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Nitrogen Nutrition and Growth Relations of Tall and Intermediate Wheatgrasses¹

Alkar tall wheatgrass, Agropyron elongatum (Host.) Beauv., and Greenar intermediate wheatgrass, A. intermedium (Host.) Beauv., grown separately in nutrient solutions to which NO₃^- had been added at 0, 0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 8.0, 16, or 32 meq of NO₃^- per liter. Other nutrients were present in ample amounts. The two grasses were grown concurrently in full greenhouse sunlight for 36 days. Total dry matter production (tops + roots) was significantly reduced with less than 4.0 meq of NO₃^- per liter. Average maximum top weight (oven-dry) was 2.02 g per plant for tall wheatgrass and 2.76 for intermediate wheatgrass. These top weights were obtained with 8, 16, or 32 meq of NO₃^- per liter. In a common and favorable environment, growth of intermediate wheatgrass was more rapid than that of tall wheatgrass.

Accumulation and distribution of nitrate-N varied slightly within the plants. At high NO₃^- treatments, matured blades of tall wheatgrass had the highest nitrate-N concentration (14,600 ppm) whereas stems of intermediate wheatgrass had the highest (16,000 ppm) concentration. Immature blades had the lowest nitrate-N concentration, about 8,200 and 9,200 ppm, respectively, for tall and intermediate wheatgrasses. Recently matured blades of intermediate wheatgrass had higher percentages of total-N, nonsoluble-N (protein-N), and crude protein than did those of tall wheatgrass. Soluble-N and nitrate-N concentrations were generally higher in tall wheatgrass than in intermediate wheatgrass.

The critical nitrate-N concentrations for growth of these two wheatgrasses is about 500 ppm nitrate-N in recently matured blade tissue, dry basis.

Key Words: Nitrate-N concentrations • Nitrogen deficiency symptoms • Nitrogen fractions

² Range Scientists, Crops Research Division, ARS, USDA; and Plant Physiologist, Department of Soils and Plant Nutrition, University of California, Berkeley. Present address of first author: San Joaquin Experimental Range, Pacific S. W. Forest and Range Exp. Sta., Forest Service, USDA, Coarsegold, Calif. 93614.