2649:
Bermudagrass Establishment On Levees to Reduce Erosion and Nitrogen Losses

Monday, July 27, 2009
Illinois/Missouri/Meramec (Millennium Hotel St. Louis)
Robert Burwell, Research, Assistant , School of Plant, Environment and Soil Sciences, LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA
Jeffrey S. Beasley , School of Plant, Environmental, and Soil Sciences, LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge
Edward Bush , School of Plant Environmental and Soil Sciences, Louisiana State University, AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA
Ron E. Strahan, Associate, Professor , School of Plant, Environment and Soil Sciences, Louisiana State University AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA
Steven Borst, Research, Associate , LSU AgCenter, Baton Rouge, LA
Compacted clay soils are excellent materials for constructing levees but without sufficient turfgrass coverage nutrient and soil erosion will occur.  This study examined the effect nitrogen source has to curb runoff occurrence, severity and pollution throughout bermudagrass establishment.  Two N sources were applied, ammonium nitrate (quick release) and sulfur coated urea (slow release).  All N was applied as a single application at 49 kg N ha-1 prior to common bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon L.) seeding.  Rainfall was simulated at 96 mm hr-1 at 0, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 weeks after planting (WAP) with runoff from natural rainfall collected.  Plots with higher bermudagrass coverage delayed runoff initiation and reduced runoff flow and erosion compared to more sparsely covered plots.  At 10 WAP, bermudagrass reduced soil erosion by 90% and lateral water flow by 70%.  The highest N-NO3 transport took place during the first 4 WAP with no differences in N source occurring.
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