Element composition of ryegrass and white clover leafblades — seasonal variation in a continuously stocked pasture

Abstract

Concentrations of 12 elements—organic N, Ca, Mg, K, Na, P, Cl, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, and plant Si- have been determined monthly in ryegrass and white clover leafblades from a continuously stocked hill pasture. Seasonal concentration changes (up to 2-fold) were greatest for organic-N, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, and Mn in ryegrass leafblades and for Ca and Mg in clover leafblades. Leafblades of both ryegrass and clover from sheeptracks had slightly higher organicN (about a fifth) and lower Ca concentrations than leafblades from the intervening slopes. The concentrations of organic-N, K, and P were correlated with each other and were inversely correlated with Ca and Mg. It is likely that much of the seasonal variation in element concentrations was related to variation in the seasonal supply of N.

Keywords:

• elements
• pastures
• grazing lands
• leaves
• seasonal variation
• white clover
• ryegrass
• calcium
• magnesium
• potassium
• sodium
• phosphorus
• chlorine
• iron
• manganese
• zinc
• copper
• silicon
• nitrogen