Effects of method, rate and time of application of nitrogen fertilizer on seed production of tall fescue

1998 ◽  
Vol 78 (3) ◽  
pp. 453-458 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. A. Fairey ◽  
L. P. Lefkovitch

The production of seed of tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreber) provides an opportunity to diversify the agriculture of the Peace region with a new, un-subsidized, soil-conserving, cash-crop. Nitrogen fertility and nutrition are major components of the production of any grass-seed crop. A field study was conducted on the nitrogen (N) fertilizer requirements for optimizing seed yield and quality of tall fescue grown in the Peace region. Row-crop stands (30-cm spacing) were established at four sites in two consecutive seeding years (1993 and 1994), with two consecutive seed crops being harvested from each stand. A total of 18 N fertilizer treatments was applied to the first seed crop, a factorial combination of two methods (surface-broadcast, granular, ammonium nitrate 34–0–0, and soil-injected 28–0–0 solution), three times (early- to mid-September, early- to mid-October, and early- to mid-April prior to the first seed harvest), and three rates (50, 100, and 150 kg ha−1 N). The second seed crop received 68 kg ha−1 of surface-broadcast N applied in mid-September after removal of the harvest crop residue. Seed yield and quality were not affected by the time of N application. When compared with broadcast application, soil-injection of N fertilizer significantly reduced whole-plant dry matter (DM) yield and seed yield/seedhead by 7 and 9%, respectively, but the two methods of N application had no differential effect on clean seed yield ha−1, fertile tiller density, harvest index, thousand-seed weight, specific seed weight, germination, or on the proportion of clean seed. When compared with N at 50 kg ha−1, whole-plant DM yield was increased by 6 and 8%, and clean seed yield/seedhead by 15 and 14%, with the 100 and 150 kg ha−1 rates of N, respectively. The first- and second-year seed yields averaged 1319 and 952 kg ha−1, respectively, for the 1993 seeding year, and 1630 and 716 kg ha−1, respectively, for the 1994 seeding year. The cumulative seed productivity over the 2 production years was similar for the two seeding years, being 2271 kg ha−1 for 1993 and 2346 kg ha−1 for 1994. Each seed crop of tall fescue requires an available N supply from the soil in the range of 100 to 150 kg ha−1 N to maximize seed yield and quality. Key words: Tall fescue, Festuca arundinacea Schreber, nitrogen fertility, grass seed production, grass seed quality

1999 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 535-541 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. A. Fairey ◽  
L. P. Lefkovitch

A field study was conducted with tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreber) to determine the effect of the initial population density and spatial arrangement of plants on crop development and seed yield. 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). Over the 3 yr, heading commenced at dates differing by 15 d and was delayed, as density increased, by 8, 6, and 2 d, respectively, in the first, second, and third production years. The time of seed maturity differed among years (21 July to 4 August) but was generally unaffected by density or row spacing. In the first production year, seed yield increased with density up to 25 plants m−2 for each row spacing, then remained constant to at least 50 plants m−2 with both 20- or 40-cm rows; it decreased slightly at 100 plants m−2 with 20 cm rows. In the second production year, seed yield was relatively independent of plant density except that it decreased when the initial density was less than 6 plants m−2 with a row spacing of 80 cm, and tended to be greatest with the 40-cm row spacing at 6–25 plants m−2. In the third production year, seed yield was much lower than in the previous 2 yr but the pattern of response to the density and row spacing treatments was similar to that in the second production year. The seed yield of tall fescue can be optimized for at least 3 consecutive years by establishing an initial density of 20–100 plants m−2 in rows spaced 20–60 cm apart. If the maximization of first-year seed yield is a priority, then the initial establishment should be at a density of 25–50 plants m−2 in rows spaced 20–40 cm apart. Key words: Tall fescue, Festuca arundinacea Schreber, population density, plant spacing, seed production


2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 231-242
Author(s):  
Haixia Xu ◽  
Haiyan Cen ◽  
Zhihong Ma ◽  
Liang Wan ◽  
Weijun Zhou ◽  
...  

Abstract. Oilseed rape is one of the leading sources of vegetable oil in the world. Maximizing the seed yield and quality is crucial to improve the profit for farmers and meet the increasing consumer demand for healthy vegetable oil. However, the current evaluation process of seed yield and quality is tedious and inefficient due to its dependence on wet chemistry methods and/or manual measurements of small sample sizes. Because the photosynthesis of pods plays an important role in the accumulation of grain filling, this research aimed to evaluate the seed yield and quality of oilseed rape by using chlorophyll fluorescence (ChlF) parameters. The OJIP kinetics of rape pods were acquired in two independent experiments with different levels of nitrogen (N) application and different crop varieties, respectively. The JIP-test showed that the level of N fertilizer can influence the plant photosynthetic capacity and crop productivity, and the photosynthetic response also varied in the different varieties. The maximum quantum yield for primary photochemistry (Fv/Fm) was a sensitive indicator for evaluating the performance of photosystem II (PSII) activity with the different N applications and varieties. Increased quantum yield and efficiency with more active reaction centers (RCs) were observed under increased N application as well as with variety GY605, leading to higher energy utilization efficiencies. However, superior photosynthetic apparatus in pods is not recommended in high-quality seed breeding because it would increase the contents of glucosinolates and erucic acid. In addition, the random forest (RF) algorithm was proven to be effective in feature selection, and the selected fluorescence parameters mostly showed high correlations with seed yield and quality. These results demonstrate the potential of the ChlF method for assessing the seed yield and quality of oilseed rape at the early podding stage, which could also be useful for advancing crop breeding and improving agronomic management. Keywords: Agronomic management, Chlorophyll fluorescence, Crop varieties, JIP-test, Oilseed rape, Seed quality, Seed yield.


1984 ◽  
Vol 103 (1) ◽  
pp. 201-211 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Wilman ◽  
P. Joy Pearse

SummaryEffects of three levels of N application and four intervals between harvests on field swards of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) were studied during 6-week periods in summer and spring. Ryegrass was compared with tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) in spring and autumn.An increase in the interval between harvests from 1 to 6 weeks allowed a larger, positive response to applied N to develop in respect of dry-matter yield, weight per tiller, and leaf blade and sheath length. Response to N was expressed more in terms of larger leaf blades than in a larger number of tillers. Tall fescue leaf blade size was increased more than that of ryegrass by a period of uninterrupted growth in May.Within 1 week of its application, N had increased the N content of both emerging and dying leaf blades and had increased the width and reduced the weight per unit area of the emerging blades. The positive effect of N on blade width (and on blade length where uninterrupted growth was allowed) and its negative effect on weight per unit area were ‘carried through’ the sward, to be recorded a second time when that generation of blades had become the dying blades.Applied N increased the number of tillers, the rate of emergence of new tillers, the proportion of tiller buds which developed into tillers, and the proportion of relatively young tiller buds which developed.


Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xu-Peng Zeng ◽  
Kai Zhu ◽  
Jian-Ming Lu ◽  
Yuan Jiang ◽  
Li-Tao Yang ◽  
...  

Nitrogen (N) plays an important role in sugarcane (Saccharum spp. hybrids) growth and development; however, long-term effects of N application levels on cane and sugar production in different sugarcane cultivars under field conditions remain unclear. In this study, we investigate the agronomic, yield, and quality traits in three sugarcane cultivars (GT11, B9, and ROC22) under different N levels (0, 150, and 300 kg/ha urea) from 2015 to 2019. Continuous four-year field experiments of plant and ratoon crops were carried out by using two-factor split-plot design. The results showed that N fertilizer application improved the tillering rate, stalk diameter, plant height, stalk weight, millable stalks/ha, cane yield, sugar yield and juice rate of cane, and the difference between N application and non-N application was significant. The cane yield, millable stalks/ha, juice rate, and juice gravity purity increased with the increase of N application, but the milled juice brix and sucrose % cane decreased with the increase of N application. The sugar yield was the highest at 150 kg/ha urea application, while the cane yield was the highest at 300 kg/ha urea application. Different N fertilizer application levels significantly regulated the activities of glutamic pyruvic transaminase (GPT) and glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (GOT) and the contents of chlorophyll and nitrate N in plant leaves, which reflected the regulation in nitrogen metabolism and alteration in dry matter production and distribution, cane yield and sugar accumulation in different sugarcane cultivars. During the four-year experiment duration, the cane yield and sugar yield generally showed ROC22 > B9 > GT11. These data suggested that 300 kg/ha urea application was suitable for the plant and first ratoon crops, and 150 kg/ha urea application was suitable for the second and third ratoon crops. Both cane and sugar yields could be the highest in a four-year production cycle under this circumstance.


1999 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 543-549 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. A. Fairey ◽  
L. P. Lefkovitch

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


Author(s):  
Zenawi Gebregergis ◽  
Fiseha Baraki Sibhatu ◽  
Goitom Teame

Inappropriate use of fertilizers is one of the major production constraints in sesame. Studies to optimize the use of N fertilizer on sesame were conducted at Humera Agricultural Research Center (HuARC) under rain fed and irrigation conditions. Thirteen (13) N doses were evaluated in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) during 2016, 2017 and 2018. In the rain fed condition; results showed higher number of days to 50% flowering on the higher N application. The 31-121.5 kg N ha-1 have scored higher seed yield, where the lower (18 kg N ha-1) and higher (156 kg N ha-1) N doses scored lower seed yield. In the irrigation condition; higher N application rate prolonged the flowering time to some extent and days to 90% maturity was reduced as N rate increased. Heavier seed weights and maximum seed yield were recorded on 64 and 75 kg N ha-1 and the lower N doses scored low seed yield. Agronomic efficiency of N fertilizer (N-AE) was higher on 64 kg N ha-1 under both growing conditions. The partial budget analysis revealed that 64 kg N ha-1 (rain fed) and 75 kg N ha-1 (irrigation) had the higher net profit, MRR and residual ranking. Therefore, for the greater sesame productivity 64 kg N ha-1 has to be recommended for rain fed and 64 to 75 kg N ha-1 for the irrigated sesame.


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