Use of individual plants as experimental units may be necessary when resources are limited, but inter-plant variation risks obscuring differences among treatments. Experiments were undertaken to measure the effects of...Use of individual plants as experimental units may be necessary when resources are limited, but inter-plant variation risks obscuring differences among treatments. Experiments were undertaken to measure the effects of seed size on seedling size and response to applied nitrogen of annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.) harvested six or nine weeks after emergence. In two series of experiments, shoot and root dry weights of seedlings increased respectively at means of 53 - 61 and 29 - 30 mg·mg-1 increase in mean seed weight. Between the largest and smallest seed sizes used in this study, there was 83% difference in shoot weight at harvest six weeks after emergence and 22% difference with harvest nine weeks after emergence. Nitrogen (N) application, in comparison, increased shoot dry weights by averages of 69% and 77% with harvests at six or nine weeks, respectively. Dry mass response to N application was similar across seed size categories in shoots or roots. A mean 30% of total seedling-N was retained in roots. Nitrogen utilization efficiency for shoot growth (increase in shoot growth per unit increase in shoot N capture) ranged from 64 mg·mg-1 with harvest six weeks after emergence to 114 mg·mg-1 with harvest at nine weeks after emergence. Delay in seedling harvest from six to nine weeks post-emergence and use of closely-graded seed can reduce variation in individual seedling size and contribute to reduction in random variation in small-scale experiments.展开更多
Italian ryegrass is an annual/biennial grass that is typically used as a pasture crop or a cover crop along roadsides, rights-of-way, and industrial areas. Glyphosate-resistant (GR) Italian ryegrass populations have b...Italian ryegrass is an annual/biennial grass that is typically used as a pasture crop or a cover crop along roadsides, rights-of-way, and industrial areas. Glyphosate-resistant (GR) Italian ryegrass populations have been documented around the world, mostly in orchard and vineyard situations. The first evidence of evolved GR Italian ryegrass in row/agronomic crops was reported from Washington County, Mississippi in 2005. GR Italian ryegrass populations can jeopardize preplant burndown options in reduced-tillage crop production systems, thereby, delaying planting operations. The effects of competition of Italian ryegrass on crop growth and yield are poorly understood. A field study was conducted in the 2012 growing season and repeated in the 2013 growing season. GR and susceptible (GS) Italian ryegrass populations were established in the greenhouse and transplanted in prepared corn row beds in the fall of 2011 and 2012 at 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 plants·meter> of crop row. Italian ryegrass plants overwintered and developed over the following spring-summer. Glyphosate was applied at 1.26 kg·ae/ha (1.5× of labeled rate) in the spring to burndown the Italian ryegrass plants and corn was planted into the ryegrass residue 2 - 3 wk later. Current corn production practices were followed. Corn density (early and late season), height (early season), and yield and Italian ryegrass biomass (early-mid season) measurements were recorded during both years. Corn height was greater in 2012 than that in 2013 at comparable stages of the growing season, due to a cooler and wetter early season in 2013 than that in 2012. Averaged across weed densities, corn density (both early and late season) and yield were higher in the GS than those in the GR population, but Italian ryegrass biomass was similar for both populations. Averaged across Italian ryegrass populations, corn density (both early and late season), and yield were inversely proportional to Italian ryegrass density. In summary, Italian ryegrass significantly reduced corn density and yield and reduction was greater with the GR than that with the GS population. Studies are underway to study inter population competition in Italian ryegrass and investigate allelopathic effects of Italian ryegrass on selected crops.展开更多
Italian ray grass and oat are two grass species characterized by their ability to adjust tropical climate conditions. This study proposed to assess forage productivities to allow an appropriate mowing period determina...Italian ray grass and oat are two grass species characterized by their ability to adjust tropical climate conditions. This study proposed to assess forage productivities to allow an appropriate mowing period determination in their use as dairy female feed in Madagascar. A test on small plots has been set up in the southern part of the capital city Antananarivo during one dry period （4 months）. Live observations followed by laboratory proximate analyses have been performed for forage productivity and feeding value determination. Cultivated on tanety （hill）, irrigated in counter season, results show that： （I） oat higher height （H = 96.7 cm） than Italian ray grass （H= 69.4 cm） at 99 days of age; （2） similar biomass productivity; （3） dry matter yields significantly different （p = 0.05）; （4） certain similarity between dry matter yields and FMU （fodder milk unit） score evolution; （5） leafy stage of Italian ray grasses at 99 days of age; （6） mid-flowering stage for oats during the same period. Cell wall content, crude fiber and dry matter contents increased with age （p = 0.05）. Crude proteins and minerals evolved in opposite directions. Gross energy content did not present precise variation with age. This study allowed that for an acceptable quantitative and qualitative production during dry seasons, good mowing period for Italian ray grass could start at 76 days age, while oat could start being harvested at 68 days.展开更多
文摘Use of individual plants as experimental units may be necessary when resources are limited, but inter-plant variation risks obscuring differences among treatments. Experiments were undertaken to measure the effects of seed size on seedling size and response to applied nitrogen of annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum L.) harvested six or nine weeks after emergence. In two series of experiments, shoot and root dry weights of seedlings increased respectively at means of 53 - 61 and 29 - 30 mg·mg-1 increase in mean seed weight. Between the largest and smallest seed sizes used in this study, there was 83% difference in shoot weight at harvest six weeks after emergence and 22% difference with harvest nine weeks after emergence. Nitrogen (N) application, in comparison, increased shoot dry weights by averages of 69% and 77% with harvests at six or nine weeks, respectively. Dry mass response to N application was similar across seed size categories in shoots or roots. A mean 30% of total seedling-N was retained in roots. Nitrogen utilization efficiency for shoot growth (increase in shoot growth per unit increase in shoot N capture) ranged from 64 mg·mg-1 with harvest six weeks after emergence to 114 mg·mg-1 with harvest at nine weeks after emergence. Delay in seedling harvest from six to nine weeks post-emergence and use of closely-graded seed can reduce variation in individual seedling size and contribute to reduction in random variation in small-scale experiments.
文摘Italian ryegrass is an annual/biennial grass that is typically used as a pasture crop or a cover crop along roadsides, rights-of-way, and industrial areas. Glyphosate-resistant (GR) Italian ryegrass populations have been documented around the world, mostly in orchard and vineyard situations. The first evidence of evolved GR Italian ryegrass in row/agronomic crops was reported from Washington County, Mississippi in 2005. GR Italian ryegrass populations can jeopardize preplant burndown options in reduced-tillage crop production systems, thereby, delaying planting operations. The effects of competition of Italian ryegrass on crop growth and yield are poorly understood. A field study was conducted in the 2012 growing season and repeated in the 2013 growing season. GR and susceptible (GS) Italian ryegrass populations were established in the greenhouse and transplanted in prepared corn row beds in the fall of 2011 and 2012 at 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 plants·meter> of crop row. Italian ryegrass plants overwintered and developed over the following spring-summer. Glyphosate was applied at 1.26 kg·ae/ha (1.5× of labeled rate) in the spring to burndown the Italian ryegrass plants and corn was planted into the ryegrass residue 2 - 3 wk later. Current corn production practices were followed. Corn density (early and late season), height (early season), and yield and Italian ryegrass biomass (early-mid season) measurements were recorded during both years. Corn height was greater in 2012 than that in 2013 at comparable stages of the growing season, due to a cooler and wetter early season in 2013 than that in 2012. Averaged across weed densities, corn density (both early and late season) and yield were higher in the GS than those in the GR population, but Italian ryegrass biomass was similar for both populations. Averaged across Italian ryegrass populations, corn density (both early and late season), and yield were inversely proportional to Italian ryegrass density. In summary, Italian ryegrass significantly reduced corn density and yield and reduction was greater with the GR than that with the GS population. Studies are underway to study inter population competition in Italian ryegrass and investigate allelopathic effects of Italian ryegrass on selected crops.
文摘Italian ray grass and oat are two grass species characterized by their ability to adjust tropical climate conditions. This study proposed to assess forage productivities to allow an appropriate mowing period determination in their use as dairy female feed in Madagascar. A test on small plots has been set up in the southern part of the capital city Antananarivo during one dry period （4 months）. Live observations followed by laboratory proximate analyses have been performed for forage productivity and feeding value determination. Cultivated on tanety （hill）, irrigated in counter season, results show that： （I） oat higher height （H = 96.7 cm） than Italian ray grass （H= 69.4 cm） at 99 days of age; （2） similar biomass productivity; （3） dry matter yields significantly different （p = 0.05）; （4） certain similarity between dry matter yields and FMU （fodder milk unit） score evolution; （5） leafy stage of Italian ray grasses at 99 days of age; （6） mid-flowering stage for oats during the same period. Cell wall content, crude fiber and dry matter contents increased with age （p = 0.05）. Crude proteins and minerals evolved in opposite directions. Gross energy content did not present precise variation with age. This study allowed that for an acceptable quantitative and qualitative production during dry seasons, good mowing period for Italian ray grass could start at 76 days age, while oat could start being harvested at 68 days.
