Nitrogen fixation by white clover in hill pasture

Abstract

Abstract An experiment is described in which the amount of nitrogen fixed by the white clover component of a surface‐sown hill sward was determined using small quantities of 15 N‐labelled ammonium sulphate. Between 11 July and 22 August 1974 25 kg ha −1 N was fixed. No evidence of a transfer of N from clover to the associated perennial ryegrass was detectable over this period although the N content of the grass growing with the clover was higher. The relative advantages of the isotope technique and the acetylene reduction assay are discussed.