Wednesday, November 7, 2007
296-20

Rajesh Chintala.

Rajesh Chintala1, Louis M. McDonald2, and William B. Bryan2. (1) West Virginia Univ., West Virginia University, 1102 Agricultural Sciences Building, Morgantown, WV 26506-6108, (2) Plant & Soil Sciences, West Virginia University, PO Box 6108, Morgantown, WV 26506-6108

Soil water potential plays a critical role in solublization and transport of minerals from applied fertilizers and amendments in soils and so should be considered when designing the package of practices for acidic hill land pastures. This study was conducted to quantify the critical growth factor interactions of water potential, nitrogen, and phosphorus to deduce a comprehensive prescription of site-specific management techniques to forage production in acidified hill land pastures of West Virginia. A pot experiment was set up with two water potentials, soils of five pH levels, four N and P fertilizer rates were imposed on blue grass (sole) and blue grass + white clover (mixed) cropping systems. The water potential was measured regularly as were soil solution pH, Ca, Mg, P, ammonium and nitrate. Dry matter yield and nutrient content were determined at the onset of flowering.