REFERENCE SUFFICIENCY RANGES
FORAGES AND HAY CROPS

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Coastal Bermuda

C. O. Plank and C. R. Campbell

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• Critical Values

  See Remarks.

• Sampling Procedures

  Sample the upper half of the plant prior to seed head formation.

• Sufficiency Ranges
  
  

  Macronutrients
  N	P	K	Ca	Mg	S
  2.00–2.60%	0.20–0.40%	1.50–2.30%	0.25–0.50%	0.10–0.25%	0.15–0.25%

  
  

  Micronutrients
  Fe	Mn	Zn	Cu	B
  50–200 ppm	20–300 ppm	15–70 ppm	4–20 ppm	5–15 ppm

  
  

  Important Ratios

  N:S = 12 to 16:1 for medium- to high-intensity forage production.

• DRIS Norms
  
  DRIS norms are given in Kelling and Matocha (1990) and Tarpley and others (1985). Tarpley's data are as follows:
  
  

  Nutrient Ratio	Mean	CV (%)
  N/P	10.11	11.92
  N/S	11.85	16.59
  N/Ca	7.61	11.60
  N/Mg	14.94	14.75
  K/N	0.71	17.74
  P/K	0.14	21.87
  S/P	0.87	17.57
  P/Ca	0.76	9.65
  P/Mg	1.48	11.37
  S/K	0.12	21.82
  K/Ca	5.37	17.54
  K/Mg	10.70	25.10
  Ca/Mg	1.97	11.92
  S/Ca	0.65	15.02
  S/Mg	1.29	18.78

• Remarks

  The lower limit of the sufficiency ranges reported above are similar to some reported critical values (~90% relative yield). Using 90% relative yield as the lower limit of the sufficiency range for Coastal bermuda is most practical for interpreting plant analysis data. This is due to the rather flat slope of the response curves for most fertilizer elements. Thus, setting the lower limit of the sufficiency range at 100% relative yield would not be economically or environmentally sound. This is particularly true with nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.

• References

  Adams WE, White AW, McCreery RA, Dawson RN. 1967. "Coastal" bermudagrass forage production and chemical composition as influenced by potassium source, rate, and frequency of application. Agron J 59:247–50.

  Day JL, Parker MB. 1985. Fertilizer effects on crop removal of P and K in "Coastal" bermudagrass forage. Agron J 77:110–4.

  Eichorn, MM Jr, Nelson BD, Amacher MC, Hallmark WB, Brant MR, Bartkiewicz SA, Devold L, Fontenot JD. 1987. Effects of fertilizer on potassium on Coastal bermudagrass grown on Coastal Plain soil. Baton Rouge (LA): Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station. Bulletin 782. 73 p.

  Kelling KA, Matocha JE. 1990. Plant analysis as an aid in fertilizing forage crops. In: Westerman RL, editor. Soil testing and plant analysis. 3rd. ed. Madison (WI): Soil Science Society of America. p 603–43.

  Nelson LR, Keisling TC, Rouquette FM Jr. 1983. Potassium rates and sources for "Coastal" bermudagrass. Soil Sci Soc Am J 47:963–6.

  Plank CO. 1989. Plant analysis handbook for Georgia. Athens (GA): University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service. 64 p.

  Sedberry JE, Amacher MC, Bligh DP, Curtis OD. 1987. Plant-tissue analysis as a diagnostic aid in crop production. Baton Rouge (LA): Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station. Bulletin 783. 15 p.

  Tarpley ML, Robinson DL, Gustavson BK, Eichorn MM Jr. 1985. The DRIS for interpretation of Coastal bermudagrass analysis. Commun Soil Sci Plant Anal 16:1335–48.

  Walker ME, Keisling TC, Marchant WH. 1979. A comparison of solid and liquid fertilizer for "Coastal" bermudagrass hay production. Soil Sci Soc Am J 43:597–601.

  Wilkinson SR, Langdale GW. 1974. Fertility needs of the warm-season grasses. In: Mays DA, editor. Forage fertilization. Madison (WI): American Society of Agronomy. p 119–45.

Electronic Document Prepared by:
Catherine Stokes, Communication Specialist
Agronomic Division of the N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. July 2000.