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Sources of magnesium for grassland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

S. McIntosh
Affiliation:
Soil Science Department, The Edinburgh School of Agriculture West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG
P. Crooks
Affiliation:
Soil Science Department, The Edinburgh School of Agriculture West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG
K. Simpson
Affiliation:
Soil Science Department, The Edinburgh School of Agriculture West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JG

Summary

In a 3-year field experiment, calcined magnesite, Epsom salt, magnesium ammonium phosphate and magnesian limestone gave only small and non-significant increases in yield of a mixed sward but increased the concentration of magnesium in the herbage at all 11 cuts. Magnesianlimestone increased plant magnesium concentrations less than calcined magnesite, magnesium ammonium phosphate or Epsom salt, all of which had a similar effect; each increment of calcined magnesite gave additional increases in magnesium concentration.

Concentration of magnesium in the plant dry matter increased as each season progressed and was linearly related to exchangeable magnesium. At an exchangeable soil magnesium of 1·4 m-equiv./100g soil, Mg concentrations doubled between the first and last cuts. Changes in magnesium concentrations caused by increasing the exchangeable soil magnesium from 0·7 to 1·4 m-equiv./100g soil were less than the seasonal effects.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1973

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References

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