Element composition of ryegrass and red clover leaves during a growing season

Abstract

Young ryegrass and red clover leaf blades from clipped swards were sampled for mineral analysis throughout a growing season. Only calcium and phosphorus concentrations in ryegrass varied seasonally. In red clover during the spring, magnesium levels were lower and nitrogen levels were higher than those in the rest of the growing season. The concentrations of Mg, N, K, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu did not change seasonally in young ryegrass leaves and none of the elements determined in young leaf blades of red clover showed a seasonal trend.