scholarly journals Effect of post-harvest management on seed production of creeping red fescue, tall fescue, and Kentucky bluegrass in the Peace River region of north-western Canada

2001 ◽  
Vol 81 (4) ◽  
pp. 693-701 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. A. Fairey ◽  
L. P. Lefkovitch
Keyword(s):  
Seed Yield ◽  
Tall Fescue ◽  
Seed Weight ◽  
Kentucky Bluegrass ◽  
Harvest Management ◽  
Post Harvest ◽  
Red Fescue ◽  
River Region ◽  
Seed Harvest ◽  
Harvest Year

A field study in the Peace River region of northwestern Canada evaluated five post-harvest management (PHM) treatments on the seed yield and quality of four grasses, viz. Boreal creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra L. var. rubra), Safari and Tomahawk tall fescue (F. arundinacea Schreber), and Midnight Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.). The PHM treatments were: straw removal after seed harvest plus trimming prior to winter; a single propane burn; a double propane burn; power cultivation; and diuron applied in spring. The study was conducted for 3 consecutive harvest years. The grass × harvest year × PHM interaction was not statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05) for any of 10 characteristics, viz. panicle density, time of seed maturity, seed yield (per unit land area and per individual panicle), whole-plant yield, harvest index, seed dockage, 1000-seed weight, specific seed weight, and germination capacity. The grass × harvest year interaction was statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05) for each of the 10 characteristics, primarily because of the differential response of the bluegrass as compared to the fescue grasses. The grass × PHM interaction was statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05) for seed yield of individual panicles, harvest index, seed dockage and 1000-seed weight. The PHM × harvest year interaction was statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05) for specific seed weight only. The main effect of PHM was statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05) for specific seed weight and germination capacity only. The average annual seed yield of the two tall fescue cultivars (1002 and 1171 kg ha–1 for Safari and Tomahawk) was approximately twice that of Boreal creeping red fescue (554 kg ha–1) and four times that of Midnight Kentucky bluegrass (284 kg ha–1). At this northerly latitude (55°N), the effects of any PHM treatment on the seed productivity of these grasses may be limited by the short period of environmental conditions between seed harvest and the onset of winter that are conducive to vegetative and reproductive tiller development. Key words: Post-harvest management, propane burning, mechanical and chemical rejuvenation, grass seed yield, grass seed quality

Cultivar-specific management for seed production of creeping red fescue

2006 ◽  
Vol 86 (4) ◽  
pp. 1099-1105 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. A. Fairey
Keyword(s):  
Seed Production ◽  
Seed Yield ◽  
Festuca Rubra ◽  
Harvest Management ◽  
Post Harvest ◽  
Red Fescue ◽  
Residue Removal ◽  
Seed Harvest ◽  
Total Seed ◽  
Specific Management

A study was conducted in the Peace River region of north-western Canada with three cultivars (Boreal, Jasper, Jasper E) of creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra L. var. rubra) to identify cultivar-specific management practices for seed production. Experimental treatments included four methods of establishment [Broadcast; 30-cm rows; 15-cm rows; 15-cm rows with sulfur (56 kg ha-1 SulFer 0-0-0-95)], 10 nitrogen (N as 34-0-0) fertilizer treatments, and three methods of post-harvest management prior to winter (flail mowing and residue removal; disc mowing and residue removal; short-duration, intensive grazing with sheep) plus crop residue removal at seed harvest. Total seed yield over 2 consecutive production years was greatest with 30-cm rows although a higher first-year yield was realized with 15-cm rows. In the first production year, establishment in rows produced higher seed yield than broadcasting but, in the second, the converse was true. Within-row supplementation with sulfur decreased the total seed yield over 2 yr by 7%. In the first, second and combined production years, Boreal produced 655, 372 and 1027 kg ha-1, respectively; for the corresponding production years, Jasper produced 56, 65 and 60% of Boreal, while Jasper E produced 58, 76 and 65% of Boreal. The endophyte (Neotyphodium spp. Glenn, Bacon, Price & Hanlin and Epichloe festucae Leuchtm., Schardl, & Siegel) infection of Jasper E had no consistent beneficial or detrimental effects on seed yield. For the year subsequent to the application of the post-harvest treatments, the effects of flail and disc mowing were similar (360 versus 347 kg ha-1 seed, respectively), whereas grazing reduced seed yield to 188 kg ha-1. Splitting the application of N in fall and spring resulted in similar seed yields to fall-only N. The response to N fertilizer differed for consecutive years of production; in the first production year, seed yield increased linearly over the range 38–114 kg ha-1 N, whereas in the second production year, rates in excess of 76 kg ha-1 N markedly suppressed seed yield. A fall application of 55–80 kg ha-1 N in the establishment year, and again after the seed harvest of the first production year, was sufficient to maximize the total seed yield over 2 consecutive production years. Cultivar-specific responses in seed yield to treatment interactions were too small for agronomic exploitation. Key words: Creeping red fescue, Festuca rubra, grass seed production, cultivar-specific management, establishment method, nitrogen fertility, post-harvest management

Effect of shallow, rotary cultivation with vertical tines and nitrogen fertilization on the seed productivity of creeping red fescue

2002 ◽  
Vol 82 (4) ◽  
pp. 709-719
Author(s):  
N. A. Fairey ◽  
L. P. Lefkovitch
Keyword(s):  
Seed Production ◽  
Seed Yield ◽  
Yield Response ◽  
Physiological Status ◽  
Rotor Speed ◽  
Red Fescue ◽  
Time Of Application ◽  
River Region ◽  
Harvest Year ◽  
Seed Crops

A field study in the Peace River region of north-western Canada evaluated the effect of shallow rotary cultivation with vertical tines on the seed production of stands of creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra L. var. rubra). At four sites, rotary cultivation treatments (None, Low, Medium and High tine rotor speed) were applied after the harvest of the first and second seed crops, in factorial combination with the time of application of 68 kg ha-1 N fertilizer (Early fall, Late fall, and Split 1:1 early:late fall). In harvest years 2 and 3, the effect of site on seed yield per unit land area was modified by both N and rotary cultivation. In harvest year 2, seed yield at Site 1 was increased greatly by rotary cultivation, regardless of the tine rotor speed, but there was little difference among the four cultivation treatments at the other three sites. In harvest year 3, seed yield was increased with Low, Medium and High rotary cultivation to 6- to 11-fold that without rotary cultivation at Sites 1 and 2 but only to 1.4- to 2-fold at Sites 3 and 4. Seed yield response to rotary cultivation was dependent on site and year, a reflection of the physiological status of the fescue plants at each specific site. Rotary cultivation treatments may have been too detrimental to tiller growth and development for sustaining and enhancing seed yield, particularly at Sites 3 and 4 prior to harvest year 2. There was no consistent pattern of response in seed yield among the four sites to the three N treatments in either harvest year 2 or 3. Although there was a significant (P < 0.001) N × rotary cultivation interaction for seed yield in harvest year 3, the pattern among cultivation treatments was generally similar for each N treatment; compared to no cultivation, the three cultivation treatments more than doubled seed yield to 255–322 kg ha-1 with Early and Split N and increased it 4- to 6-fold to 203–288 kg ha-1 with Late N. There is some potential for rotary cultivation, but the selected treatments were generally too aggressive in suppressing tillers. Key words: Rejuvenation of creeping red fescue, mechanical rejuvenation, rotary cultivation, power-harrowing, grass seed production

scholarly journals Additional Host Plants of Four Species of Billbug Found on New Jersey Turfgrasses

1990 ◽  
Vol 115 (4) ◽  
pp. 608-611 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer M. Johnson-Cicalese ◽  
C.R. Funk
Keyword(s):  
New Jersey ◽  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Tall Fescue ◽  
Festuca Arundinacea ◽  
Host Plants ◽  
Cynodon Dactylon ◽  
Poa Pratensis ◽  
Kentucky Bluegrass ◽  
Grass Species ◽  
Red Fescue

Studies were conducted on the host plants of four billbug species (Coleoptera:Curculionidae: Sphenophorus parvulus Gyllenhal, S. venatus Chitt., S. inaequalis Say, and S. minimus Hart) found on New Jersey turfgrasses. A collection of 4803 adults from pure stands of various turfgrasses revealed all four billbugs on Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.), tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.), and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), and S. parvulus, S. venatus, and S. minimus on Chewings fescue (F. rubra L. ssp. commutata Gaud.). Since the presence of larvae, pupae, or teneral adults more accurately indicates the host status of a grass species, immature billbugs were collected from plugs of the various grass species and reared to adults for identification. All four species were reared from immature billbugs found in Kentucky bluegrass turf; immatures of S. venatus, S. inaequalis, and S. minimus were found in tall fescue; S. venatus and S. minimus in perennial ryegrass; and S. inaequalis in strong creeping red fescue (F. rubra L. ssp. rubra). A laboratory experiment was also conducted in which billbug adults were confined in petri dishes with either Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue, or bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon Pers.). Only minor differences were found between the four grasses in billbug survival, number of eggs laid, and amount of feeding. In general, bermudagrass was the least favored host and the other grasses were equally adequate hosts. The results of this study indicate a need for updating host-plant lists of these four billbug species.

Control of Several Perennial Weeds in Creeping Red Fescue (Festuca rubra) Grown for Seed

1995 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 294-300 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Lloyd Darwent ◽  
Leonard P. Lefkovitch
Keyword(s):  
Seed Production ◽  
Seed Yield ◽  
Seed Weight ◽  
Festuca Rubra ◽  
Red Fescue ◽  
Perennial Weeds ◽  
Crop Seed

In commercial fields of creeping red fescue, spring applications of sethoxydim at 500 g/ha and fluazifop-P at 250 g/ha consistently reduced the heading, and consequently the seed production, of foxtail barley and volunteer bromegrass by ≥90% without affecting crop seed yield, 100-seed wt or germination. The effectiveness of sethoxydim at 500 g/ha and fluazifop-P at 250 g/ha to reduce heading of grass weeds was not affected by tank mixing with metsulfuron at 4.5 g/ha but was reduced when tank mixed with either dicamba plus 2,4-D at 280 plus 560 g/ha or 2,4-D alone at 560 g/ha. Metsulfuron alone, or in tank mixtures with sethoxydim (500 g/ha) or fluazifop-P (250 g/ha), effectively controlled dandelion and volunteer alsike clover (probability of ≥80% control was 0.94 or more). Dicamba plus 2,4-D provided a similar level of volunteer alsike clover control but was less effective on dandelion, while 2,4-D was ineffective on both weeds. Treatments containing dicamba plus 2,4-D reduced crop seed yield and germination, and increased seed weight.

Crop density and seed production of creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra L. var. rubra). 2. Reproductive components and seed characteristics

1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 299-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. A. Fairey ◽  
L. P. Lefkovitch
Keyword(s):  
Seed Yield ◽  
Seed Weight ◽  
Initial Density ◽  
First Year ◽  
Row Spacing ◽  
Festuca Rubra ◽  
Red Fescue ◽  
Crop Density ◽  
Seed Characteristics ◽  
Number Of Seeds

The natural growth habit of creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra L. var. rubra) involves a steady proliferation of tillers which eventually become too dense to form seedheads. The effects of the initial density (1.6, 3.1, 6.3, 12.5, 25, 50 and 100 plants m−2) and row spacing (20, 40 and 80 cm) on reproductive components and seed characteristics of red fescue were studied in a northerly environment for three production years (1991–1993) The weight proportion of cleaned to uncleaned seed decreased as density increased, from 82% at 1.6 plants m−2 to 60% at 100 plants m−2. The thousand-seed weight was 1.20–1.54 g (i.e., 830 000–650 000 seeds kg−1) and decreased as density increased. The specific seed weight was 16–25 kg hL−1; it differed among years and decreased as density increased. The germination capacity of the seed was unaffected by density but differed among years, averaging 87, 92 and 69% in the three consecutive production years. The seed yield per plant, the number of seedheads per plant, and the number of seeds per plant decreased exponentially as the density increased. The number of seeds per seedhead decreased as density increased in the first year but was less affected subsequently, except in the third year at 50 and 100 plants m−2 on 20-cm rows, when no seeds were matured. The seed yield was correlated closely with the number of seedheads per square metre, which increased with density in the first year but decreased as density increased in the two subsequent years. A relatively high density of well-spaced plants is required at establishment to optimize seedhead formation in the first crop but is detrimental to seedhead formation and seed yield subsequently. Key words: Red fescue; Festuca rubra var. rubra, population density, plant and row spacing, yield components, seed quality

scholarly journals Change over Time in Quality and Cover of Various Turfgrass Species and Cultivars Maintained in Shade

2002 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 465-469 ◽  
Author(s):  
D.S. Gardner ◽  
J.A. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Perennial Ryegrass ◽  
Tall Fescue ◽  
Festuca Arundinacea ◽  
Poa Pratensis ◽  
Kentucky Bluegrass ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Percentage Cover ◽  
Supplemental Irrigation ◽  
Red Fescue

In 1992, a cultivar trial was initiated in Columbus, Ohio to evaluate differences in establishment and long-term performance of cultivars of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea), creeping red fescue (F. rubra), chewings fescue (F. rubra ssp. fallax), hard fescue (F. brevipila), kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), rough bluegrass (P. trivialis), and perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) under low maintenance conditions in a shaded environment. Fertilizer and supplemental irrigation were applied until 1994 to establish the grasses, after which no supplemental irrigation, or pesticides were applied and fertilizer rates were reduced to 48.8 kg·ha-1 (1 lb/1000 ft2) of N per year. Percentage cover and overall quality data were collected in 2000 and compared with data collected in 1994. Initial establishment success does not appear to be a good predictor of long-term success of a cultivar in a shaded environment. There was some variability in cultivar performance under shade within a given turfgrass species. The tall fescue cultivars, as a group, had the highest overall quality and percentage cover under shade, followed by the fine fescues, kentucky bluegrass, rough bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass cultivars.

Crop density and seed production of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreber). 2. Reproductive components and seed characteristics

1999 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 543-549 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. A. Fairey ◽  
L. P. Lefkovitch
Keyword(s):  
Seed Yield ◽  
Tall Fescue ◽  
Festuca Arundinacea ◽  
Yield Components ◽  
Seed Weight ◽  
Seed Quality ◽  
Plant Density ◽  
Initial Density ◽  
Row Spacing ◽  
Seed Characteristics

The population density and spatial arrangement of plants may influence the productive life and performance characteristics of a perennial grass-seed crop. A study was conducted to determine the effects of the initial density (1.6, 3.1, 6.3, 12.5, 25, 50 and 100 plants m−2) and row spacing (20, 40, and 80 cm) of plants on reproductive yield components and seed characteristics of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreber), over 3 consecutive production years (1991–1993) in the Peace region of Canada. The weight proportion of cleaned-to-uncleaned seed was 85–86% for the three lowest plant densities and then decreased, as density increased, to 82% at 12.5 plants m−2 and 66% at 100 plants m−2. The 1000-seed weight decreased as density increased and ranged from 1.68 to 2.22 g (i.e., 595 000 to 450 000 seeds kg−1). The specific seed weight ranged from 18 to 31 kg hL−1; it differed among years, but the effect of plant density was inconsistent. The germination capacity of the seed was unaffected by plant density, but differed among years; it averaged 87%, 88% and 59% in 1991, 1992 and 1993, respectively. The seed yield/plant, the number of panicles/plant, and the number of seeds/plant decreased exponentially as plant density increased. The number of clean seeds/panicle decreased, as plant density increased, in the first year but was less affected subsequently, particularly with the 20-cm row spacing. The seed yield was correlated closely with the number of panicles m−2 (r = 0.659***). An initial density no greater than 25 plants m−2 in rows spaced 20–40 cm apart enhanced seed quality by producing a greater proportion of clean seed which had a higher 1000-seed weight. Such a plant density, however, is at the low end of the optimum range for maximizing seed yield per unit land area. Key words: Tall fescue, Festuca arundinacea Schreber, population density, plant and row spacing, yield components, seed quality

Effect of time of tiller emergence and nitrogen fertiliser on seed yield components of Digitaria eriantha cv. Premier

1996 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 189 ◽  
Author(s):  
L Ramirez ◽  
JB Hacker
Keyword(s):  
Seed Yield ◽  
Yield Components ◽  
Seed Weight ◽  
Seed Set ◽  
Spikelet Number ◽  
Nitrogen Fertiliser ◽  
Seed Yield Components ◽  
Seed Harvest ◽  
Digitaria Eriantha ◽  
Total Seed

The effect of fertiliser nitrogen (N) and season (spring or autumn seed harvests) on tiller appearance, development and survival, and seed production in D. eriantha was investigated in a trial in south-east Queensland. In both spring and autumn, rate of tillering was maximal within the first week after cutting and declined rapidly thereafter, regardless of the level of applied N. Rate of tillering was greater in spring than in autumn. Tiller survival decreased as tiller emergence was delayed, and with increasing levels of applied N. At seed harvest, early-emerged tillers were consistently taller, heavier, thicker, and more fertile than late-emerged tillers, and they contributed most of the inflorescences. Fertility of all tillers was increased by application of N, particularly in spring. Seed yield, percentage seed set, and 1000-seed weight were larger in early-emerged tillers, which also bore the biggest inflorescences with the most spikelets per inflorescence, although spikelet number per unit raceme length was lower than on inflorescences borne on late-formed tillers. In general, the effect of N on seed yield components (inflorescence size, 1000-seed weight and seed set) was not significant. Early-emerged tillers contributed more than 70% of the total seed yield in both seasons.

Effects of water and nitrogen on seed production of creeping red fescue

2008 ◽  
Vol 88 (3) ◽  
pp. 439-446 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. A. Fairey
Keyword(s):  
Seed Production ◽  
Seed Yield ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
Festuca Rubra ◽  
Seed Crop ◽  
Red Fescue ◽  
Peace River ◽  
River Region ◽  
Seed Crops

In order to address a paucity of information, a study was conducted in the Peace River region of northwestern Canada to determine the effects on seed production of creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra L. var. rubra) of six water treatments [natural precipitation and 100, 125, 150, 175 and 200% of the average, cumulative, long-term precipitation (LTP) of 459 mm yr-1] in combination with four N-fertilization regimes (zero + 102, 34 + 68, 68 + 34, and 102 + zero kg ha-1 N for the first + second crops, respectively). The 2-yr seed yield exceeded 2900 kg ha-1 when N was supplied to just one of the two seed crops, viz. with 150 to 200% LTP when N was applied only to the first seed crop, and with 125 to 150% LTP when N was applied only to the second seed crop. Under the prevailing, long-term, moisture environment at the study site (100% LTP), total seed yield over two production years was greatest (2136 kg ha-1) with 68 + 34 kg ha-1 N. The effects of the water and N treatments on seed yield were not associated with the mass of root organic matter recovered after the harvest of the second seed crop. These results confirm, and begin to quantify, numerous visual observations in the Peace River region that seed yields of creeping red fescue are restricted by insufficient precipitation. Key words: Creeping red fescue, Festuca rubra, grass seed production, nitrogen fertility, water, soil moisture

THE INFLUENCE OF NITROGEN FERTILIZER, ROW SPACING, AND IRRIGATION ON SEED YIELD OF NINE GRASSES IN CENTRAL SASKATCHEWAN

1966 ◽  
Vol 46 (4) ◽  
pp. 425-431 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. L. Crowle
Keyword(s):  
Seed Yield ◽  
Kentucky Bluegrass ◽  
Perennial Grasses ◽  
Yield Response ◽  
Row Spacing ◽  
Intermediate Wheatgrass ◽  
Red Fescue ◽  
Tall Wheatgrass ◽  
Slender Wheatgrass ◽  
Seed Yields

Nine perennial grasses were grown for seed under irrigation and dryland conditions using 3-ft and 1-ft row spacing, and with and without fertilizer. Grasses were quite specific in their seed yield response. All grasses benefited from irrigation, some more than others. Three-foot row spacings resulted in higher seed yields for crested wheatgrass, intermediate wheatgrass, tall wheatgrass, and Russian wild ryegrass for both dryland and irrigation. The 3-ft spacing gave reduced seed yields for creeping red fescue and Kentucky bluegrass for both irrigated and dryland conditions. Wide spacing benefited slender wheatgrass only on dryland. Fertilizer gave quite inconsistent responses, and for slender wheatgrass, creeping red fescue, and Kentucky bluegrass under dryland conditions, fertilizer caused a reduction in seed yields. Fertilizer resulted in reduced yields of tall wheatgrass when grown under irrigation.

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