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Development of Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System Norms for Bahiagrass

Agric. Res. and Education Center, Univ. of Florida, Ona, FL 33865

R. J. Stephenson

Fort Hays State Univ., Fort Hays, K.S

^* Corresponding author.

Bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flugge) is grown on more pasture land in Florida than all other pasture-grasses combined. Despite the large amount of bahiagrass grown annually, there is a surprising lack of information concerning the nutrient requirements of bahiagrass-pastures. Currently, fertilizer recommendations for all nutrients, especially micronutrients. The Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System (DRIS) was developed to make an interpretation from the results of the chemical analysis of a plant tissue sample from which an accurate fertilizer recommendation could be riade. The DRIS represents a holistic approach to interpreting tissue analyses. This study was conducted to develop DRIS norms for bahiagrass-pastures and to evaluate the accuracy of those norms. A database, from which the DRIS norms were determined, was assembled by collecting 857 bahiagrass-pasture samples from ongoing bahiagrass field fertility trials located in nine counties throughout central Florida and analyzing the samples for N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, and Cu. At the time of sampling, forage yields were also determined. When DRIS norms were applied to data from an independent study in which bahiagrass was grown in greenhouse solution culture, known nutrient deficiencies were accurately diagnosed. The nutrients limiting bahiagrass forage yields in a fertility trial conducted under field conditions were also correctly identified by the DRIS interpretation of the tissue analyses. The results obtained during this study indicate that the DRIS can be successfully applied to bahiagrass grown and sampled under a wide range of conditions. Therefore, it appears that the DRIS developed for bahiagrass can provide very useful information from which nutrient deficiencies can be readily and correctly identified and more accurate fertilization programs can be developed for bahiagrass-pastures.

Received for publication May 19, 1989.