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

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

scholarly journals Red fescue seed production: post-harvest management, nitrogen and closing date

1990 ◽  
pp. 81-85
Author(s):  
M.D. Hare ◽  
W.J. Archie
Keyword(s):  
Seed Production ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Festuca Rubra ◽  
Harvest Management ◽  
Closing Date ◽  
Post Harvest ◽  
Red Fescue ◽  
Seed Yields ◽  
Autumn And Winter

Seed yields of 'Grasslands Cook' chewings fescue (Festuca rubra spp. cornmutata) and 'Grasslands Tasman' creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra) were increased by immediate post-harvest grazing or burning. Severe defoliation (3-5 cm from ground level) by burning, grazing or cutting in autumn and winter, decreased seed yields. Nitrogen increased seed yields, but there were no significant differences (P

Effect of method and time of application of nitrogen fertiliser on yield and quality of seed of creeping red fescue

2000 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 809-811 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. A. Fairey ◽  
L. P. Lefkovitch
Keyword(s):  
Seed Production ◽  
Seed Yield ◽  
Seed Quality ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Festuca Rubra ◽  
Grass Seed ◽  
Red Fescue ◽  
Time Of Application ◽  
Vigorous Plant ◽  
Tiller Density

Six trials were conducted on commercial seed fields of creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra L. var. rubra) in the Peace region to evaluate the sensitivity of seed production to the method and time of application of N fertiliser. In each trial, 68 kg ha−1 N was applied using three methods (surface-broadcast, granular, ammonium nitrate 34-0-0; foliar/soil spray of 28-0-0 solution N; soil-injected 28-0-0 solution N) at each of three times (fall, early spring, late spring). No statistically significant (P = 0.05) interaction, or main effect, of method and time of N were revealed for seed yield, fertile tiller density or for several seed quality characteristics. Seed yield varied greatly among trials (142 to 1240 kg ha−1) and averaged 566 kg ha−1. The results indicate that there is considerable flexibility in the method and time of application of N fertiliser for seed production of creeping red fescue in the Peace region, provided it is applied before the commencement of vigorous plant growth in the spring. Key words: Creeping red fescue, Festuca rubra L., nitrogen fertility, grass seed production, grass seed quality

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.

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

Crop density and seed production of creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra L. var. rubra). 1. Yield and plant development

1996 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 291-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. A. Fairey ◽  
L. P. Lefkovitch
Keyword(s):  
Population Density ◽  
Seed Production ◽  
Seed Yield ◽  
Row Spacing ◽  
Initial Population ◽  
Festuca Rubra ◽  
Initial Population Density ◽  
Red Fescue ◽  
Clean Seed ◽  
Seed Crops

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. A field study was conducted to evaluate whether seed yield of fescue can be optimized for one, two or three consecutive crops by manipulating the initial population density and arrangement of plants. Individual seedling plants were transplanted at seven densities (1.6, 3.1, 6.3, 12.5, 25, 50 and 100 plants m−2) and three row spacings (20, 40 and 80 cm), and characteristics of seed production were determined for 3 yr (1991–1993). Heading commenced at dates differing by 16 d in the 3 yr and was delayed by up to 7 d as density increased. Seed maturity occurred in a 7-d period in each year (15–22 July). For a single harvest, an initial density of 12–100 plants m−2 on a row spacing of 20 cm or 12–50 plants m−2 on a row spacing of 40 cm is required to optimize yield and produce about 600 kg ha−1 of clean seed. For two consecutive harvests, an initial population density of 6–25 plants m−2 on a row spacing of 20 cm or 6–50 plants m−2 on a row spacing of 40 cm is required to optimize yield and produce a total of about 800 kg ha−1 of clean seed. For producing for either 1 or 2 yr, a density of 12–25 plants m−2 on rows no wider than 40 cm is required to optimize seed yield in each year. The probability of producing a third seed crop decreases markedly as the initial plant density increases and as the row spacing decreases. It is probably uneconomic to harvest more than two consecutive seed crops with current management practices. Key words: Red fescue; Festuca rubra var. rubra, population density, plant spacing, seed production

scholarly journals Nitrogen Fertilizer Management Practices to Enhance Seed Production by `Anaheim Chili' Peppers

1990 ◽  
Vol 115 (2) ◽  
pp. 245-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.O. Payero ◽  
M.S. Bhangoo ◽  
J.J. Steiner
Keyword(s):  
Seed Production ◽  
Seed Yield ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Irrigation System ◽  
Seed Mass ◽  
Fruit Production ◽  
Trickle Irrigation ◽  
Total N ◽  
Leaf Petiole ◽  
Total Seed

The effects of six applied N treatments differing by rates and frequencies of application on the yield and quality of pepper (Capsicum annuum var. annuum L. `Anaheim Chili') grown for seed was studied. The timing of N applications was based on crop phenology, leaf petiole nitrate-nitrogen concentrations (NO3-N) minimum thresholds, and scheduled calendar applications of fixed amounts of N. Solubilized NH4NO3 was applied through a trickle-irrigation system to ensure uniform and timely applications of N. Rate of mature (green and red) fruit production was unaffected by any treatment except weekly applications of 28 kg·ha-1 of N, which stopped production of mature fruit before all other treatments. Early season floral bud and flower production increased with increasing amounts of N. The two highest total N treatments produced more floral buds and flowers late in the season than the other treatments. Total fruit production was maximized at 240 kg N/ha. Differences in total fruit production due to frequency of N application resulted at the highest total N level. Red fruit production tended to be maximized with total seasonal applied N levels of 240 kg·ha-1 and below, although weekly applications of N reduced production. Total seed yield was a function of red fruit production. Pure-1ive seed (PLS) production was a function of total seed production. Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) for red fruit production also decreased with N rates >240 kg·ha-1, but PLS yield and NUE decreased in a near-linear fashion as the amount of total seasonal applied N increased, regardless of application frequency. Season average NO3-N (AVE NO3-N) values >4500 mg·kg-1 had total seed and PLS yields less than those treatments <4000 mg·kg-1. Six-day germination percentage was reduced with weekly N applications of 14 kg·ha-1. Seed mass was reduced with weekly N applications of 28 kg·ha-1. Final germination percent, seedling root length and weight, and field emergence were unaffected by any of the N treatments. These findings indicate that different N management strategies are needed to maximize seed yield compared to fruit yield and, therefore, there may be an advantage to growing `Anaheim Chili' pepper specifically for seed.

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

Intraspecific competition in experimental populations of weeds

1974 ◽  
Vol 52 (6) ◽  
pp. 1415-1421 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Marc Deschênes
Keyword(s):  
Seed Production ◽  
Reproductive Behavior ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Vegetative Reproduction ◽  
Root Production ◽  
Festuca Rubra ◽  
Red Fescue ◽  
Matter Production ◽  
High Germination ◽  
Respective Species

Red fescue (Festuca rubra L.), yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.), and mouse-eared chickweed (Cerastium vulgatum L.) were seeded at six densities under greenhouse conditions. Total dry matter production per pot (shoots and roots) increased as density increased for every species until a point was reached where a further increase of the density did not result in a higher production per pot. All species produced about the same shoot yield per pot. Root production per pot, however, was different among the species. The shoot–root ratio was the highest for mouse-eared chickweed, the lowest for red fescue, and intermediate for yarrow. All species exhibited fairly high germination and very low mortality, except yarrow. The three species displayed considerable plasticity in yield and in seed production per pot from low to high densities. The reproductive behavior varied between the species. Red fescue remained vegetative. Sexual reproduction of yarrow decreased drastically with increasing density. Mouse-eared chickweek maintained a large seed production over the whole range of densities. The population of the respective species seemed regulated by (1) individual plasticity and vegetative reproduction (red fescue), (2) individual plasticity, mortality, and limited seed production (yarrow), and (3) individual plasticity and high seed production (mouse-eared chickweed).

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

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