Dry matter yield and n recovery from bromegrass in south‐central alberta as affected by time of application of urea and ammonium nitrate

Field experiments were conducted for periods of 14 or 15 years at four sites on Thin Black Chernozemic soils in south‐central Alberta to determine the effect of source and time of N application on dry matter yield (DMY), protein yield (PY), protein concentration, N use efficiency and recovery of N applied to bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.) grown for hay. Two sources of N (urea and ammonium nitrate ‐ A.N.) were applied at four times (early fall, late fall, early spring and late spring) at a rate of 112 kg N ha‐1. Urea was generally less effective in increasing DMY, PY, protein concentration, N use efficiency and % N recovery than A.N. The average, DMY, PY, protein concentration, N use efficiency and % N recovery with A.N. were 4.38 t ha‐1, 445 kg ha‐1, 104 g kg‐1, 21.2 kg DM kg‐1 N ha‐1 and 40.2%, respectively. In the same order, the values with urea were 3.90 t ha‐1, 376 kg ha‐1, 99 g kg‐1, 16.9 kg DM kg‐1 N ha‐1 and 30.2%, respectively. The DMY was greatest with early spring application for A.N., while the protein concentration, PY and % N recovery were greatest with the late fall application for both urea and A.N. The increase in DMY or recovery of applied N with urea as a percentage of the increase with A.N., was greatest with application in late spring and least with application in early fall. In conclusion, urea was less effective than A.N. as a forage fertilizer and early spring application was most effective for increasing DMY.