Establishment of Forage Spp. In Response to Soil Amendments and Microbial Inoculants.

Greenhouse experiments were conducted in Lubbock, TX (spring 2012) on common barley and slender wheatgrass. Three pots of each treatment were planted per replication allowing for monthly destructive harvests. Treatments were an untreated check; fertility (fert) (7N-7P₂O₅-7K₂O) at 24 kg ha^-1; and combinations of fert, EM-1 microbial inoculants (MI) at 311 L ha^-1, macro + micronutrients (MM) at 4.7 L ha^-1, calcium lignosulfonate (CL) at 5.6 kg ha^-1, and humic/fulvic acid (HF) at 5.6 kg ha^-1 applied monthly. Common barley exhibited greatest root growth (3.95, 4.68, and 4.9 g) 1 month after planting (MAP) in response to fert + MI, fert + MI + MM, and fert + MI +CL + HF, respectively. All treatments had minimal effect on slender wheatgrass root growth 1 MAP except fert + MI + MM. Common barley exhibited the greatest root growth (11.89, 12.18, 12.72, and 14.49 g) 2 MAP in response to fert + Cl + HF, fert + MI + MM + CL + HF, fert + MI + CL + HF, and fert + MI + MM, respectively. Common barley exhibited a 3:2 shoot to root ratio in response to these four treatments, compared to fert alone (3.5:2). Increased slender wheatgrass root growth (3.58 and 4.48 g) was only observed 2 MAP in response to fert + MI + MM + CL + HF and fert + MI + CL + HF, respectively. Common barley exhibited the greatest root growth (29.47, 29.71, 30.04, and 31.76 g) 3 MAP in response to fert + MI + MM + CL + HF, fert + MI + MM, fert + CL + HF, and fert + MM, respectively. Increased root growth (8.84 g) in slender wheatgrass compared to fert alone was only observed in response to fert + MI + MM 3 MAP.