Management of consecutive cuts in the production and quality of wintergreen paspalum seeds

The objective of this study was to evaluate the practice of consecutive cuts in the production and quality of Paspalum guenoarum seeds of the “Azulão” ecotype. The experimental design used was in completely randomized blocks with four replications. The treatment included three cuts in succession: zero cut, one cut, two cuts, and three cuts. The variables were: number of total tillers/plant; number of vegetative tillers/plant; number of reproductive tillers/plant; percentage of reproductive tillers; number of racemes/inflorescence; weight of thousand seeds; number of seeds/inflorescence; seed production; forage dry matter; water content of seeds; germination; first germination count; and germination speed index. The largest seed production was obtained with zero cut (850.3, first year and 719.4 kg/ha–1, second year) and one cut (794.4, first year and 627.3 kg/ha–1, second year) with no statistical difference between them. The largest germination percentage was seen with the application of zero (71.0%, first year and 79.3%, second year) and one cut (69.3%, first year and 75.0%, second year). There was a decrease in the production and quality of the seeds of the second cut, especially during the first year of evaluation. The total tillers, the percentage of tillers that went through the reproductive stage, and the number of reproductive tillers are the variables that are most highly correlated with seed production

Managing forage and turf‐type bahiagrass for seed production

Bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Flüggé) is the most extensively cultivated perennial warm-season grass in the southeastern United States for pasture, utility turf, cover cropping, and soil stabilization. The University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences bahiagrass breeding program has recently selected several improved forage- and dwarf-turf-type tetraploid breeding lines. However, seed production andseed quality quantification is needed before proposing any of these lines for cultivar release. The objectives of this study were (a) to evaluate seed production in seven tetraploid bahiagrass breeding lines (two forage-type apomictic hybrids, and five turftype facultative apomicts) and the cultivar ?Argentine?, and (b) to determine the optimum management practices (defoliation timing [May, June] and N rate [0, 60, and 120 kg N ha−1]) to increase seed yield and quality. Six seed traits were evaluated during 2 yr (first and second production year) under a randomized complete block design in a strip-split-plot arrangement with three replications. Eight genotypes (main plot), two defoliation timings (subplot), and three N fertilization rates (sub-subplot)were tested. All breeding lines produced viable seed comparable with Argentine,although some of them exhibited very low reproductive efficiency. Nitrogen fertilization improved seed yield by increasing inflorescence density but did not affect seed quality traits. Defoliation in May produced greater seed yield, whereas defoliation in June resulted in greater seed quality, especially for turf-type genotypes. The information generated in this study will guide cultivar release(s) and will be used to develop targeted recommendation practices for seed production in the species.Fil: Rios, Esteban Fernando. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste; Argentina. University of Florida; Estados UnidosFil: Zilli, Alex Leonel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste. Universidad Nacional del Nordeste. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Instituto de Botánica del Nordeste; ArgentinaFil: Kenworthy, Kevin E.. University of Florida; Estados UnidosFil: Mackowiak, Cheryl. University of Florida; Estados UnidosFil: Quesenberry, Kenneth. University of Florida; Estados UnidosFil: Blount, Ann. University of Florida; Estados Unido