Title: A study in West Tennessee to nutritionally compare herbicide treated and non-herbicide treated bermudagrass pastures
Abstract: Cattle and horse producers in the Western Kentucky / Western Tennessee area depend heavily on forages to feed their livestock. Many of these farmers provide mineral supplementation without having tested the forages to see if mineral quality was sufficient for the animals' needs. In addition, cattlemen spray these fields to control weed growth (weed being any plant that was not the desired product). In this study, bermudagrass pastures that contained weeds were compared to a control field that had been sprayed for weeds in order to determine 1) if spraying was a necessary option, and 2) whether these weeds were in competition with the bermudagrass for desired nutrients. Samples were collected by hand cutting the samples, and a sample of each weed type was dug up to photograph the root systems. Samples were sorted into bermudagrass and weeds, dried and sent to a lab for testing of mineral content, CP and TDN. Statistical analysis was performed using Welch's unpaired t-test. No significant difference (P > 0.05) was determined between control bermudagrass and weedy bermudagrass for nitrogen, crude protein, potassium, magnesium, boron, iron, and aluminum. When comparing the weeds to the control, no significant difference was found for nitrogen, TDN, potassium, magnesium, calcium, iron, copper, and aluminum. Once the weed samples were combined with the bermudagrass, and compared to the control, no significant difference was found for nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, calcium, and aluminum. Root systems were determined to be in competition with the bermudagrass when the weeds were within a grass family. Other root systems were determined to be tap root systems which delve deeper for the nutrients, and therefore do not compete directly with the bermudagrass. Further study is needed to determine if spraying of weedy pastures is truly necessary. [Claxton, Angela (2012). A study in West Tennessee to nutritionally compare herbicide treated and non-herbicide treated bermudagrass pastures. Unpublished Masters Thesis, Murray State University, 85 pages] ${imageDescription} Comment