Nitrogen fixation and isotope composition of native and tame forage plants
Date
2010-02-24
Authors
Klabi, R.
Hamel, C.
Iwaasa, A.
Raies, A.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
ORCID
Type
Poster Presentation
Degree Level
Abstract
A plant mixture of alfalfa, purple prairie clover and 7 natives grass species: western wheatgrass,
northern wheatgrass, awned wheatgrass, Canada wildrye, green needle grass, little bluestem and
blue grama was established at the south farm (SPARC) in Saskatchewan in 2006. Legumes were
included in forage stands to sustain pasture production. The fixation of atmospheric derived
nitrogen for forage plants was estimated by the method natural abundance of 15N. This method
showed that The N2 fixation activity of both alfalfa and purple prairie clover was very important
in 2008. They fixed about 90 % of their nitrogen needs. Alfalfa was the good candidate to sustain
the production of high quality of forage because it increased the yield of native grass stand by
33 % and increased herbage stand protein by 45 % but this method is failed to detect fixed N in
grasses.
Description
Keywords
legumes-grass, alfalfa, natural method abundance
Citation
Degree
Department
Program
Advisor
Committee
Citation
Part Of
Soils and Crops Workshop