Linking soil nutrients and traits to seedling growth: A test of the plant economics spectrum

Currently, a real challenge for the workers in the agricultural research field is to stop or reduce the use of expensive agrochemicals/ chemical fertilizers which are hazardous to the environment as well as human health. Present study was aimed to improve the growth and obtain optimum yield of Vigna crop with eco-friendly, non-toxic way and to reduce the use of agrochemical/chemical fertilizer application in agricultural activities. A pot experiment was conducted to study the effect of chemical fertilizer (DAP) and biofertilizer ( Rhizobium strain) separately and in combination on seed germination and seedling growth (at 30 days) based on morphological parameters such as seedling length (cm), fresh weight (g), dry weight (g) and leaf area (cm)2 of Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek. After one month (30 Days) observations, it was found that seedling length, fresh and dry weights and leaf area were maximum in T4 and minimum in T15, T7 and T8 favored improved seedling length and leaf area whereas T7, T8, and T9 favored improved fresh and dry weights as compared to control.

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Genetic variation for rate of establishment in caucasian clover

Proceedings of the New Zealand Grassland Association ◽

10.33584/jnzg.1998.60.2282 ◽

1998 ◽

pp. 213-217

Author(s):

K.H. Widdup ◽

T.L. Knight ◽

C.J. Waters

Keyword(s):

Genetic Variation ◽

Root Growth ◽

Seedling Growth ◽

White Clover ◽

Seedling Emergence ◽

Red Clover ◽

Dry Weight ◽

Cool Season ◽

Trifolium Ambiguum ◽

Root Dry Weight

Slow establishment of caucasian clover (Trifolium ambiguum L.) is hindering the use of this legume in pasture mixtures. Improved genetic material is one strategy of correcting the problem. Newly harvested seed of hexaploid caucasian clover germplasm covering a range of origins, together with white and red clover and lucerne, were sown in 1 m rows in a Wakanui soil at Lincoln in November 1995. After 21 days, the caucasian clover material as a group had similar numbers of emerged seedlings as white clover and lucerne, but was inferior to red clover. There was wide variation among caucasian clover lines (48-70% seedling emergence), with the cool-season selection from cv. Monaro ranked the highest. Recurrent selection at low temperatures could be used to select material with improved rates of seedling emergence. Red clover and lucerne seedlings produced significantly greater shoot and root dry weight than caucasian and white clover seedlings. Initially, caucasian clover seedlings partitioned 1:1 shoot to root dry weight compared with 3:1 for white clover. After 2 months, caucasian clover seedlings had similar shoot growth but 3 times the root growth of white clover. Between 2 and 5 months, caucasian clover partitioned more to root and rhizome growth, resulting in a 0.3:1 shoot:root ratio compared with 2:1 for white clover. Both clover species had similar total dry weight after 5 months. Unhindered root/ rhizome devel-opment is very important to hasten the establishment phase of caucasian clover. The caucasian clover lines KZ3 and cool-season, both selections from Monaro, developed seedlings with greater shoot and root growth than cv. Monaro. KZ3 continued to produce greater root growth after 5 months, indicating the genetic potential for improvement in seedling growth rate. Different pasture estab-lishment techniques are proposed that take account of the seedling growth characteristics of caucasian clover. Keywords: establishment, genetic variation, growth, seedling emergence, Trifolium ambiguum

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