Alfalfa response to low potassium under different harvest regimes in Coastal Plains

Thinguldstad, Britta; Tucker, Jennifer J; Baxter, Lewis R.; Segers, J. R.; Hancock, Dennis W.; Stewart, R. L.

doi:10.1002/agg2.20029

Cited by 10 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…However, K-sufficient plants maintained higher taproot starch concentrations throughout fall. This contrasts a recent report where 2 years of K fertilization had no effect on taproot starch concentrations of plants sampled in November in Georgia, United States (Thinguldstad et al, 2020). By comparison, when sampled in summer, P-deficient plants generally had higher taproot starch concentrations irrespective of K fertilizer application (Berg et al, 2009).…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 90%

“…Irrespective of fertility, taproot sugar concentrations averaged approximately 175 g/kg on December 7; a value that agrees with previous reports for well-fertilized alfalfa sampled in December (Jung and Smith, 1961a;Li et al, 1996;Berg et al, 2018). By comparison, K fertilization had no impact on sugar concentrations of taproots sampled in early November in Coastal Plains soils of Georgia, United States (Thinguldstad et al, 2020). Previous work with alfalfa cultivars differing in fall dormancy and winter hardiness indicated minimal winter injury occurred when taproot sugar concentrations were 140 g/kg or greater (Cunningham et al, 2001).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

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Potassium and Phosphorus Fertilizer Impacts on Alfalfa Taproot Carbon and Nitrogen Reserve Accumulation and Use During Fall Acclimation and Initial Growth in Spring

et al. 2021

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Phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) impact alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) performance, but how these nutrients alter taproot physiology during fall acclimation and subsequent growth in spring is unclear. Our objectives were to: (1) determine seasonal patterns for taproot P and K concentrations during fall acclimation and during initial shoot growth in spring; (2) determine how P and K nutrition impacts accumulation of taproot C and N reserves during fall and their subsequent use when shoot growth resumes in spring; and (3) assess how addition of P and K fertilizer impacts survival and shoot growth in spring. Two P (0 and 75 kg ha−1) and two K (0 and 400 kg ha−1) treatments were applied and taproots were sampled between September and December, and again from March to May over 2 years. Concentrations of taproot sugar, starch, buffer-soluble protein, amino-N, and RNA pools were determined. While P and K fertilizer application increased taproot P and K concentrations two- to three-fold, concentrations of P and K in taproots over time did not change markedly during cold acclimation in fall, however, taproot P declined in spring as plant growth resumed. Compared to the 0K-0P treatment, taproots of plants fertilized with 400K-75P had higher starch, protein, amino-N, and RNA, but reduced sugar concentrations in fall. Concentrations of all these pools, except starch, declined during the initial 2 weeks of sampling beginning in late March as shoot growth resumed in spring. Herbage yield in May was highest for the 400K-75P treatment and least for the 0K-0P treatment, differences that were associated with variation in mass shoot−1 and not shoots m−2. High yield of the 400K-75P plants in May was consistently associated with greater concentrations and use of amino-N, soluble protein, and RNA pools in taproots, and not with accumulation and use of starch and sugar pools. Understanding factors leading to the accumulation of taproot N reserves and RNA during cold acclimation in fall and their use during the initial growth in spring should enhance efforts to improve alfalfa growth and herbage yield in spring.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 90%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 89%

Potassium and Phosphorus Fertilizer Impacts on Alfalfa Taproot Carbon and Nitrogen Reserve Accumulation and Use During Fall Acclimation and Initial Growth in Spring

et al. 2021

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“…(2020) suggested a 42‐d harvest frequency for tall fescue–alfalfa mixtures and a 35‐d harvest frequency for bermudagrass–alfalfa mixtures under conventional management. A 28‐ and 35‐d harvest frequency are recommended for bermudagrass–alfalfa mixtures in the southeastern United States (Hendricks et al., 2020; Thinguldstad et al., 2020). Under the monthly harvest regime in the current study, mixtures were cut 7–10 d earlier than recommended (Quinby et al., 2020).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transitional organic forage systems in the southeastern U.S.: Production and nutritive value

et al. 2022

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Limited work has been done to develop organic forage programs in humid subtropical regions despite growing demand for high‐value forage and organic products. Alternative crops were compared for optimizing forage production and nutritive value under organic conditions in the southeastern United States. The study was conducted at the Middle Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center, in Spring Hill, Tennessee. Forage treatments consisted of (a) monoculture tall fescue [Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort.], (b) monoculture bermudagrass [Cynodon dactlyon (L.) Pers.], (c) tall fescue and alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) mixture, (d) bermudagrass and alfalfa mixture, and (e) an annual rotation of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) mixed with winter pea (Pisum sativum L.) followed by sorghum–sudangrass [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench x S. sudanese (Piper) Stapf.] mixed with cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] mixture. Perennial treatments were established during the 2017–2018 growing season. Monthly production was measured in the 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 growing seasons. Botanical composition of forage mass fluctuated due to establishment dynamics and weed competition, affecting forage quantity and quality. The annual rotation was the highest‐yielding treatment, producing more than 6,000 kg−1, though each tall fescue and tall fescue–alfalfa treatments produced ∼4,000 kg ha−1. Nutritive value was sufficient for most livestock operations, with forage crude protein concentration averaging ∼150 g kg−1 across treatments and growing seasons. For transitioning organic producers, a perennial forage will likely favor long‐term sustainability, whereas the annual rotation may be useful during the transition period to reduce weed pressure before transitioning to a perennial forage system.

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“…Thinguldstad et al. (2020) did not observe any aboveground plant responses to K fertilization beyond an untreated control. Haby and Leonard (2005) reported stand thinning and eventual loss of stand in alfalfa plots that did not receive any fertilizer K in east Texas.…”

Section: Forage Mass and Persistencementioning

confidence: 92%

Impact of poultry litter application on alfalfa grown in Mississippi

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et al. 2020

Crop Forage & Turfgrass Mgmt

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Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) production in the Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States requires enhanced soil fertility management to capitalize on increased dry matter yield and nutritive value. Poultry litter (PL) is an abundant fertilizer source that has been recognized as an economical choice for pasture and hay production. A field trial was established in east‐central Mississippi in which PL and inorganic fertilizer sources were compared in three alfalfa cultivars in 2018 and 2019. Fertilizer treatments included (a) 2 ton PL acre−1 (Treatment 1); (b) 4 ton PL acre−1 (Treatment 2); (c) inorganic N, P, and K delivered at similar rates to Treatment 1; and (d) inorganic P, and K (no N) supplied at same rates as Treatment 3. The cultivars were Bulldog 505, Bulldog 805, and AlfaGraze 600RR. Forage mass (FM), plant persistence (PER), nutritive value [crude protein (CP), total digestible nutrients (TDN), and relative forage quality (RFQ)], and economic comparisons were conducted. Repeated measures analysis observed no differences between cultivars or treatments for FM, PER, or CP. Bulldog 505 had superior TDN and RFQ values for 7 out of 11 total harvests. Plots with applied PL (2 or 4 ton acre−1) recorded greater TDN values than inorganic sources in 4 of 11 harvests. In 2018, Bulldog 505 produced the lowest cost per ton ($96.29 ton−1); in 2019, similar costs were observed between Bulldog 505 ($147.57 ton−1) and Bulldog 805 ($147.96 ton−1). Poultry litter sources resulted in the lowest cost per ton for both years of the trial.

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Alfalfa response to low potassium under different harvest regimes in Coastal Plains

Cited by 10 publications

References 25 publications

Potassium and Phosphorus Fertilizer Impacts on Alfalfa Taproot Carbon and Nitrogen Reserve Accumulation and Use During Fall Acclimation and Initial Growth in Spring

Potassium and Phosphorus Fertilizer Impacts on Alfalfa Taproot Carbon and Nitrogen Reserve Accumulation and Use During Fall Acclimation and Initial Growth in Spring

Transitional organic forage systems in the southeastern U.S.: Production and nutritive value

Impact of poultry litter application on alfalfa grown in Mississippi

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