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Evaluation of Nontraditional Fertilizers for Bermudagrass Forage Yield
Dr. John Jennings, Professor, Kenny Simon, Program Associate, Dr. John Boyd, Professor, Dr. Leo Espinoza, Assistant Professor, and Dr. Shane Gadberry, Assistant Professor
High fertilizer prices have caused many producers to look for alternatives to reduce costs. Nontraditional fertilizers are being marketed with low recommended application rates making cost per acre appealing to producers. These products are often marketed based on testimonials with little or no research data for forage production. In the summer of 2008, we conducted a trial to compare three nontraditional fertilizers with urea, ammonium nitrate and liquid urea for effect on bermudagrass dry matter yield.
Methods: Fertilizer treatments were applied to 10' x 25' plots in a common bermudagrass hay meadow in Faulkner County, Arkansas. Treatments were applied on 6/27/08, and plots were harvested on 7/28/08 to simulate hay production and on 8/7/08 with subsequent harvest on 10/17/08 to simulate stockpiled bermudagrass pasture production. Rainfall occurred within 24 hours of fertilizer application for both dates. Plots were sprayed with 2,4-D on 6/27/08 for broadleaf weed control. Fertilizer treatments were ammonium nitrate, urea, liquid urea, Monty's Plant Food (analysis 8-16-8), Fish Emulsion (analysis 5-1-1) and Sea 90 Mineral (analysis at http://www.seaagri.com/). Application rates were ammonium nitrate, urea and liquid urea - 75 lb/acre of N; Fish Emulsion - 4 gallons/acre; Sea 90 Mineral - 2 lb/acre; and Monty's Plant Food - 1.5 pints/acre. The nontraditional products were foliar applied alone at labeled recommended rates and also in combination with urea at 75 lb/acre N. Nitrogen content and total nitrogen applied per acre for each product are shown in Table 1. All treatments and combinations were replicated four times. All plots received P and K fertilizer on 6/26/08 according to soil test recommendations for bermudagrass hay at a 4 ton/acre yield goal (x-92-240 per acre). Dry matter yield results are presented in Table 2.
Table 1. Nitrogen content and total nitrogen applied
for the fertilizer products used in this trial
Treatment
% N
lb N/unit
lb N applied/acre
Ammonium Nitrate 34% 680 lb/ton 75 lb/ton
Urea 46% 920 lb/ton 75
Liquid Urea 23% 2.5 lb/gal 75
Monty's Plant Food 8% 0.9 lb/gal 0.2
Fish Emulsion 5% 0.6 lb/gal 2.4
Sea 90 Mineral 0% 0 lb/ton 0
Table 2. Evaluation of nontraditional fertilizers
for bermudagrass yield
Treatment
July*
October
Total Yield
Dry Matter Yield (lb/acre)**
Ammonium Nitrate 3229 A 4244 A 7474 A
Urea 2872 AB 3722 AB 6595 AB
Liquid Urea (23% N) 2877 AB 3546 B 6423 AB
Urea + Monty's Plant Food 2919 AB 3412 B 6332 B
Urea + Fish Emulsion 2619 B 3670 AB 6289 B
Urea + Sea 90 Mineral 2913 AB 3300 B 6212 B
Monty's Plant Food 928 C 1526 C 2455 C
Fish Emulsion 965 C 1307 C 2273 C
Sea 90 Mineral 847 C 1178 C 2025 C
Untreated Check 745 C 1127 C 1873 C
* July: treatments applied 6/27/08 and harvested 7/28/08; October: treatments applied 8/7/08 and harvested 10/17/08.
** Treatments followed by the same letter are not significantly different at the 0.05 level.
Results: Bermudagrass dry matter yield for both harvests was significantly increased by application of N as ammonium nitrate, urea and liquid urea compared to the untreated check treatment (Table 2). Urea and liquid urea were not statistically different than ammonium nitrate but produced 10% to 16% less dry matter. Dry matter yield for Monty's Plant Food, Sea 90 Mineral or Fish Emulsion applied alone was not different than the untreated check treatment for either harvest. Addition of 75 lb/acre urea with these products did not increase dry matter yield over urea alone. The urea/fish emulsion combination yielded statistically less (19%) on the July harvest than ammonium nitrate, but the reason for this difference is not known. Results show that the nontraditional fertilizers (Monty's Plant Food, Sea 90 Mineral and Fish Emulsion) did not improve bermudagrass dry matter yield when applied alone or in combination with urea. Liquid urea and urea were effective for improving dry matter yield but produced 10% to 16% less bermudagrass dry matter than ammonium nitrate.
http://www.aragriculture.org/News/anima ... rmudagrass
The chart wouldn't show on here so this is the link.
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Dr. John Jennings, Professor, Kenny Simon, Program Associate, Dr. John Boyd, Professor, Dr. Leo Espinoza, Assistant Professor, and Dr. Shane Gadberry, Assistant Professor
High fertilizer prices have caused many producers to look for alternatives to reduce costs. Nontraditional fertilizers are being marketed with low recommended application rates making cost per acre appealing to producers. These products are often marketed based on testimonials with little or no research data for forage production. In the summer of 2008, we conducted a trial to compare three nontraditional fertilizers with urea, ammonium nitrate and liquid urea for effect on bermudagrass dry matter yield.
Methods: Fertilizer treatments were applied to 10' x 25' plots in a common bermudagrass hay meadow in Faulkner County, Arkansas. Treatments were applied on 6/27/08, and plots were harvested on 7/28/08 to simulate hay production and on 8/7/08 with subsequent harvest on 10/17/08 to simulate stockpiled bermudagrass pasture production. Rainfall occurred within 24 hours of fertilizer application for both dates. Plots were sprayed with 2,4-D on 6/27/08 for broadleaf weed control. Fertilizer treatments were ammonium nitrate, urea, liquid urea, Monty's Plant Food (analysis 8-16-8), Fish Emulsion (analysis 5-1-1) and Sea 90 Mineral (analysis at http://www.seaagri.com/). Application rates were ammonium nitrate, urea and liquid urea - 75 lb/acre of N; Fish Emulsion - 4 gallons/acre; Sea 90 Mineral - 2 lb/acre; and Monty's Plant Food - 1.5 pints/acre. The nontraditional products were foliar applied alone at labeled recommended rates and also in combination with urea at 75 lb/acre N. Nitrogen content and total nitrogen applied per acre for each product are shown in Table 1. All treatments and combinations were replicated four times. All plots received P and K fertilizer on 6/26/08 according to soil test recommendations for bermudagrass hay at a 4 ton/acre yield goal (x-92-240 per acre). Dry matter yield results are presented in Table 2.
Table 1. Nitrogen content and total nitrogen applied
for the fertilizer products used in this trial
Treatment
% N
lb N/unit
lb N applied/acre
Ammonium Nitrate 34% 680 lb/ton 75 lb/ton
Urea 46% 920 lb/ton 75
Liquid Urea 23% 2.5 lb/gal 75
Monty's Plant Food 8% 0.9 lb/gal 0.2
Fish Emulsion 5% 0.6 lb/gal 2.4
Sea 90 Mineral 0% 0 lb/ton 0
Table 2. Evaluation of nontraditional fertilizers
for bermudagrass yield
Treatment
July*
October
Total Yield
Dry Matter Yield (lb/acre)**
Ammonium Nitrate 3229 A 4244 A 7474 A
Urea 2872 AB 3722 AB 6595 AB
Liquid Urea (23% N) 2877 AB 3546 B 6423 AB
Urea + Monty's Plant Food 2919 AB 3412 B 6332 B
Urea + Fish Emulsion 2619 B 3670 AB 6289 B
Urea + Sea 90 Mineral 2913 AB 3300 B 6212 B
Monty's Plant Food 928 C 1526 C 2455 C
Fish Emulsion 965 C 1307 C 2273 C
Sea 90 Mineral 847 C 1178 C 2025 C
Untreated Check 745 C 1127 C 1873 C
* July: treatments applied 6/27/08 and harvested 7/28/08; October: treatments applied 8/7/08 and harvested 10/17/08.
** Treatments followed by the same letter are not significantly different at the 0.05 level.
Results: Bermudagrass dry matter yield for both harvests was significantly increased by application of N as ammonium nitrate, urea and liquid urea compared to the untreated check treatment (Table 2). Urea and liquid urea were not statistically different than ammonium nitrate but produced 10% to 16% less dry matter. Dry matter yield for Monty's Plant Food, Sea 90 Mineral or Fish Emulsion applied alone was not different than the untreated check treatment for either harvest. Addition of 75 lb/acre urea with these products did not increase dry matter yield over urea alone. The urea/fish emulsion combination yielded statistically less (19%) on the July harvest than ammonium nitrate, but the reason for this difference is not known. Results show that the nontraditional fertilizers (Monty's Plant Food, Sea 90 Mineral and Fish Emulsion) did not improve bermudagrass dry matter yield when applied alone or in combination with urea. Liquid urea and urea were effective for improving dry matter yield but produced 10% to 16% less bermudagrass dry matter than ammonium nitrate.
http://www.aragriculture.org/News/anima ... rmudagrass
The chart wouldn't show on here so this is the link.
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