Learning about the growing habits and reproductive strategy of Thinopyrum intermedium through the establishment of its critical nitrogen dilution curve

Maintaining grain yield of Th. intermedium across stand age through constant spike fertility and spike density: Understanding its response to various agronomic managements

“…intermedium for grain production is not completely efficient. In our previous study (Fagnant et al, 2023), we showed a lack of accumulation of N and dry matter after anthesis in spikes that can be translated in low grain yields. Previous research on the partitioning of carbohydrate to seed in Lolium perenne L. and consequent seed filling suggest that spike has sufficient capacity to fill available seeds without contribution from vegetative tissues (Trethewey & Rolston, 2009).…”

“…We observed the highest level of total DM during the second reproductive phase (i.e., 2019), reaching a mean of 15.8 ± 0.6 t of DM ha -1 at grain maturity stage (i.e., BBCH89). The three other reproductive phases (i.e., 2018, 2020 and 2021) presented similar levels of total DM at BBCH89 stage ranging from 5.7 ± 1.2 for the N-control treatment (i.e., treatment 1) to 10.5 ± 1.5 t of DM ha -1 for the N-sufficient treatment (i.e., treatment 4 that is sufficient to achieve a N non-limited crop development see Fagnant et al, (2023)). Total DM produced during the autumn regrowth was low and also significantly influenced by the stand age (Table 3B), with the highest level observed after the first grain harvest (e.g., mean of 1.0 ± 0.1 t of DM ha -1 in 2018 compared to 0.2 ± 0.1 t ha -1 the other years for the N-control treatment; Figure 2).…”

“…Some studies have investigated the impact of N fertilization on Th. intermedium performance (Jungers et al, 2017;Frahm et al, 2018;Fagnant et al, 2023) and suggested an optimal N fertilization ranging from 61 to 100 kg N ha -1 . Defoliation operations can have a major impact on grass productivity as well.…”

Grain Yield Potential of Intermediate Wheatgrass in Western Canada

“…With annual cereal production, nitrogen is a limiting nutrient for IWG grain yield [18,19]. A recent report illustrated that the nitrogen required by IWG for grain production does not directly affect the grain but rather the development of the plant increasing the grain yield potential [20]. The addition of synthetic nitrogen in modest amounts has proven to benefit grain yield in IWG stands [18].…”

“…Activation of dormant apical meristems of certain grass species can be affected by the nitrogen level in the soil [28]. This alternative presents potential agronomic avenues to increase the yield potential; however, IWG as a crop has a low reliance on nitrogen to produce aboveground biomass [20], leading to a more complex relationship than initially envisioned.…”