Chlorophyll meter predicts nitrogen status of tall fescue

Abstract The nitrogen (N) status of a crop can be used to predict yield and supplemental N fertilizer requirements, and rapid techniques for evaluating the N status of crops are needed. A study was conducted to determine the feasibility of using a hand held chlorophyll meter (SPAD 502, Minolta Co. Ltd., Japan) to monitor N status of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.). Four diverse tall fescue genotypes were grown at three locations in Alabama and fertilized at four N‐rates from 0 to 336 kg ha‐1. A similar experiment was conducted in the greenhouse using soil from the same field sites. Chlorophyll meter readings (SPAD) were taken, and extractable chlorophyll content, tissue N concentration and dry matter yield were determined at harvest. SPAD, extractable chlorophyll content, tissue N concentration, and dry matter yield increased quadratically (0.67 < R2 < 0.99) with increasing N fertilization in both experiments. All genotypes responded similarly to applied N, with some differences in magnitude. Re...

[1]  C. W. Wood,et al.  Determination of cotton nitrogen status with a handheld chlorophyll meter , 1992 .

[2]  T. Yoneyama,et al.  Measurement of Leaf Color Scores and Its Implication to Nitrogen Nutrition of Rice Plants , 1989 .

[3]  M. Watson,et al.  Plant Analysis Handbook: A Practical Sampling, Preparation, Analysis, and Interpretation Guide , 1992 .

[4]  R. H. Fox,et al.  Use of a Chlorophyll Meter to Predict Sidedress Nitrogen Requirements for Maize , 1992 .

[5]  J. Cornell,et al.  Nitrate Monitoring for Cotton Lint Production on a Typic Paleudult1 , 1986 .

[6]  Gregory Wayne Roth,et al.  Plant tissue tests for predicting nitrogen fertilizer requirements of winter wheat , 1989 .

[7]  C. W. Wood,et al.  Determination of wheat nitrogen status with a hand‐held chlorophyll meter: Influence of management practices 1 , 1993 .

[8]  Tissue Nitrogen Levels For Dryland Hard Red Winter Wheat , 1990 .

[9]  N. Draper,et al.  Applied Regression Analysis , 1966 .

[10]  D. Porath,et al.  Chlorophyll determination in intact tissues using n,n-dimethylformamide. , 1980, Plant physiology.

[11]  H. D. Sunderman,et al.  Nitrate Concentration of Cotton Petioles as Influenced by Cultivar, Row Spacing, and N Application Rate1 , 1979 .

[12]  W. Inskeep,et al.  Extinction coefficients of chlorophyll a and B in n,n-dimethylformamide and 80% acetone. , 1985, Plant physiology.

[13]  Spring nitrogen fertilizer recommendation models for dryland hard red winter wheat , 1990 .