Effects of nitrogen application on Phleum pretense pasture's forage yield and quality

By measuring forage production and nutrient of Phleum pretense under different nitrogen application rates during the heading, flowering, early seeding, late seeding and regeneration stage, the effect of nitrogen application rate on the yield and quality of P. pretense was analyzed in Yili, Xinjiang. The results showed that nitrogen application could significantly increase hay yield and crude protein (P<0.05). When the nitrogen application rate was 270 kg·ha-1, hay yield reached 7 133.6 kg·ha-1 which increased by 44.1% comparing with the yield of control (4 952.2 kg·ha-1). When nitrogen application rate was 180 kg·ha-1, crude protein content reached 6.48% which increased by 2.05 percentage points comparing with the content of control (4.43%). Plant height of P. pretense increased with nitrogen application rate increasing. The higher the rate of nitrogen, the lower the nitrogen use efficiency. The results indicated that nitrogen 270 kg·ha-1 is the most beneficial to increase forage production of four fertilizer level, and nitrogen 180 kg·ha-1 is the most beneficial to improve nutritional quality.