Hybrid ryegrass response to acid soil treatment with calcitic and dolomitic lime |
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| Abstract: | Abstract Since ryegrass (Lolium sp.) is a widely grown cool‐season forage grass, its magnesium concentration is of special interest to ruminant livestock producers. This study was conducted to investigate the effect of calcitic or dolomitic lime addition on dry matter yield and mineral composition of hybrid ryegrass, Lolium (multiflorum x perenne x perenne) grown in eight acidic soils. Each soil received two levels of calcitic or dolomitic lime, L(C1) and L(C2) or L(D1) and L(D2), which raised pH to approximately 5.3, and 6.0. Dry matter yield response was obtained only in soils having an initial % Al saturation ≥59, % Mg saturation ≤10 and % Ca saturation ≤21. Only in one soil, which had an initial exchangeable Mg level of 0.05 cmolc/kg of soil, was response to dolomitic lime higher than that obtained with calcitic lime. Magnesium concentration in dry matter was increased by both levels of dolomitic lime with the increase dependent on the rate used and on the initial level of exchangeable Mg. The average Mg concentration increased from 0.8 to 3.9 g/kg, from 1.6 to 3.6 g/kg, and from 2.6 to 3.9 g/kg, when ryegrass was grown in soils having low, medium, and high initial exchangeable Mg levels, respectively. Mg concentration in the ryegrass tended to be lower in the unlimed soils than when calcitic lime was used, 1.1 vs. 1.4 g/kg, when the soils had low to medium exchangeable Mg levels. The results suggest that if ryegrass is to be grown in acidic soils containing low to medium levels of exchangeable Mg, the use of dolomitic lime is desirable, even if no yield response to applied Mg is expected, to decrease the probability of the Mg deficiency disease, hypomagnesemia, in ruminant animals. |
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