Nitrogen in the production of green and dry mass and the efficiency of nitrogen conversion and apparent recovery of pearl millet cultivars

Abstract

ABSTRACT:The potential of dry (DM) and green (GM) matter yield, plant nitrogen concentration (NC), apparent nitrogen conversion efficiency (NCE) and apparent N recovery (ANR) of pearl millet cultivars with nitrogen fertilization are analyzed. Current experiment was conducted in the municipality of Ceres GO Brazil, within the Cerrado (Brazilian savannah) biome. A 3x4x2 randomized factorial block design was employed, with three repetitions. Treatments were composed of three pearl millet cultivars (ADR-7010, ADR-500 and BRS-1501), four N doses (0, 50, 100 and 200 kg ha -1 ) and two sowing times (December and February). Plants from each seeding were harvested twice at a height of 0.70 m. There was a significant effect on the interaction between cultivars and N doses. GM yield of ADR-7010 cultivar increased up to 140 kg.ha -1 of N. There was a quadratic effect of N doses on DM yield, with maximum production at 158 kg ha -1 N. The quantity of N extracted by the plants varied according to the cultivar, with BRS-1501 accumulating the highest N quantities in the shoots. Maximum NC of pearl millet shoots would be achieved with 147 kg N ha -1 . The highest NCE occurred with N doses of 50 kg ha -1 , with a DM yield of 11.60 kg per kg of applied N. ANR was also highest for N doses of 50 kg ha -1 , with a 53% maximum recovery.

Biomass, Efficiency of Nitrogen Conversion and Nitrogen Recovery in Millet Cultivars Under Nitrogen Fertilization

“…The ANR was higher in ADR500 (78.76%), followed by ADR 7020 (42.68%) and LABH 70732 (21.18%) ( Table 2). This reinforces the physiological ability of this forage to absorb the available nitrogen in the soil solution as long as fertility is corrected, according to studies conducted by Silva et al (2012) and Buso et al (2015). On the other hand, the cultivars showed a difference in NCE.…”

“…The crude protein (CP) content of millet cultivars evaluated in the present study (mean of 9.54%) also resemble those found by Guimarã es Júnior et al (2010), who evaluated pearl millet genotypes for the ensiling process and found an average of 10.95% CP in the dry matter. Higher concentrations of CP in the millet crop (close to 20%) have already been reported by Silva (2012) and Buso et al (2015), but this was in a cut-off regime. Thus, the CP concentrations decrease with biomass accumulation, as a function of the maturity process of the forage crop, but this does not limit its use in animal feed.…”

Pearl Millet Production Practices in Brazil: A Review

“…Varietal variation in forage yield and quality is common, thus variety selection is an important management decision. Curvilinear increases in forage pearl millet yield and protein concentrations in response to nitrogen fertiliser application is common (Buso et al ., 2015; Heringer and Moojen, 2002).…”