Vol.4, No.9, 455-465 (2013) Agricultural Sciences
http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/as.2013.49061
Productivity and nutritive quality of dallisgrass
(Paspalum dilatatum) as influenced by cutting height
and rate of fertilization with poultry litter or
commercial fertilizer
Elias J. Bungenstab1*, Adolfo C. Pereira Jr.2, John C. Lin3, James L. Holliman3,
Russell B. Muntifering3
1Van Beek Nutrition, Pocatello, USA; *Corresponding Author:
2Elanco Animal Health, Greenfield, USA
3Department of Animal Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, USA
Received 30 June 2013; revised 30 July 2013; accepted 15 August 2013
Copyright © 2013 Elias J. Bungenstab et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution Li-
cense, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
ABSTRACT
Dallisgrass (Paspalum dilatatum) is well adapted
to the Black Belt region of the southeastern US,
and information on its productivity and nutritive
quality as influenced by fertility is needed. In
each yr of a 2-yr study, an existing dallisgrass
pasture that had been subdivided into 48 plots
of 9.3 m2 each was fertilized with the equivalent
of 34 (34N ), 67 (6 7 N), 10 1 (101 N ) or 13 4 (134N) kg
N/ha from poultry litter (PL) or commercial fer-
tilizer (CF; NH4NO3). In both years, primary-
growth and vegetative regrowth forage was
harvested in mid-August and late September,
respectively, and forage from each harvest was
clipped to either a 5- or 10-cm stubble height.
Forage cut to a 5-cm height yielded 71% more (P
< 0.001) DM than forage cut to a 10-cm height,
but forage dry matter (DM) yields were not dif-
ferent between CF and PL treatments across
years and fertilization rates. Concentration of
crude protein (CP) was greater (P = 0.002) for CF
than PL forage and increased for both fertilizer
sources with increasing rates of N application.
Forage concentrations of cell-wall constituents
were not different between CF and PL treat-
ments. Forage amended with CF had a higher
concentration of Ca, Mg and Mn than PL-amen-
ded forage; however, forage amended with PL
had a higher concentration of P and K than
CF-amended forage. There was no effect of fer-
tilizer source on forage concentration of Al, Cu
or Zn. Results indicate that PL and CF were
comparable for supporting productivity and nu-
tritive quality of dallisgrass on Black Belt soils.
Keywords: Dallisgrass; Productivity; Nutritive
Quality; Poultry Litter
1. INTRODUCTION
Dallisgrass, Paspalum dilatatum, is a warm-season
perennial grass indigenous to South America, primarily
Uruguay, Argentina and southern Brazil [1]. According
to Chase [2], it was first reported in the USA in 1840,
collected in Louisiana, and named for Abner T. Dallis of
La Grange, GA [3]. Dallisgrass represents just 10% of
the perennial warm-season grassland acreage in the State
of Alabama, where its major uses are for pasture, hay and
silage [4]. It responds well to fertilization with N up to
134 kg/ha, and optimally to P and K based on soil test.
Furthermore, dallisgrass tolerates frequent defoliation
better and maintains its forage quality longer into the
growing season than many other commonly utilized per-
ennial C4 grasses [5,6].
The influence of sward height on ingestive behavior
and intake of dallisgrass by cattle has been documented
in a number of studies [7-10]. Less extensively studied is
the resilience of dallisgrass to forage and grazing-animal
management practices that result in low stubble heights
and significantly reduced photosynthetic leaf area and
carbohydrate reserves for production of vegetative re-
growth.
Productivity of pastureland in response to fertilization
can be expected to differ for different fertilizer sources,
soil types, forage species and meteorological conditions.

E. J. Bungenstab et al. / Agricultural Sciences 4 (2013) 455-465
456
In the case of poultry litter, there is currently a very li-
mited body of systems-level knowledge that producers
can use in management decisions, litter application rate
adjustments, and prescription techniques for controlling
and maximizing nutrient-use efficiency in forage-based
beef cattle production systems. In the Black Belt region
of Alabama, depressed agricultural economies stem in
part from oftentimes poor soil fertility in pasture, hay-
fields and row crops. Economical transportation of poul-
try litter could enable export of litter from areas of inten-
sive poultry production to the Black Belt region for use
as a cost-effective alternative to commercial fertilizer on
pasturelands. For these reasons, we conducted a field-
plot study to determine the primary productivity and nu-
tritive quality of dallisgrass as influenced by rates of fer-
tilization with poultry litter or commercial fertilizer.
2. MATERIALS AND METHODS
2.1. Site Characteristics
The experimental site was an existing dallisgrass pas-
ture located at the Black Belt Research and Extension
Center in Marion Junction, AL (32.5˚ lat., 87.2˚ long., 61
m elev.). The pasture had been utilized for grazing prior
to 1990, and since 1990 it has been utilized for hay pro-
duction. In 2001 to 2004, the pasture was over-seeded in
the fall with oats and received 67 kg of N/ha in the
spring and early summer of each yr prior to the experi-
ment. The soil beneath the pasture is a clayey loam with
a mean pH of 7.9. Mean annual temperature at the site is
17.6˚C, and mean annual precipitation is 1400 mm. Pre-
cipitation and temperature were recorded daily through-
out the experiment.
2.2. Treatments
Forage in the pasture was clipped to a height of 10 cm
on July 17, 2006, and the study area was subdivided into
48 plots of 9.3 m2 each (1.5 m × 6.1 m). Each plot re-
ceived the equivalent of 34 (34N), 67 (67N), 101 (101N)
or 134 (134N) kg N/ha from either poultry litter (PL;
2.75% N, air-dry basis) or commercial fertilizer (CF;
35% N as NH4NO3). Commercial fertilizer was applied
to half of the plots utilizing a tractor and spreader, and
PL was applied manually to the remaining half of the
plots. The PL consisted of wood shavings and manure
collected from chicken houses in North Alabama. Prior
to transport to the research site, PL was ground to pass a
5-mm screen in a hammer mill and stored in a sealed
container under refrigeration. In order to facilitate its
transportation to the research site and application to field
plots, PL was pre-weighed into paper bags in quantities
of 1.14, 2.27, 3.41 and 4.54 kg that corresponded to 1222
(34N), 2443 (67N), 3665 (101N), and 4887 (134N) kg
poultry litter/ha, respectively.
Half of the plots within each fertilizer source × appli-
cation-rate treatment (n = 3) were assigned to above-
ground clipping heights of either 5 or 10 cm that simu-
lated different intensities of grazing management. In or-
der to minimize the influence of environmental condi-
tions external to the study area, 12 border plots were
maintained around the experimental plots. Border plots
received 34N from CF and were clipped to the same
height as the study plots to which they were contiguous.
2.3. Forage Harvesting, Sampling and
Laboratory Analyses
Forage was clipped with a flail-chopping mower when
it achieved a mean target height of 20 cm on August 21,
and then again on September 25. Harvested forage was
collected into plastic baskets and immediately weighed
on a portable field scale. Samples of forage from each
plot were placed into tared paper bags, weighed, dried at
55˚C for 72 hr and ground to pass a 1-mm screen in a
Wiley mill. Forage concentrations of crude protein (CP =
N × 6.25) and dry matter (DM) were determined accord-
ing to procedures of AOAC [11], and concentrations of
neutral detergent fiber (NDF), acid detergent fiber (ADF)
and acid detergent lignin (ADL) were determined se-
quentially according to the procedures of Van Soest et al.
[12]. Concentrations of P, K, Ca, Mg, Al, Cu, Fe, Mn and
Zn were measured using inductively coupled argon
plasma (ICAP) spectroscopy according to the procedures
of Olsen and Sommers [13].
The experiment was repeated in 2007, at which time
forage in each plot was clipped to a height of 10 cm on
April 23, amended with the same fertilization treatments
as those applied in 2006, and harvested on August 16 and
then again on September 27 at the same clipping heights
as those assigned in 2006.
2.4. Statistical Analyses
Data were analyzed by analysis of variance for a com-
pletely randomized design with a 2 × 2 × 4 factorial ar-
rangement of treatments (3 replicates/treatment) in which
harvest was treated as a repeated measure using the PROC
MIXED procedures of SAS and standard leastsquares
model fit [14]. Components of the statistical model in-
cluded clipping height, fertilizer source, fertilizer appli-
cation rate and their two- and three-way interactions
treated as fixed effects, and year treated as a random ef-
fect. Plot was considered the experimental unit. All data
are reported as least squares means ± SE, and the sig-
nificance level was preset at P < 0.10 for all analyses.
3. RESULTS
3.1. Temperature and Precipitation
Monthly mean air temperatures (Table 1) approxi-

E. J. Bungenstab et al. / Agricultural Sciences 4 (2013) 455-465 457
mated or were slightly higher than 30-yr averages for
Marion Junction, AL in July, August and September of
2006 and 2007, but monthly total precipitation was 42%,
69% and 26% of average for July, August and September,
respectively, in 2006, and was 55%, 75% and 67% of
average, respectively, for the these three months in 2007.
3.2. Dry Matter Yield
Forage cut to a 5-cm height yielded 71% more (P <
0.001) DM than forage cut to a 10-cm height (Ta b le 2).
There was no difference in DM yield between fertil-
izer-source treatments; however, the 134N treatment
yielded one-third more DM than the 34N (P = 0.015) and
67N (P = 0.012) treatments.
3.3. Crude Protein
There was no difference (P = 0.71) in forage concen-
Table 1. Monthly mean air temperatures for 2006 and 2007,
and 30-yr averages at Marion Junction, AL.
Mean, ˚C Avg. Precipitation, mm
Month 2006 2007 30-yr 2006 200730-yr
Jan 11 8 7 105 93 149
Feb 8 7 9 136 54 119
Mar 14 16 13 60 39 163
Apr 21 16 17 23 34 123
May 22 23 22 90 3 104
Jun 26 27 26 28 101 113
Jul 29 27 27 54 70 129
Aug 29 30 27 58 64 85
Sep 24 25 24 26 67 100
Oct 18 20 18 85 66 75
Nov 12 12 13 173 39 111
Dec 9 11 8 124 58 128
Table 2. Forage DM yield (kg/ha) from dallisgrass amended
with commercial fertilizer (CF) or poultry litter (PL) at 4 rates
of N application and clipped to a 5- or 10-cm height.
Clipping height 5 cm 10 cm
N application rate, kg/ha CF PL CF PL
Mean
34 934 785 450 386640a
67 846 804 452 408627a
101 907 898 639 491734ab
134 957 1,031 682 676836b
Mean 911 879 556 490
Clipping-height mean 895c 523d
a,bWithin a column, means without a common superscript differ (P = 0.04;
SEM = 126; n = 48). c,dWithin a row, means without a common superscript
differ (P < 0.001; SEM = 119; n = 96).
tration of CP between clipping-height treatments (Table
3). However, forage amended with CF had 0.8 percen-
tage unit higher (P = 0.002) concentration of CP than
PL-amended forage. Forage receiving 134N had 1.2 and
0.8 percentage units higher concentration of CP than the
34N (P = 0.001) and 67N (P = 0.035) treatments, respec-
tively, but was not different (P = 0.21) from the 101N
treatment. Forage receiving 101N had 0.7 percentage
unit higher (P = 0.039) CP concentration than 34N, but
was not different (P = 0.37) from the 67N treatment.
3.4. Neutral Detergent Fiber
Clipping forage to a 10-cm height resulted in a 0.9
percentage-unit increase (P = 0.02) in NDF concentra-
tion compared with clipping to a 5-cm height (Ta ble 4).
A clipping height × fertilizer source interaction (P = 0.06)
was observed such that forage amended with PL and
clipped to a 10-cm height had 1.0 and 1.7 percentage
units higher NDF concentration than forage clipped to a
5-cm height and amended with CF (P = 0.06) and PL (P
= 0.003), respectively.
Table 3. Concentration of CP (%, DM basis) in dallisgrass
amended with commercial fertilizer (CF) or poultry litter (PL)
at 4 rates of N application and clipped to a 5- or 10-cm height.
Fertilizer source CF PL
N application rate, kg/ha5 cm10 cm 5 cm 10 cm
Mean
34 9.8 9.2 8.7 9.0 9.2a
67 10.39.7 9.2 9.2 09.6ab
101 10.610.1 9.3 9.7 09.9bc
134 10.810.9 9.9 9.9 10.4c
Mean 10.410.0 9.3 9.4
Fertilizer-source mean10.2d 9.4e
a,b,cWithin a column, means without a common superscript differ (P = 0.009;
SEM = 0.3; n = 48). d,eWithin a row, means without a common superscript
differ (P = 0.002; SEM = 0.2; n = 96).
Table 4. Concentration of NDF (%, DM basis) in dallisgrass
amended with commercial fertilizer (CF) or poultry litter (PL)
at 4 rates of N application and clipped to a 5- or 10-cm height.
Clipping height 5 cm 10 cm
N application rate, kg/haCF PL CF PL
Mean
34 67.166.3 67.3 68.767.4
67 66.666.4 67.4 66.966.8
101 65.967.0 66.8 67.666.8
134 67.164.5 65.9 67.866.3
Mean 66.7a66.0a 66.8ab 67.7b
Clipping-height mean 66.4c 67.3d
a,bWithin a row, means without a common superscript differ (P = 0.06; SEM
= 1.7; n = 48). c,dWithin a row, means without a common superscript differ
(P = 0.02; SEM = 1.7; n = 96).

E. J. Bungenstab et al. / Agricultural Sciences 4 (2013) 455-465
458
3.5. Acid Detergent Fiber
Forage clipped to a 10-cm height had 0.8 percentage
unit higher (P = 0.002) concentration of ADF than forage
clipped to a 5-cm height (Table 5). Forage receiving
134N had 1.1 and 0.7 percentage units lower ADF con-
centration than the 34N (P = 0.001) and 67N (P = 0.06)
treatments, respectively. Forage receiving 101N had 0.6
percentage unit lower (P = 0.09) ADF concentration than
the 34N treatment, but was not different from the 67N (P
= 0.66) or 134N (P = 0.13) treatments.
3.6. Acid Detergent Lignin
Clipping forage to a 5-cm height resulted in a 0.2 per-
centage-unit increase (P = 0.08) in ADL concentration
compared with clipping to a 10-cm height (Ta ble 6). A
clipping height × fertilizer source interaction (P = 0.08)
was observed such that forage amended with CF and
clipped to a 5-cm height had 0.4, 0.5 and 0.4 percentage
units higher ADL concentration than PL-amended forage
clipped to a 5-cm height (P = 0.04), CF-amended forage
clipped to a 10-cm height (P = 0.02), and PL-amended
forage clipped to a 10-cm height (P = 0.04), respectively.
Table 5. Concentration of ADF (%, DM basis) in dallisgrass
amended with commercial fertilizer (CF) or poultry litter (PL)
at 4 rates of N application and clipped to a 5- or 10-cm height.
Clipping height 5 cm 10 cm
N application rate, kg/ha CF PL CF PL
Mean
34 33.8 33.9 34.4 35.034.3a
67 33.8 33.7 34.1 33.8 33.9ab
101 33.0 33.7 34.0 34.1 33.7bc
134 33.2 31.8 33.6 34.133.2c
Mean 33.5 33.3 34.0 34.3
Clipping-height mean 33.4d 34.2e
a,b,cWithin a column, means without a common superscript differ (P = 0.015;
SEM = 0.3; n = 48). d,eWithin a row, means without a common superscript
differ (P = 0.002; SEM = 0.2; n = 96).
Table 6. Concentration of ADL (%, DM basis) in dallisgrass
amended with commercial fertilizer (CF) or poultry litter (PL)
at 4 rates of N application and clipped to a 5- or 10-cm height.
Clipping height 5 cm 10 cm
N application rate, kg/ha CF PL CF PL
Mean
34 4.2 3.9 3.7 3.83.9
67 4.2 3.8 3.8 3.73.9
101 4.3 3.7 3.6 3.93.9
134 4.2 3.8 3.9 3.83.9
Mean 4.2a 3.8b 3.7b 3.8b
Clipping-height mean 4.0c 3.8d
a,bWithin a row, means without a common superscript differ (P = 0.08; SEM
= 0.1; n = 48). c,dWithin a row, means without a common superscript differ
(P = 0.08; SEM = 0.1; n = 96).
3.7. Calcium
Forage clipped to a 10-cm height had 0.05 percentage
unit lower (P < 0.001) concentration of Ca than forage
clipped to a 5-cm height (Table 7). There was a 0.03
percentage unit higher (P = 0.003) concentration of Ca in
forage amended with CF (0.49%) than PL (0.46%), but
there were no differences (P = 0.63) in forage concentra-
tion of Ca among N application-rate treatments.
3.8. Phosphorus
Forage clipped to a 5-cm height had 0.01 percentage
unit higher (P = 0.01) concentration of P than forage
clipped to a 10-cm height (Table 8). There was a 0.01
percentage unit higher (P < 0.001) concentration of P in
forage amended with PL (0.18%) than CF (0.17%), but
forage concentrations of P were not different (P = 0.68)
among N application-rate treatments. A clipping height ×
fertilizer source interaction (P = 0.06) was observed such
that forage amended with PL and clipped to a 5-cm
height had 0.02, 0.03 and 0.02 percentage unit higher
concentration of P than CF-amended forage clipped to a
5-cm height (P < 0.001), CF-amended forage clipped to a
Table 7. Concentration of Ca (%, DM basis) in dallisgrass
amended with commercial fertilizer (CF) or poultry litter (PL)
at 4 rates of N application and clipped to a 5- or 10-cm height.
Clipping height 5 cm 10 cm
N application rate, kg/haCF PL CF PL
Mean
34 0.50 0.51 0.46 0.430.48
67 0.52 0.50 0.46 0.440.48
101 0.51 0.48 0.47 0.420.47
134 0.49 0.47 0.48 0.420.46
Mean 0.51 0.49 0.47 0.43
Clipping-height mean 0.50a 0.45b
a,bWithin a row, means without a common superscript differ (P < 0.001;
SEM = 0.01; n = 96).
Table 8. Concentration of P (%, DM basis) in dallisgrass
amended with commercial fertilizer (CF) or poultry litter (PL)
at 4 rates of N application and clipped to a 5- or 10-cm height.
Clipping height 5 cm 10 cm
N application rate, kg/haCF PL CF PL
Mean
34 0.180.18 0.17 0.170.18
67 0.170.19 0.16 0.170.17
101 0.160.19 0.16 0.170.17
134 0.160.18 0.17 0.180.17
Mean 0.17ab 0.19c 0.16a 0.17b
Clipping-height mean 0.18d 0.17e
a,b,cWithin a row, means without a common superscript differ (P = 0.06;
SEM = 0.01; n = 48). d,eWithin a row, means without a common superscript
differ (P = 0.01; SEM = 0.01; n = 96).

E. J. Bungenstab et al. / Agricultural Sciences 4 (2013) 455-465 459
10-cm height (P < 0.001), and PL-amended forage
clipped to a 10-cm height (P = 0.002), respectively. Also,
forage amended with PL and clipped to a 10-cm height
had 0.01 percentage unit higher (P < 0.08) concentration
of P than forage clipped to a 10-cm height and amended
with CF.
3.9. Potassium
Forage clipped to a 10-cm height had 0.07 percentage
unit higher (P = 0.001) concentration of K than forage
clipped to a 5-cm height (Table 9). There was a 0.29
percentage unit higher (P < 0.001) concentration of K in
forage amended with PL (1.03%) than CF (0.74%), but
there were no differences (P = 0.11) among N applica-
tion-rate treatments in forage concentrations of K. A
clipping height × fertilizer source interaction (P < 0.001)
was observed such that forage amended with CF and
clipped to a 5-cm height had 0.39, 0.18 and 0.36 per-
centage unit lower concentration of K than forage
clipped to a 5-cm height and amended with PL (P <
0.001), forage clipped to a 10-cm height and amended
with CF (P < 0.001), and forage clipped to a 10-cm
height and amended with PL (P < 0.001), respectively.
Also, forage amended with PL and clipped to a 5-cm
height had 0.21 percentage unit higher (P < 0.001) con-
centration of K than forage clipped to a 10-cm height and
amended with CF, and forage amended with CF and
clipped to a 10-cm height had 0.18 percentage unit lower
(P < 0.001) concentration of K than forage clipped to a
10-cm height and amended with PL. A fertilizer source ×
N application rate interaction (P < 0.001) was also ob-
served. Forage concentration of K increased as N appli-
cation rate increased in forage amended with PL such
that the 34N treatment (0.91%) had 0.10, 0.17, and 0.20
percentage unit lower concentration of K than the 67N
(1.01%; P = 0.02), 101N (1.08%; P < 0.001), and 134N
(1.11%; P < 0.001) treatments. Forage amended with PL
and 67N had 0.10 percentage unit lower (P = 0.04) con-
centration of K than the 134N treatment. In contrast,
forage amended with CF and receiving 34N (0.79%) had
0.09 percentage unit higher (P = 0.04) concentration of K
than the 134N (0.70%) treatment, but did not differ from
the 67N (0.72%; P = 0.13) and 101N (0.75%; P = 0.40)
treatments.
3.10. Magnesium
Clipping forage to a 5-cm height increased (P < 0.001)
concentration of Mg over that of forage clipped to a
10-cm height (Table 10). There was a 0.06 percentage
unit higher (P < 0.001) concentration of Mg in forage
amended with CF (0.25%) than PL (0.19%), but there
were no differences (P = 0.70) among fertilizer-rate
treatments in forage concentration of Mg. An interaction
Table 9. Concentration of K (%, DM basis) in dallisgrass
amended with commercial fertilizer (CF) or poultry litter (PL)
at 4 rates of N application and clipped to a 5- or 10-cm height.
Clipping height 5 cm 10 cm
N application rate, kg/haCF PL CF PL
Mean
34 0.69 0.93 0.89 0.890.85
67 0.65 1.05 0.78 0.980.87
101 0.66 1.12 0.84 1.050.92
134 0.59 1.08 0.81 1.130.90
Mean 0.65a 1.04b 0.83c 1.01b
Clipping-height mean 0.85d 0.92e
a,b,cWithin a row, means without a common superscript differ (P < 0.001;
SEM = 0.02; n = 48). d,eWithin a row, means without a common superscript
differ (P= 0.001; SEM = 0.02; n = 96).
Table 10. Concentration of Mg (%, DM basis) in dallisgrass
amended with commercial fertilizer (CF) or poultry litter (PL)
at 4 rates of N application and clipped to a 5- or 10-cm height.
Clipping height 5 cm 10 cm
N application rate,
kg/ha CF PL CF PL
Mea
n
34 0.250.22 0.21 0.18 0.22
67 0.280.20 0.22 0.18 0.22
101 0.300.19 0.24 0.17 0.22
134 0.280.19 0.25 0.17 0.22
Mean 0.27a0.20b 0.23c 0.17d
Clipping-height mean0.24e 0.20f
a,b,c,dWithin a row, means without a common superscript differ (P = 0.06;
SEM = 0.01; n = 48). e,fWithin a row, means without a common superscript
differ (P < 0.001; SEM = 0.01; n = 96).
(P = 0.06) was observed such that each clipping-height ×
fertilizer-source treatment was different (P < 0.001) from
each other. Also, a fertilizer source × N application-rate
interaction (P < 0.001) was observed. Forage concentra-
tion of Mg increased with increasing N application rate
in forage amended with CF such that 34N (0.23%) had
0.02, 0.04, and 0.03 percentage unit lower concentration
of Mg than the 67N (0.25%; P = 0.02), 101N (0.27%; P
< 0.001), and 134N (0.26%; P < 0.001) treatments. For-
age amended with CF and 67N had 0.02 percentage unit
lower (P = 0.09) concentration of Mg than the 101N
treatment. In contrast, concentration of Mg decreased
with increasing N application rate in forage amended
with PL such that 34N (0.20%) had 0.02 percentage unit
higher concentration of Mg than the 101N (0.18%; P =
0.009) and 134N (0.18%; P = 0.008) treatments.
3.1 1. Alu minum
Clipping forage to a 5-cm height resulted in a 407
mg/kg increase (P < 0.001) in concentration of Al com-
pared with clipping to a 10-cm height (Ta b le 1 1 ). There

E. J. Bungenstab et al. / Agricultural Sciences 4 (2013) 455-465
460
were no differences (P = 0.63) in forage concentrations
of Al between fertilizer sources or among N applica-
tion-rate treatments (P = 0.49).
3.12. Copper
Clipping forage to a 5-cm height resulted in a 1.4
mg/kg increase (P = 0.03) in concentration of Cu com-
pared with clipping to a 10-cm height (Ta ble 12). There
was no difference in forage concentration of Cu between
fertilizer-source (P = 0.17) or among N application-rate
treatments (P = 0.38); however, a fertilizer source × N
application-rate interaction (P = 0.02) was observed such
that forage amended with PL and 101N (9.6 mg/kg) had
3.9 mg/kg higher (P = 0.002) concentration of Cu than
forage amended with PL and 34N (5.7 mg/kg). However,
there were no differences (P = 0.15) among N applica-
tion-rate treatments in concentration of Cu in CF-
amended forages. Also, a clipping height × fertilizer
source × N application rate interaction was observed (P =
0.10).
3.13. Iron
Clipping forage to a 5-cm height resulted in a 273
Table 11. Concentration of Al (mg/kg, DM basis) in dallisgrass
amended with commercial fertilizer (CF) or poultry litter (PL)
at 4 rates of N application and clipped to a 5- or 10-cm height.
Clipping height 5 cm 10 cm
N application rate, kg/ha CF PL CF PL
Mean
34 838 1,091 420 295661
67 586 523 302 479 473
101 695 799 462 286 561
134 728 864 302 322 554
Mean 712 819 372 346
Clipping-height mean 766a 359b
a,bWithin a row, means without a common superscript differ (P < 0.001;
SEM = 339; n = 96).
Table 12. Concentration of Cu (mg/kg, DM basis) in dallisgrass
amended with commercial fertilizer (CF) or poultry litter (PL)
at 4 rates of N application and clipped to a 5- or 10-cm height.
Clipping height 5 cm 10 cm
N application rate, kg/ha CF PL CF PL
Mean
34 6.1 6.6 8.7 4.96.6
67 6.6 7.1 5.3 8.16.8
101 6.6 12.9 5.3 6.37.8
134 8.9 8.5 6.7 6.87.7
Mean 7.1 8.8 6.5 6.5
Clipping-height mean 7.9a 6.5b
a,bWithin a row, means without a common superscript differ (P = 0.03; SEM
= 0.7; n = 96).
mg/kg increase (P < 0.001) in concentration of Fe com-
pared with clipping to a 10-cm height (Ta ble 13). There
was no difference in forage Fe concentration between
fertilizer-source (P = 0.69) or among N application-rate
treatments (P = 0.39).
3.14. Manganese
Forage clipped to a 5-cm height had 28 mg/kg higher
(P < 0.001) concentration of Mn than forage clipped to a
10-cm height (Tab le 14). There was an 18 mg/kg higher
(P = 0.008) concentration of Mn in forage amended with
CF (159 mg/kg) than PL (141 mg/kg), but there were no
differences (P = 0.17) among N application-rate treat-
ments in forage concentration of Mn. A clipping height ×
fertilizer source interaction (P < 0.001) was observed
such that forage amended with CF and clipped to a 5-cm
height had 47 and 37 mg/kg lower concentration of Mn
than PL-amended forage clipped to a 5-cm height (P <
0.001) and CF-amended forage clipped to a 10-cm height
(P < 0.001), respectively. Forage amended with PL and
clipped to a 10-cm height had 46, 93 and 83 mg/kg lower
concentration of Mn than CF-amended forage clipped to
a 5-cm height (P < 0.001), PL-amended forage clipped to
a 5-cm height (P < 0.001), and CF-amended forage
clipped to a 10-cm height CF (P < 0.001), respectively.
3.15. Zinc
Forage clipped to a 5-cm height had 5.0 mg/kg higher
(P < 0.001) concentration of Zn than forage clipped to a
10-cm height (Ta ble 15). There was no fertilizer source
effect (P = 0.21) on forage concentration of Zn. However,
forage receiving 134N had 2.8 and 2.4 mg/kg higher
concentration of Zn than 34N (P = 0.02) and 67N (P =
0.05) forages, respectively. A clipping height × fertilizer
source interaction (P < 0.001) was observed such that
forage amended with CF and clipped to a 5-cm height
had 4.2 mg/kg lower Zn concentration than forage
clipped to a 5-cm height and amended with PL (P <
0.001). Forage amended with PL and clipped to a 10-cm
height had 3.9, 8.1 and 2.1 mg/kg lower concentration of
Zn than CF-amended forage clipped to a 5-cm height (P
= 0.001), PL-amended forage clipped to a 5-cm height (P
< 0.001), and CF-amended forage clipped to a 10-cm
height CF (P = 0.08), respectively. Forage amended with
PL and clipped to a 5-cm height had 6.0 mg/kg higher
concentration of Zn than forage clipped to a 10-cm
height and amended with CF (P < 0.001).
4. DISCUSSION
Information on forage yield is used by the resource
manager to establish forage allowance, and for this rea-
son it is an especially important factor influencing graz-

E. J. Bungenstab et al. / Agricultural Sciences 4 (2013) 455-465 461
Table 13. Concentration of Fe (mg/kg, DM basis) in dallisgrass
amended with commercial fertilizer (CF) or poultry litter (PL)
at 4 rates of N application and clipped to a 5- or 10-cm height.
Clipping height 5 cm 10 cm
N application rate, kg/ha CF PL CF PL
Mean
34 522 770 290 198445
67 362 363 198 294304
101 488 539 346 173387
134 495 568 220 197370
Mean 467 560 264 216
Clipping-height mean 513a 240b
a,bWithin a row, means without a common superscript differ (P < 0.001;
SEM = 215; n = 96).
ing-animal performance [15]. Also, yield is directly re-
lated to sward density, structure and height, all of which
have been shown to be key determinants of grazing be-
havior and voluntary forage intake by cattle [7,9,10].
Because of the truncated experimental period utilized in
each year of the present study, cumulative production of
dallisgrass was somewhat less than more typical seasonal
production reported by other investigators [1,16-18].
Also, dallisgrass is best adapted to regions that receive
more than 900 mm of annual rainfall [19], and lack of
rainfall may partially explain why forage in the present
study did not develop to its full production potential,
especially in 2007.
The influence of sward height on ingestive behavior
and intake of dallisgrass by cattle has been documented
in a number of studies [7-10]. In general, these authors
have reported that cattle modify their bite mass, defolia-
tion area and depth of grazing in the forage canopy in
response to changes in sward height, forage density, and
relative proportions of leaf and stem tissue. Less exten-
sively studied is the resilience of dallisgrass to forage
and grazing-animal management practices that result in
low stubble heights and significantly reduced photosyn-
thetic leaf area and carbohydrate reserves for production
of vegetative regrowth. Clipping dallisgrass to a 5-cm
height resulted in an increase of more than 70% in DM
yield over clipping to a 10-cm height, which is consid-
erably greater than the 11.5% increase in DM yield re-
ported by Holt and McDaniel [17] for dallisgrass clipped
to a 5-cm compared with a 15-cm height. Dallisgrass
clipped to a 5-cm height yielded 1239 and 552 kg DM/ha
for first and second harvests, respectively, across both
years of the study; however, dallisgrass clipped to a
10-cm height yielded only 592 and 455 kg DM/ha for
first and second harvests, respectively. Because regrowth
DM yield compared favorably between the cutting-
height treatments, cutting primary growth to the lower
stubble height evidently did not compromise its regrowth
potential compared with that of primary growth clipped
Table 14. Concentration of Mn (mg/kg, DM basis) in dallis-
grass amended with commercial fertilizer (CF) or poultry litter
(PL) at 4 rates of N application and clipped to a 5- or 10-cm
height.
Clipping height 5 cm 10 cm
N application rate, kg/haCF PL CF PL
Mean
34 168 193 200 87 162
67 138 197 166 100150
101 137 205 169 84 149
134 121 156 178 109141
Mean 141a 188b 178b 95c
Clipping-height mean 164d 136e
a,b,cWithin a row, means without a common superscript differ (P < 0.001;
SEM = 33; n = 48). d,eWithin a row, means without a common superscript
differ (P < 0.001; SEM = 32; n = 96).
to the higher stubble height. Watson and Ward [20] re-
ported higher daily and total seasonal regrowth yields
with reductions in clipping height, and suggested that
dallisgrass could tolerate clipping to stubble heights as
low as 2.5 cm as long as at least 10% of tillers were left
intact.
Yield of dallisgrass DM increased as a result of in-
creasing N application from 34N and 67N to 134N.
Similarly, Robinson et al. [18] reported an increase in
dallisgrass DM yield from 5330 kg to 15,340 kg/ha when
N fertilization rate was increased from 0 to 896 kg/ha.
Likewise, Pizarro [1] reported increases in DM produc-
tion from dallisgrass ranging from 2400 to 9000 kg/ha
over a 5-yr period with increasing N fertilization from 0
to 500 kg/ha in increments of 100 kg/ha. Jones and Wat-
son [21] reported increases in yield of dallisgrass-ber-
mudagrass pasture with increasing rates of fertilization
with N, but no yield response to fertilization with either P
or K alone in the absence of added N. Brown and Rouse
[22] also reported increases in yield of dallisgrass DM
with increasing rates of N fertilization in a greenhouse
study with white clover-dallisgrass cultures.
Forage protein is an important source of N for ruminal
microorganisms, and an important goal of forage man-
agement is to derive as much of the N requirement as
possible from forage in order to limit or eliminate the
need for supplementation. The range of forage concen-
trations of CP observed in the present study was similar
to that observed by Venuto et al. [19], who reported con-
centrations of CP in dallisgrass of 9.8% to 11%, and
lower than that observed by Baréa et al. [23], who re-
ported a wider range of concentrations of CP in dallis-
grass of 10.7% to 18.6%. Using prediction equations of
Linn and Marten [24], dallisgrass in the present study
would be expected to have approximately 87% the rela-
tive feed value (RFV) of a mature, medium-quality alfalfa

E. J. Bungenstab et al. / Agricultural Sciences 4 (2013) 455-465
462
Table 15. Concentration of Zn (mg/kg, DM basis) in dallisgrass
amended with commercial fertilizer (CF) or poultry litter (PL)
at 4 rates of N application and clipped to a 5- or 10-cm height.
Clipping height 5 cm 10 cm
N application rate, kg/ha CF PL CF PL
Mean
34 24.0 29.7 27.6 21.825.8d
67 26.1 28.6 24.1 25.726.2d
101 27.6 35.6 23.7 22.8 27.5ef
134 31.7 32.2 26.7 23.528.6f
Mean 27.4a 31.6b 25.6a 23.5c
Clipping-height mean 29.5g 24.5h
a,b,cWithin a row, means without a common superscript differ (P < 0.001;
SEM = 1.5; n = 48). d,e,fWithin a column, means without a common super-
script differ (P = 0.08; SEM = 1.5; n = 48). g,hWithin a row, means without a
common superscript differ (P < 0.001; SEM = 1.3; n = 96).
hay; i.e., ~60% TDN. Values for CP concentration and
RFV of dallisgrass in the present study may be compared
with those required by a growing beef steer of 340 kg live-
weight (8.5% CP and 60% TDN, DM basis) from a daily
DM intake of 9.2 kg to achieve an ADG of 0.80 kg [25].
There was no difference in forage concentration of CP
between the two clipping-height treatments. Nutritive
quality varies within the forage canopy such that stems
and younger leaves in the upper canopy are of higher
quality than stems and older or dead leaves in the lower
canopy [26,27]. Results of the present study are inter-
preted to mean that quality of available forage in the
lower canopy would not be expected to differ between
grazing management intensities that produce variable
stubble heights below 10 cm.
Forage concentration of CP was greater for CF than
PL treatments. Wood et al. [28] observed no difference
between N-source treatments in CP concentration of
“Tifton 44” Bermudagrass amended with either CF or PL;
however, there was an increase in CP concentration with
increasing rates of fertilization with N. Similarly, forage
concentration of CP increased in both CF- and PL-
amended dallisgrass with increasing rates of N applica-
tion in the present study, in agreement with other pub-
lished reports of dallisgrass response to fertilization with
N [3,29,30]. According to Gunter et al. [31], dallisgrass
typically has higher CP concentration and in vivo DM
digestibility than bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon), and
supports greater liveweight gain in stocker cattle.
Concentration of NDF is negatively correlated with
voluntary intake of forage DM [32]. The NDF fraction
represents the recalcitrant fibrous components (primarily
cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin fractions) of the plant
cell wall that are negatively correlated with forage den-
sity and in turn form the physical basis of its utility as a
predictor of DMI [33]. On average, concentrations of
NDF in dallisgrass in the present study were slightly
lower than those observed by Venuto et al. [19], who
reported concentrations of 70.7% for dallisgrass grown
in Texas and 69.5% for dallisgrass grown in Louisiana.
However, concentrations of NDF in the present study
were very similar to those observed by Acosta et al. [29],
who reported a mean value of 67.6% for dallisgrass in
the spring in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Clipping at 10-cm
height resulted in a slightly higher (<1 percentage unit)
NDF concentration than clipping at 5-cm height, but this
difference would not be expected to have a measurable
effect on voluntary DM intake by a free-grazing rumi-
nant animal.
Forage concentration of ADF is negatively correlated
with its digestibility in vivo, and comprises the lignin,
cutin, cellulose, indigestible N and silica fractions of the
plant cell wall [34]. In the present study, concentration of
ADF was slightly higher (<1 percentage unit) in dallis-
grass clipped to a 10-cm than 5-cm height, but this in-
crease would not be expected to have a measurable effect
on digestibility in vivo. Values for ADF were slightly
below those observed by Ayala Torales et al. [30], who
reported concentrations of ADF in dallisgrass ranging
from 35.2% to 39.5%, and intermediate to those observ-
ed by Acosta et al. [29], who reported values ranging
from 31.3% in the winter to 39.7% in the summer in Ar-
gentina. Higher rates of fertilization resulted in lower
concentrations of ADF in dallisgrass in the present study,
in contrast to findings of Wood et al. [28] who reported
increased concentration of crude fiber with increasing
rates of N fertilization in “Tifton 44” Bermudagrass.
Plant cell wall availability to herbivores is limited by
different factors, one of the most important being lignin
[34]. Concentration of lignin increases and digestibility
of plant cell-wall constituents and total plant DM de-
creases with advancing forage maturity [35]. Clipping to
a 5-cm height resulted in a higher concentration of ADL
than that in forage clipped to a 10-cm height, which can
be explained by the fact that younger leaves and stems
are located in the upper stratum of the forage canopy, and
therefore lignin concentration is expected to be higher in
the lower stratum where the more mature steams and
leaves are located. However, it is unlikely that the small
difference in concentration of lignin between clipping-
height treatments in the present study would be sufficient
to result in a measurable difference in cell-wall or whole-
plant DM digestibility in vivo.
Forage concentration of minerals is dependent upon
numerous factors, including plant development stage,
climatic conditions, soil characteristics and fertilization
regime [36]. Among these, soil fertilization can be ma-
nipulated by the resource manager in order to provide
different types and quantities of nutrients for plants; gen-
erally, it is more economical to fertilize plants in order to

E. J. Bungenstab et al. / Agricultural Sciences 4 (2013) 455-465 463
achieve maximum growth, and then supplement as nec-
essary to meet requirements for animal production [36].
Forage concentrations of Ca in the present study were,
on average, less than half of those reported by Brown
and Rouse [22] for dallisgrass cultivated in a greenhouse
in association with white clover. Concentrations of Ca
were higher in dallisgrass amended with CF than PL in
the present study, in contrast to the study by Wood et al.
[28] in which Ca concentration in “Tifton 44” Bermuda-
grass amended with PL was higher than in unfertilized
forage or forage amended with ammonium nitrate. Re-
sults of the present study are similar to those of Robinson
et al. [18], who reported Ca concentration values for dal-
lisgrass of 0.39% to 0.48%.
Phosphorus is arguably the single mineral element that
is most commonly deficient for meeting animal require-
ments from grazed forages. Because of its importance in
various metabolic processes in animals, notably energy
metabolism, dietary P deficiency can very likely result in
a deficiency of energy [36]. In the present study, concen-
tration of P was higher in dallisgrass amended with PL
than CF, in contrast to the study by Wood et al. [28] in
which there was no difference in concentrations of P
between “Tifton 44” Bermudagrass amended with CF or
PL. Also, concentration of P was higher in dallisgrass
clipped to a 5-cm than 10-cm height. In general, values
were lower than the range of values (0.27% to 0.29%) re-
ported by Robinson et al. [18].
Concentration of K was higher in forage amended
with PL than CF, similar to results reported by Wood et
al. [28] for “Tifton 44” Bermudagrass; however, there
was an increase in K accumulation with increasing rate
of N fertilization with PL and a decrease in K concentra-
tion with increasing rate of N fertilization with CF in
their study, in contrast to the present study in which rate
of N application had no effect on K concentration in dal-
lisgrass. Forages normally contain sufficient K for meet-
ing grazing animals’ requirements; however, high
(>2.5%) forage concentration of K may interfere with
bioavailability of Mg [36]. Concentration of K in dallis-
grass averaged 0.89% in the present study, well below
the threshold at which it can potentially be problematic
for Mg absorption, and less than half of that in the study
by Robinson et al. [18], who reported concentrations of
K in dallisgrass of 2.04% to 2.24%. Potassium concen-
trations in this study, on average, were similar to those
reported by Brown and Rouse [22] for dallisgrass grown
in a greenhouse in association with white clover. Con-
centration of Mg was higher in dallisgrass amended with
CF than PL, and increased with increasing rate of N ap-
plication from CF, in agreement with Robinson et al. [18]
who reported an increase from 0.19% to 0.36% Mg when
N application rate was increased from 0 to 896 kg/ha.
Utilization of PL as a fertilizer source has an advan-
tage over synthetic fertilizers of providing trace minerals
that are important for plant and animal nutrition. How-
ever, it is important to recognize the potential for toxicity
to livestock that may result from repeated land-applica-
tion of PL and possible accumulation of certain trace
minerals in soil and grazed forage. Franzluebbers et al.
[37] reported 4.1 and 7.8 mg/kg greater concentrations of
extractable-soil Zn and Cu, respectively, in the upper
15-cm horizon of a Piedmont soil at the end of a 5-yr
period of land-application of PL at a rate of 196 kg
N·ha−1·yr−1. Gascho and Hubbard [38] reported a four-
and five-fold increase in concentrations of Cu and Zn,
respectively, in the surface of a Tifton soil in the Coastal
Plain of Georgia following land-application of PL at a
rate of 2812 kg N/ha over a 5-yr period.
Iron concentration in forages grown in the US typi-
cally meets or exceeds animal dietary requirements [36].
Concentration of Fe in dallisgrass in the present study
was well above the dietary requirement (50 mg/kg DM)
for beef cattle [25], and was higher in forage clipped to a
5- than 10-cm height. Some trace elements are not re-
quired or may be required in small amounts, and if in-
gested and absorbed in excessive amounts can be toxic to
cattle. Aluminum is one such trace mineral for which the
maximum tolerable concentration (MTC) for beef cattle
is 1000 mg/kg DM [25]. Dallisgrass clipped to a 5-cm
height had a higher concentration of Al than forage
clipped to a 10-cm height and, with the exception of for-
age amended with PL at the 34N application rate had
concentrations of Al that were below the MTC for beef
cattle.
Suboptimal Cu status in ruminants may be caused by
low forage concentration of Cu, high concentration of a
Cu antagonist such as Fe, or a combination of both [36].
Concentration of Cu in the present study was higher for
dallisgrass clipped to a 5- than 10-cm height, and on av-
erage was below the concentration required (10 mg/kg
DM) by beef cattle [25]. Concentration of Mn, which is
normally higher in forage than required by the animal
[36], was higher in dallisgrass amended with CF than PL
in the present study. Zinc and Cu are often deficient in
warm-season grasses, and normally are the most limiting
trace minerals in both warm-season and cool-season for-
ages [36]. Deficiencies of trace minerals in grazed forage
require supplementation in order to meet animal re-
quirements for maximum performance and optimal
health. Zinc is one such trace mineral for which defi-
ciency in forages is not uncommon in the US [36]. Con-
centration of Zn in dallisgrass was below that required
(30 mg/kg DM) by beef cattle [25], and was not different
between clipping-height and fertilizer-source treatments
or among N application-rate treatments in the present
study.

E. J. Bungenstab et al. / Agricultural Sciences 4 (2013) 455-465
464
5. IMPLICATIONS
Results indicate that dallisgrass can withstand defolia-
tion to a 5-cm stubble height, thereby increasing DM
yield compared with defoliation to a 10-cm stubble
height, without compromising forage quality or capacity
for regrowth. Also, dallisgrass amended with PL or CF
was comparable in productivity and nutritive quality as
determined by laboratory analysis. Dallisgrass amended
with PL had higher concentrations of P and K than
CF-amended dallisgrass, but trace-mineral profiles were
not markedly different between dallisgrass amended with
PL or CF. Results are interpreted to mean that poultry
litter may offer potential as a safe, cost-effective alterna-
tive to commercial fertilizer for supporting productivity
and nutritive quality of dallisgrass on Black Belt soils.
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