Relationships between fertilizer application and nutritional values of plants in natural pastures

Abstract

This study was carried out in natural pastures in Konya, Karaman, Aksaray and Nigde Provinces in Turkey. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of nitrogen fertilizers on plant nutritional values and plant numbers in the grassland plots. Nitrogen doses @ 0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 kg/da (1 da = 0.1 ha = 1000 square meter) were applied to pastures in the ammonium nitrate form. Number of plants in the plots and nutritional values of plants were monitored. Besides, dry matter (DM), digestible dry matter (DDM), crude protein (CP), digestible protein (DP) and ash contents were determined. The study revealed that Festuca ovina was the main plant of natural pastures. The number of plants increased upto 20 kg nitrogen/da. Similarly, nutritional values of plants also increased upto 20 kg nitrogen/da and thereafter they decreased.