Production and Spad Reading in Marandu Palisadegrass Fertilized with Nitrogen and Magnesium

Abstract

The increase in tropic grass production and its estimation by the SPAD value can be related to combined supply of nitrogen and magnesium. The objectives were to check the effect of magnesium (Mg) rates on the productive response of Marandu palisadegrass to nitrogen (N) rates; correlate the supply of N and Mg with the SPAD reading; establish the use of SPAD reading as a way of predicting the N and Mg concentrations in diagnostic leaves (DL) and shoot dry matter (SDM). The experiment was carried out in a greenhouse. Five N rates and five Mg rates were used in nutrient solutions, in a fractionated 5 × 5 factorial design with four replications. High N and Mg rates resulted in high dry mass yield and leaf area, in greater numbers of leaves and tillers. The correlations between SPAD reading and SDM, N and Mg in DL were high, high and low, respectively.

Keywords:

• Brachiaria brizantha
• diagnostic leaves
• leaf area
• macronutrient
• tiller