EFFECT OF SOIL MOISTURE AND NITROGEN FERTILIZATION O~ THE VEGETATIVE GROWTH AND CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF BERMUDAGRASS (Cynodon dactylon L.) | ||||
| Journal of Plant Production | ||||
| Article 22, Volume 29, Issue 12, December 2004, Page 7287-7303 PDF (5.05 MB) | ||||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||||
| DOI: 10.21608/jpp.2004.238963 | ||||
 View on SCiNiTO | ||||
| Authors | ||||
| A. Z. Sarhan,1; A. Abd EI-Wahed2; Effat I. EI-Maadawy1; S. Surour3 | ||||
| 1Ornamental Horticulture Dept., Fac. of Agriculture, Cairo University | ||||
| 2Orman Botanical Garden, Horticulture Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza . | ||||
| 3Ornamental Horticulture Department, Horticulture Research Institute, Agricultural Research Center, Giza | ||||
| Abstract | ||||
| This study was carried out in the open Experimental Field of the Ornamental Horticulture Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Cairo University, Giza, during the two successive seasons of 1996/1997 and 1997/1998, with the aim of investigating the effect of soil moisture content [irrigation when soil moisture content reached 30, 50 or 70% offield capacity (F_C_)], and N fertilization levels [0, 5,10 or 15 gm N/m2, applied monthly using ammonium sulphate (20-5'% N)] on the vegetative growth and chemical composition of Bermudagrass (Cynodon dacty/on L.) plants. At each irrigation, the plants were watered with 251itres of tap water/m" The following results could be obtained: Irrigation when the soil moisture content reaches 70% F_C_, combined with application of a relatively high N fertilization rate (15 g N/m2), resulted in the most vigorous vegetative growth (in terms of plant height, as well as the fresh and dry weight of clippinqs). However, turf.colour was more sensitive to the N rate than to the soil moisture level (within the tested range of soil moisture levels), since the best colour (l.e. the highest leaf pigments content) was obtained with fertilization using a moderate N rate (10 g/m2), regardless of the soil moisture level. Increasing the soil moisture content caused a steady reduction in the soluble sugars content, but increased the insoluble ones in the clippings. Also, the contents of soluble sugars, insoluble sugars and total carbohydrates were steadily increased by raising the N fertilization rate, with the highest N rate (15 g/m2) giving the highest values. In most cases, the highest contents of nutrients (N, P and K) were obtained from plants fertilized with the medium N rate (10 g/m2). The effect of soil moisture on the nutrients content differed from one nutrient to another, since the highest mean concentrations of N, P and K were obtained with irrigation at 30%, 70% and 50% F.C., respectively. | ||||
| Keywords | ||||
| turfgrass; Bermudagrass; soil moisture; fertilization | ||||
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