Abstract
A young plant of Dallisgrass was cultivated early in May 1962, in the center of an earthern pipe (60cm in diameter, 90cm in depth) buried in the field. This pipe was filled with alluvial sandy loam developed from the Ashida River which flows through Fukuyama city, Hiroshima Prefecture. Ammonium sulfate, superphosphate and potassium chloride were applied 1.2kg per one are as N, P_2O_5 and K_2O respectively. Three cutting dates were July 11th (I), August 20th (II) and September 24th (III). Nitrogen application increased the growth and yield, and a combination of fertilizers resulted in yields greater than was obtained with nitrogen. The content of various kinds of chemical constituents was greater in the leaves and culms than in the ears through the three cutting periods, while the content of crude fider was greater in the ears than in the leaves and culms. The content of moisture, nitrogen, crude protein, crude fat and potassium was greatest in I and III periods and less in II period, while crude fiber was greatest in II period. Increased precipitation caused the crude protein and calcium contents to increase and the crude fiber and phosphoric acid contents to decrease. A twofold application of nitrogen and potassium respectively or simultaneously caused the growth to increase. The yield of leaves and clums was increased by a twofold application of nitrogen and the ears by a similiar application of potassium. The content of nitrogen and crude protein was increased by a two-fold application of nitrogen, but was not effected by a potassium application. The content of crude fat and crude fiber was decreased by the twofold applications of nitrogen and potassium. The ratio K/Ca+Mg in Dallisgrass is 2.20 m.e., and its value is as high as that of timothy or rice straw when compared with the ratios of many kinds of feed stuffs. The ratio is increased further by potassium fertilization, but decreased by nitrogenous fertilization. Dallisgrass grows favorably in summer and may be a very suitable feed crop for grazing pasture in locals of high temperature and little precipitation as in the southwestern part of Japan.
