Description
Crabgrass (Digitaria spp.) is an annual summer grass that can provide high-quality forage, but optimal management strategies are unclear. Our objective was to compare the yield and quality of crabgrass (Mojo and Quick-N-Big) under different nitrogen rates and harvest management. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with five treatments and three replications for each crabgrass variety, totaling fifteen experimental units for both Mojo and Quick-N-Big, in adjacent sites. Treatments were nitrogen rates (0, 100, and 200 lb N/acre) and harvest management (cut once or twice per year) for two growing seasons (2020 and 2021). Total forage accumulation (TFA) increased with nitrogen fertilization for both cultivars. Mojo had the highest TFA in the first year (7000 lb DM/a/yr) while Quick-N-Big TFA was the highest in the second year (7635 lb DM/a/yr). The highest crude protein (CP) content was obtained with the highest N dose, ranging from 10.5 to 13% for both cultivars. Based on these results, N fertilization and harvest management can contribute to improving forage yield and crude protein of crabgrass varieties during the growing season in forage systems.
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Nitrogen Fertilization and Harvest Management Improve Forage and Crude Protein Content in Crabgrass
Crabgrass (Digitaria spp.) is an annual summer grass that can provide high-quality forage, but optimal management strategies are unclear. Our objective was to compare the yield and quality of crabgrass (Mojo and Quick-N-Big) under different nitrogen rates and harvest management. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with five treatments and three replications for each crabgrass variety, totaling fifteen experimental units for both Mojo and Quick-N-Big, in adjacent sites. Treatments were nitrogen rates (0, 100, and 200 lb N/acre) and harvest management (cut once or twice per year) for two growing seasons (2020 and 2021). Total forage accumulation (TFA) increased with nitrogen fertilization for both cultivars. Mojo had the highest TFA in the first year (7000 lb DM/a/yr) while Quick-N-Big TFA was the highest in the second year (7635 lb DM/a/yr). The highest crude protein (CP) content was obtained with the highest N dose, ranging from 10.5 to 13% for both cultivars. Based on these results, N fertilization and harvest management can contribute to improving forage yield and crude protein of crabgrass varieties during the growing season in forage systems.
