Residue Management, Seed Production, Crop Development, and Turf Quality in Diverse Kentucky Bluegrass Germplasm

Abstract

in seed production unless crop residue is removed. Canode and Law (1977) found that yield reductions ranged Field burning has traditionally been used to stimulate Kentucky from 40 to 80%, depending on row spacing. Mechanical bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) seed production, but air quality issues are making this practice untenable. Our objectives were to determine removal of straw was less effective at promoting yield agronomic and crop developmental responses of 45 diverse Kentucky than open-field burning. This response is consistent with bluegrass entries under burned, mechanically removed, and residueother reports on the effect of residue on seed production retained management systems, assess the scope for improving yield (Hickey and Ensign, 1983). The yield response also varunder nonthermal residue management, and relate seed yield and turf ies depending on the amount of residue removed, with quality factors. Compared with burned treatments, yield was reduced more complete removal conducive to higher yield 27% when residue was mechanically removed from plots, and 63% (Hickey and Ensign, 1983). Chastain et al. (1997) rewhen residue was retained. Higher yield was promoted by a long ported that Kentucky bluegrass seed yield could be heading-to-anthesis period, a relatively short anthesis-to-harvest pemaintained without field burning with near complete riod, and an early harvest date (maturity). Although both seeds per straw removal and reduced stubble height. Lamb and panicle and fertile panicles per square meter were positively correlated with yield, lower yield with nonthermal residue management was

Seed Yield, Development, and Variation in Diverse Poa pratensis Accessions

“…Plant height was recorded at anthesis, In Johnson et al (2003) row-seeded plots included the same 10 accessions as the current study and three postharvest residue management treatments (residue retained, residue mechanically removed, and residue burned). Plant spread was measured before stem extension using a circular hoop with an area of either 0.1964 m 2 or 0.4418 m 2 .…”

“…Plant spread was measured before stem extension using a circular hoop with an area of either 0.1964 m 2 or 0.4418 m 2 . The lowest-yielding accessions in the Johnson et al (2003) (Table 2). In 2002 the smaller hoop was used, and in 2003 the larger was used to accommodate for plant growth.…”

“…Similar to Johnson et al (2003), seed yield was divided into components as seed yield per plant (g) = weight per seed (g) × seeds per panicle × panicles per plant. Plants were then cut about 2 cm from the soil and dried in paper bags.…”

“…Finding high seed-yielding types with superior turf characteristics has always been challenging (Bashaw and Funk, 1987). Compared with burned treatments, seed yield was reduced an average of 27% when residue was mechanically removed (Johnson et al, 2003). Likewise, the success of cultivars with high seed yield and poor turf quality is limited .…”

“…Plots in Johnson et al (2003) were seeded into multiple individual rows, similar to fi eld conditions. Plots in Johnson et al (2003) were seeded into multiple individual rows, similar to fi eld conditions.…”