Nitrogen fertilizer requirements of silage maize and sorghum-sudangrass grown after 4 years of alfalfa production in a semi-arid environment

Abstract

Background: This 2-year study sought to determine the influence of N application rates following alfalfa termination on biomass production and quality of the succeeding crops of maize (Zea mays L.) and sorghum-sudangrass (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench ×  Sorghum sudanense Piper) and quantify short-term changes in soil total N (TN) under the different systems.

Methods: Treatments were two silage maize hybrids (“LG5470” and “NK0388”) and two sorghum-sudangrass hybrids (“Super sugar” and “Sweet six”) for a total of four entries and three N application rates (0, 80, and 160 kg N ha^-1) in a 4 × 3 factorial in a randomized complete block design with four replications each.

Results: In the first year following termination of a 4-year alfalfa stand, no additional N was required for maize (22.9 Mg DM ha^-1, SE = 1.2) and sorghum-sudangrass (19.3 Mg DM ha^-1, SE = 1.2) biomass production. Total digestible nutrients (TDNs) of herbage biomass differed only in the second year, and TDNs in Year 2 were greater for the 160 kg N ha^-1 rate (675.2 g kg^-1 DM, SEM = 9.6) compared to the 0 kg N ha^-1 rate (638.2 g kg^-1 DM, SEM = 9.6).

Conclusions: The results from this study offer producers the opportunity to integrate a cropping system that will lead to significant N input cost savings, provide a reliable source of feed for the ruminant livestock industry, and promote long-term feed crop sustainability in semi-arid environments like Nevada and other similar regions worldwide.

Keywords

alfalfa termination / herbage biomass / herbage nutritive value / nitrogen rate / silage maize / silage sorghum-sudangrass / soil total nitrogen

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