times during autumn and again in the following spring. Forage yield total was not significantly affected by soil water stress, apparently due to compensatory growth during recovery periods. Soil water appeared to be more rapidly depleted under 400 kg N·ha‐1 than other N treatments. Increasing N fertilizer significantly increased leaf area, leaf number, and was inversely related to the number of senesced leaves. Stomatal resistan...