Seed coating and localized application of phosphate for improving seedling growth of grasses on acid, sandy red earths

1982 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 785 ◽  
Author(s):  
RG Silcock ◽  
FT Smith
Keyword(s):  
Seedling Growth ◽  
Surface Soil ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Phosphate Fertilizers ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Reasonable Cost ◽  
Phosphorus Sources ◽  
Native Pastures

The seedling growth of tropical grasses on acidic, sandy red earths was improved greatly by the application of small amounts of phosphate fertilizers in close proximity to the seed. Fertilizer had to be applied within 5 cm of the seed of Anthephora pubescens to have any effect. Many phosphorus sources stimulated seedling growth of Cenchrus ciliaris when applied as coatings to the fascicle (the propagule containing the grain). Water-soluble orthophosphates proved the best phosphorus sources for the purpose. Optimum rates of coating ranged up to 2 mg phosphorus per fascicle (10 mg monosodium phosphate), depending on the availability of surface soil moisture. Valuable grasses such as C. ciliaris could be introduced into millions of hectares of native pastures on infertile, sandy soils in north-eastern Australia, at reasonable cost, if a suitable commercial coating process can be developed.

Germinable soil seed banks in native pastures in north-eastern Australia

1994 ◽  
Vol 34 (8) ◽  
pp. 1113 ◽  
Author(s):  
JG McIvor ◽  
CJ Gardener
Keyword(s):  
Seed Banks ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Soil Seed Banks ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Small Seed ◽  
Annual Grasses ◽  
Native Pastures ◽  
Total Seed ◽  
Tussock Grasses

Germinable soil seed banks were determined in 20 native pasture communities of widely varying composition (dominated by native tussock grasses, Bothriochloa pertusa, or forbs) near Collinsville (20�34'S, 147�51'E). Samples of surface soil (0-10 cm) were taken during the late dry season, seeds were germinated in a shadehouse, and seedlings were identified and counted. Over all pastures there were seeds of 100 species in the seed banks, including 29 grasses (14 perennial), 11 legumes, 8 sedges, and 52 forbs. Total seed numbers varied among pastures from 210 to 9770/m2. Forbs were the most numerous component, followed in order by sedges, perennial grasses, annual grasses, and legumes. Of the 790 seeds/m2 of perennial grasses, the naturalised species B. pertusa contributed 620/m2. Even though the native perennial grasses were prominent in these pastures, they had few seeds in the soil, especially when the pastures had been heavily grazed. To maintain these grasses in pastures, management should aim to prevent excessive mortality of the perennial plants as seedling regeneration could be limited by the small seed numbers available.

Grazing pressure and tree competition affect cattle performance and native pastures in Eucalypt woodlands of Queensland, north-eastern Australia

2020 ◽  
Vol 60 (7) ◽  
pp. 953
Author(s):  
Trevor J. Hall ◽  
Richard G. Silcock ◽  
David G. Mayer
Keyword(s):  
Body Condition ◽  
High Pressures ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Stocking Rate ◽  
Pasture Production ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Eucalypt Woodlands ◽  
Native Pastures ◽  
Grazing Pressures

Context Well managed grazing pressure will optimise animal and pasture production, and preserve the soil to maintain a viable beef business on native pastures in eucalypt woodlands. Aims A cattle grazing experiment was established to measure animal and pasture performance under management practices used in the Aristida/Bothriochloa native pastures in central Queensland. Methods Performance of Brahman-cross steers and pastures were measured in an experiment with three grazing pressures by two tree densities in a Eucalyptus populnea woodland in north-eastern Australia over 8 years in paddocks of 4–18 ha. Key results At low grazing pressure with trees killed by herbicide (‘cleared’), stocking rate increased 35% as pasture composition and biomass improved over 8 years. At low grazing pressure where treed, stocking rate remained constant, however, at high grazing pressure where treed, it was reduced after 4 years. The annual liveweight gain increased from 0.37 to 0.45 to 0.51 kg/head.day as grazing pressure was reduced from high to medium to low grazing pressure respectively, and across grazing pressures it decreased from 0.49 where cleared to 0.39 kg/head.day where treed. Liveweight gain per hectare increased under low grazing pressure and declined at medium and high pressures. Body condition scores responded positively to lower grazing pressure and a lack of tree competition to pastures. This treatment combination also produced higher animal sale values. Pasture biomass, basal area and ground cover were all affected negatively by increasing grazing pressure. Conclusions Grazing 25% of autumn pasture improved dry matter production, species composition and land condition, and increased steer growth rates, body condition and their market value. This grazing pressure produced an increasing trend in stocking rates relative to the decline at higher grazing pressures. Higher liveweight gain/ha was produced initially at high grazing pressure (75% utilisation), however, after 4 years animal condition and pastures deteriorated, requiring a reduction in stocking rate to maintain the condition of both the remaining animals and the pastures. Managing tree competition to pastures is necessary to maintain the higher animal production potential. Implications This objective information demonstrates the benefits for cattle, pastures and long-term economic outcomes of managing for conservative grazing pressure and controlling tree competition to pasture in this woodland. Applying these findings can improve beef business outcomes and provide management groups with objective educational resources.

scholarly journals Effects of exogenous silicon on maize seed germination and seedling growth

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yankun Sun ◽  
Jiaqi Xu ◽  
Xiangyang Miao ◽  
Xuesong Lin ◽  
Wanzhen Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Germination ◽  
Seedling Growth ◽  
Crop Yields ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Membrane System ◽  
Water Soluble ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Antioxidant Enzyme Activities ◽  
Chlorophyll Contents ◽  
Antioxidant Defence System

AbstractAs the global population continues to increase, global food production needs to double by 2050 to meet the demand. Given the current status of the not expansion of cultivated land area, agronomic seedlings are complete, well-formed and strong, which is the basis of high crop yields. The aim of this experiment was to study the effects of seed germination and seedling growth in response to silicon (from water-soluble Si fertilizer). The effects of Si on the maize germination, seedling growth, chlorophyll contents, osmoprotectant contents, antioxidant enzyme activities, non-enzymatic antioxidant contents and stomatal characteristics were studied by soaking Xianyu 335 in solutions of different concentrations of Si (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 g·L−1). In this study, Si treatments significantly increased the seed germination and per-plant dry weight of seedlings (P < 0.05), and the optimal concentration was 15 g·L−1. As a result of the Si treatment of the seeds, the chlorophyll content, osmotic material accumulation and antioxidant defence system activity increased, reducing membrane system damage, reactive oxygen species contents, and stomatal aperture. The results suggested that 15 g·L−1 Si significantly stimulated seed germination and promoted the growth of maize seedlings, laying a solid foundation for subsequent maize growth.

Freshwater Cyanobacteria of North-Eastern Australia: 2. Chroococcales

Phytotaxa ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 133 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
GLENN B. MCGREGOR
Keyword(s):  
Light Microscopy ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Northern Territory ◽  
Detailed Account ◽  
Ecological Data ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Rivers And Streams ◽  
Original Illustrations ◽  
Freshwater Habitats

This volume provides the first detailed account of the Chroococcales of north-eastern Australia. It provides keys, morphological and ecological data for 6 families, 33 genera and 112 species, and photomicrographs and original illustrations to enable the identification of natural populations based on stable and recognizable characters observable with the aid of light microscopy. Distributional data are based on extensive surveys at 270 sites representing the major freshwater habitats including rivers and streams, palustrine and lacustrine wetlands, thermal springs, and man-made reservoirs in Queensland and the Northern Territory as well as a review of the Australian phycological literature. 

Some physical and chemical features of two upland crater lakes in tropical north-eastern Australia

1999 ◽  
Vol 50 (2) ◽  
pp. 159 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Walker
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Stability ◽  
Meteorological Data ◽  
Euphotic Zone ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Crater Lakes ◽  
Ground Temperatures ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Physical And Chemical ◽  
Continuous Deposition

Lakes Barrine and Eacham, ~1.0 and 0.5 km2 area, 67 and 63 m depth respectively, lie at ~740 m a.s.l., ~17°S in north-eastern Australia. Seasonal changes in their volumes modelled from meteorological data correspond well with observations at Eacham. Temperature profiles through 6 years show summer stratification with a metalimnion at 20–30 m; in winter, near isothermy is usually attained. At Barrine, thermal stability varies between winter and summer (<500 and >4000 g-cm cm-2 respectively). Mixing is related to low ground temperatures during periods of generally low thermal stability; exceptionally it penetrates to >60 m. Oxygen saturation decreases from the surface to ~20% at the base of the euphotic zone (15–21 m) but oxygen is carried lower by mixing after which anoxia commonly rises to ~40 m. At Barrine, Fe-reducing redox (<200 mV) usually occurs below 50 m, but during mixing this boundary falls to within 1 m of the mud–water interface. The Barrine solution is dilute (total dissolved solids 55–58 mg L-1), and that of Eacham is more so. A concentrated monimolimnion has developed in the lowermost 2–3 m at Barrine but not at Eacham. Sedimentation at the middle of each lake results from the continuous deposition of open-water products punctuated by the redistribution of coarser detritus from the ‘shallows’ at times of deep mixing. The resultant laminations are preserved only at Barrine, protected by the chemical stability of the monimolimnion.

scholarly journals Biochar effect - mediated ammonium transporter genes and GDH may be the core of improvement nitrogen assimilation in cotton seedling

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lei Feng ◽  
Guangmu Tang ◽  
Wanli Xu ◽  
Meiying Gu ◽  
Zengchao Geng
Keyword(s):  
Seedling Growth ◽  
Fine Roots ◽  
Nitrogen Assimilation ◽  
Surface Soil ◽  
Soil Layer ◽  
Assimilation Efficiency ◽  
Seedling Stage ◽  
Nitrogen Efficiency ◽  
Ammonium Transporter ◽  
Cotton Seedling

AbstractBiochar enhancement of nitrogen efficiency in crops is highly essential not only to reduce costs of agricultural production but also to conserve resources, lower energy consumption for products of these fertilizers, strengthen soil health, and eventually helps in slowing climate change; however nitrogen efficiency physiology by biochar effects is not clear. Here, we reported on the morphological, nitrogen metabolism and cytokinin, at seedling stage, under different layers of biochar and limited urea conditions grown in soil culture. Expression profile of miRNAs and AOB was further studied in fine and medium roots. It showed active root absorption area, fresh weight, and nitrogen agronomic efficiency responded significantly under biochar and reduction by 20% urea condition in the surface soil layer. Also, NR and GPT activity in fine roots remarkably increased with cytokinin, but decreased significantly in medium roots, meanwhile both NR and GDH activity did so. GOGAT activity was to be dependent with biochar and urea locations. In addition, AMT1;1, gdh3 and gdh2 in fine roots showed their up-regulation with reduction 20% urea and biochar. It revealed that co-expression of gdh3 and gdh2 in fine roots significantly affected nitrogen assimilation under reduction 20% urea with biochar on surface soil at seedling stage.HighlightsThe co-expression of ammonium transporter gene and GDH induced by biochar effect improves nitrogen efficiency and seedling growth.These data emphasizes the importance of effects of cytokinin on nitrate reductase activity closely related to the position under biochar condition, which is a key element of enhancement nitrogen assimilation efficiency in cotton seedling.Biochar addition applied into 0 to 10cm soil had a more positive effect on seedling growth than that into 10 to 20cm soil layers.

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