Effects of Seeding Rate and Nitrogen Application on Tall Fescue Seed Production. (1st January 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Han, Yunhua; Hu, Tianming; Wang, Xianguo; Hannaway, David B.; Li, Jun; Mao, Peisheng; Cui, Zhiming; Zhu, Zhenlei; Wang, Zhengwei
• Is Part Of: Agronomy Journal. Volume 106:Number 1(2014)
• Page Start: 119
• Page End: 124
• Publication Date: 2014-01-01
• Subjects: Agronomy -- Periodicals; 630
• DOI: 10.2134/agronj2013.0326
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0002-1962

Abstract

Abstract : Seeding rate and N fertilization are basic managements for tall fescue ( Lolium arundinaceum Schreb.) seed production. Limited information is available on turf‐ and forage‐type tall fescue responses of seed yield and yield components to seeding rate, N rate, N timing, and their interactions. We evaluated two seeding rates (3 and 9 kg ha –1 ), four N rates (90, 140, 190, and 240 kg ha –1 ), and two N timing treatments (one‐third of the annual N applied in autumn+two‐thirds applied the following spring and two‐thirds of the annual N applied in autumn+one‐third applied the following spring) on two tall fescue cultivars: Justice (a turf‐type) and Dovey (a forage‐type) for their effects on seed yield and yield components. Higher seed yields were obtained for turf‐type Justice at the higher seeding rate of 9 kg ha –1 or when more N was applied in autumn than in spring. Of the five seed‐yield components, fertile tillers per square meter of both cultivars were most closely correlated with seed yield. Increasing N application rate or applying more N in autumn resulted in more fertile tillers. These results suggest that 3 kg ha –1 is a sufficient seeding rate for high seed yield of forage‐type tall fescues. Nitrogen rates and timing, however, need to be adjusted to types and cultivars; turf‐type Justice required 190 kg N ha –1 with two‐thirds applied in autumn for highest seed yield whereas cultivar Dovey seed yield was optimized with 140 kg N ha –1, without a significant effect of N timing.