Published March, 1950
Nutrient Competition in Plant Associations'
R. E. BLASER
AND N. C. BRADY
T HAS been observed frequently that the produc-
Itivi.ty and quality of pasture and meadow mix-
tures degenerate with time. This degeneration is often
associated with low production or depletion of legumes
in the mixtures. Additional knowledge concerning the
inter-relationships of physiological and ecological fac-
tors to the productivity and maintenance of legumes
is of paramount importance.
I T h e productivity of leguminous plants in mixtures
with grasses is known to be influenced by cultural,
climatic, and biological factors. Since plant species
do not react the same to a given combination of these
factors, changes in the species which make u p plant
associations are characteristically of a dynamic nature.
T h e species which tend to dominate in a given plant
mixtu-re are those that are affected most favorably by
the imposed and natural factors which influence the
growth rate.
Plan of Experiments
EXPERIMENT I
I t has been established that luxury consumption of potassium
occurs with grasses as well as with legumes. T h e possibility
exists, therefore, that luxury consnmption of potassium by an
associate species early in the year when the potassium supply is
relatively high might result in definite competition for potassium
later in the season.
I n order to investigate this problem a n experiment was set
np on an established Ladino clover-grass association. T h e effects
of mixtures of nitrogen and potassium fertilizers on aftermath
growth and nutrient uptake by the species were determined.
T h e experimental site chosen was in its fourth production
year and the productivity of the herbage was low. Originally,
the area had been sown with a mixture of Ladino, red clover,
alfalfa, and timothy. At the time the initial fertilizer applications
were made, however, the herbage consisted of approximately
GOVo timothy, 20% Kentucky bluegrass, 10% quack grass, 5%
Ladino clover, and 5n/, weeds. T h e herbage was cut for silage
in June 1947 after which the following fertilizer treatments were
applied on the surface.
1. 0 = N o treatment.
2. NK = 50 pounds of N and K,O per acre.
3. K = 50 pounds of K,O per acre.
4. 2K = 100 pounds of K,O per acre.
Phosphorus was applied uniformly over the area a t the rate
of 100 pounds of P,O, per acre. Ammonium nitrate and muriate
of potash were used as the sources of nitrogen and potash. T h e
lC,ontribution from the Department of Agronomy, New York
State. College of Agriculture of Cornell University, Ithaca, N. 1 '
.
Received for publication July 13, 1949.
2F'rofessor and assistant professor of agronomy, Cornell Uni-
versi ty.
3Figures in parenthesis refer to "Literature Cited", p. 135.
4All yields hereafter will be based on dry matter production in
pounds per acre.
aAll references to increases or decreases are based on statistical
significance.
128
fertilizer treatments were assigned at random to each of six
blocks. ?'he plots were 10 by 30 feet in size.
A 40-inch strip was cut lengthwise through each plot to
determine the yield of the herbage and to obtain samples for
botanical and chemical analyses. T h e total green weights were
taken after which two aliquots of 1,000 grams were carefully
taken from each plot. One aliquot was dried to compute total
dry matter production. T h e Ladino clover, grasses, and weeds in
the other aliquot were hand-separated and dried. These separates
from individual plots were used to compnte the yields per acre
of species components as well as for chemical analyses.
T h e herbage during the first season was cut to 1% inches when
a height of 6 to 8 inches was reached. Cuttings were made in this
manner to simulate grazing in a n attempt to keep light competi-
tion by the erect grasses at a minimum.
T h e first yield in 1948 was cut when the grasses were in a n
early bloom stage, after which nitrogen and potassium fertilizers
were applied as in 1947. T h e aftermath growth in 1948 was also
cut frequently to simulate grazing of the mixture.
T h e soil on which the experiment was located was a Langford
silty clay loam, which is characterized by imperfect drainage. T h e
levels of available calcium, phosphorus, and potassium as shown
by the methods of Peech and English (7)3 were 2,720, 2.5, and
41 pounds per acre, respectively. T h e p H of the soil was 6.7.
EXPERIMENT I1
Since the results from the above experiment were suggestive of
an interaction between the effects of nitrogen and potassium, a
factorial experiment including three levels of potash with each
of three levels of nitrogen was established on a n adjacent area.
T h e K,O rates were 0, 75, and 150 pounds per acre and the N
rates were 0, 50, and 100 pounds per acre. Nutrient sources were
the same as for Experiment I. T h e fertilizers were applied in two
equal split: applications in early spring and after the second
cutting. Phosphorus was applied at the rate of 75 pounds of
P,O, per acre with all treatments in the spring.
T h e treatments were replicated six times in a. split plot experi-
ment confounded on the K,O effect. T h e plots were 6 by 30
feet in size. T h e herbage was cnt when G to 8 inches high. T h e
sampling techniques for yield, botanical, and chemical determina-
tions were similar to those used for Experiment I.
Results and Discussion
EXPERIMENT I
Dry matter herbage yields of Ladino clover and
grasses Obtained during 1947 for the four simulated
grazing aftermath cuttings are given in Table The
fertilizers were applied after the silage crop was cut
in June. Increasing the K 2 0 applications from 0 to
50 to 100 pounds per acre consistently increased the
Ladino clover yields for each of the lour cuttings.5
The addition of nitrogen fertilizer had no effect
on the yield of Ladino clover in the first harvest. I n
each of three subsequent harvests, however, nitrogen
fertilizer consistently decreased the yield of this legume
(Compare NK and K treatments in Table 1).
There was no effect of potassium on grass yields at
any of the harvest dates. T h e addition of nitrogen,