SENSITIVITY OF SEVERAL SPECIES OF GRASSES AND LEGUMES TO SOIL ACIDITY

The relative tolerance of timothy, red fescue, bromegrass, Kentucky bluegrass, Russian wild ryegrass, alsike clover, red clover, alfalfa, and birdsfoot trefoil to soil acidity was determined under field conditions by measuring forage and seed yields on three limed and nonlimed strongly to very strongly acid soils (pH 4.1–5.1). Relative tolerance among species varied considerably from soil to soil, presumably because of the wide variation found in content of plant-available Al and Mn. The grasses, in general, were more tolerant than the legumes, except that Russian wild ryegrass was extremely sensitive to acidity on one site. Without lime the highest yield of forage was obtained from timothy or bromegrass, and the highest yield of seed from red fescue. Red clover produced more forage than alsike clover on two of the three acid soils, and produced the greatest yield of seed of any legume.