Authors: Nawa Raj Dhamala Jim Rasmussen Georg Carlsson Karen Søegaard Jørgen Eriksen
Publish Date: 2016/10/28
Volume: 413, Issue: 1-2, Pages: 217-230
Abstract
There is substantial evidence that legumederived Nitrogen N is transferred to neighboring nonlegumes in grassland mixtures However there is sparse information about how deep rooted nonlegume forage herbs forbs influence N transfer in multispecies grasslandsRed clover Trifolium pretense L was grown together with perennial ryegrass Lolium perenne L and one of three forb species chicory Cichorium intybus L ribwort plantain Plantago lanceolata L or caraway Carum carvi L in a field experiment During the first year after the establishment red clover leaves were labeled with 15Nurea to determine the N transfer from red clover to companion ryegrass and forbsOn an annual basis up to 15 of red clover N was transferred to the companion ryegrass and forbs but predominantly to the grass The forb species did not differ in their ability to take up clover N but biomass production and soil N acquisition was higher in chicory and plantain than in caraway
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