• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
• /
• v.23 no.3
• /
• pp.169-178
• /
• 2003

This pot experiment was conducted to find out the effects of boron application($B_{0}$ ; control, $B_1$; 0.2, $B_2$; 2.0, B$_3$; 6.0, $B_4$; 15.0 boron me/pot) on the forage performance of pure and mixed cultures of orchardgrass and white clover. The third part was concerned with the changes in the contents and yields of nitrogen compounds(crude/pure protein and soluble N-compound) in forages. The results obtained are summarized as follows: 1. With no additional fertilization, especially nitrogen, in a pure culture, the $B_{0}$ and $B_4$ treatments on white clover decreased the amount of crude/pure protein, and showed nitrogen deficiency symptoms. However, the optimum boron application($B_2$) positively resulted in the increase of crude and pure protein, especially pure protein, and the content ratio of pure protein/soluble N-compounds. With additional fertilization, especially nitrogen, differences were not found among the boron treatments($B_{0}$, $B_2$, and $B_4$). 2. Owing to the decline of white clover as affected by the additional fertilization, especially nitrogen, in the grass-clover mixed cultures, the effects of B-application on these contents of white clover were different and relatively low, compared with the pure cultures. But the positive effect of $B_2$ treatment tended to be similar to the pure cultures. Also, it was recognized that the $B_2$ treatment resulted in the increase of their contents in orchardgrass, however, the effect was relatively minor compared with that of white clover. 3. The optimum B application(B$_2$) on white clover influenced relatively better on the yields of crude and pure protein than on the dry matter yields, especially with no additional fertilization. The effects of boron application on the contents and yields of crude and pure protein were different according to the forage species, whether it was a pure or mixed culture, and additional fertilization.