Buffalograss [Buchloe dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm.] has become the most widely cultivated warm-season turfgrass in northern China because of its low-maintenance requirements. Nitrogen (N) can be applied to plants in a range of formulations. However, preference of nitrogen uptake and the effects of N form on plant growth and nitrogen accumulation has not been established in buffalograss. In this study, we evaluated the effects of different inorganic nitrogen forms (NO3--N, NH4+-N, and NO3--N: NH4+-N = 1:1) on growth and nitrogen accumulation in buffalograss seedlings. Results showed that supply of three N forms significantly increased buffalograss seedlings growth, biomass, and N contents of all plant organs compared with the seedlings receiving free nitrogen. Plants achieved better growth performance when they received nitrate as the sole N source, which stimulated stolon growth and increased the biomass of ramets, spacers, and aboveground and total plant biomass, and also allocated more biomass to ramets and more N to spacers. Meanwhile, those plants supplied with the treatment +NH4NO3 displayed a significantly greater N content in the ramet, 15N abundance, and 15N accumulation amount in all organs. These data suggest NO3--N supplied either singly or in mixture increased vegetative propagation and thus facilitates buffalograss establishment. However, applications of ammonium caused detrimental effects on buffalograss seedlings growth, but +NO3- could alleviate NH4+-induced morphological disorders. Thus, recommendations to increase vegetative propagation and biomass accumulation in buffalograss seedlings should consider increasing NO3--N in a fertility program and avoiding applications of nitrogen as NH4+-N.
Keywords: 15N; Buchloe dactyloides; biomass allocation; nitrogen allocation; nitrogen forms.