Abstract
Current nitrogen (N) fertilizer recommendations for Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) seed production in northern Idaho are based on potential yield and annual precipitation. Soil test correlation information collected for other northern Idaho crops provide the basis for P, S and B recommendations. The objective of this paper is to assess the current recommendations with a series of forty field trials conducted on ten sites during four seed production seasons. All field trials were conducted on Alfisols and Mollisols initially containing less than 60 kg N/ha, 3.5 μg/g NaOAc extractable P, 40 kg extractable SO4‐S/ha and 0.5 μg/g extractable B. Fertilization rates evaluated included: 0, 50, 75, 100, 125, 150 and 200 kg N/ha; 0, 30 and 60 kg P2O5/ha; 0, 25, and 50 kg SO4‐S/ha, and 0 and 1.5 kg B/ha. Five field sites contained the cultivar ‘Argyle’ Kentucky bluegrass seed, while the other five sites contained the cultivar ‘South Dakota’.
Excellent relationships between percent maximum Kentucky bluegrass seed production and the sum of inorganic soil N + fertilizer N applied were observed for the ‘Argyle’ (R2=0.65) and ‘South Dakota’ (R2=0.72) cultivars. Phosphorus applications of 30 kg P2O5/ha improved seed yields from 10.0 to 51.6% when initial soil test values were less than 3.0 6 μg/g NaOAc extractable P. When initial SO4‐S soil values were less than 32 kg/ha fertilizer additions increased seed yields from 12.6 to 107.3%. Boron applications did not improve seed yields. Analysis of these trials indicates that adequate information is available to make satisfactory P, S and B fertilizer recommendations; however, additional soil test correlation information is needed for N recommendations.
Notes
Paper number 88–7–71 of the Idaho Agr. Experiment Station.