NITROGEN FIXATION AND LEGUME ESTABLISHMENT ON HIGHWAY SLOPES

A nitrogen fertilization study illustrated the feasibility of discontinuing the use of loam in the construction of highway slopes in Maine. Protective grass sods can be established and maintained on subsoils devoid of organic matter, through hydroseeding and subsequent topdressed fertilization. Research was also conducted to develop a practical way of establishing crownvetch on steep roadside slopes already in grass sod. Application of the transplanting method was limited to relatively small areas where the erosion hazard was sufficiently great to justify the labor costs of hand-planting. The crownvetch transplantings were successful at all highway sites studied and had vegetative spreading in excess of 4 feet within two years. The seeding of crownvetch on subsoil just prior to a hydroseeding of a typical roadside mixture was unsuccessful, however, good stands of birdsfoot trefoil (Empire) were obtained by the same method. Good establishment of both crownvetch and birdsfoot trefoil was obtained by scarifying the surface of a grass sod prior to overseeding. The overseeding of birdsfoot trefoil (Empire) in grassed slopes using a herbicide was also studied. The herbicide reduced the competition from the initial groundcover and was advantageous in trefoil establishment. (Author)

• Corporate Authors:

  Maine Department of Transportation

  Materials and Research Division, Box 1208, Hogan Road
  Bangor, ME  United States  04402
• Publication Date: 1981-2

Media Info

• Features: Appendices; Tables;
• Pagination: 27 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Erosion control; Fertilization (Horticulture); Grasses; Ground cover; Legumes; Roadside; Roadside flora; Slopes
• Uncontrolled Terms: Sod
• Old TRIS Terms: Crownvetch; Fertilization; Nitrogen soil cycle
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00330590
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: Tech Paper 81-1 Final Rpt.
• Files: TRIS, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jun 12 1981 12:00AM