The influence of seed size and seeding rate on the growth of two strains of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.)

1958 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 286 ◽  
Author(s):  
EH Lawson ◽  
RC Rossiter
Keyword(s):  
Seed Size ◽  
Unit Area ◽  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Root Production ◽  
Root Weight ◽  
Seeding Rate ◽  
Leaf Production ◽  
Net Assimilation

The results of a field experiment are presented in which large and small seeds of two strains of subterranean clover, Dwalganup and Mt. Barker, were sown at equal weights of viable seed per unit area. Two seeding rates were examined, and four harvests made during the winter-early spring period. The general conclusion is drawn that seed size has no effect on the growth rate of a subterranean clover sward, provided that sowing rate is held constant. It was found that the earlier strain Dwalganup outyielded the mid-season Mt. Barker strain in terms of total tops weight per unit area, although leaf production was higher in the mid-season strain. Root production, however, was consistently greater in Mt. Barker than in Dwalganup, and in fact total yields (of both tops and roots) were very slightly higher in the Mt. Barker strain. Growth rates are discussed in relation to net assimilation rates and leaf weights, and it is suggested that differences in root weight ratios between subterranean clover strains have not received adequate attention in the past.

Relationships among rate and duration of flowering and seed yield components in subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum)

1974 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 435 ◽  
Author(s):  
CM Francis ◽  
JS Gladstones
Keyword(s):  
Seed Size ◽  
Seed Yield ◽  
Unit Area ◽  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Main Determinant ◽  
Flowering Duration ◽  
Seed Yield Components ◽  
Flowering Rate ◽  
Number Of Seeds

Time of flowering, duration of flowering, rate of inflorescence production per unit area, viability of seeds harvested 20 and 30 days after anthesis, and seed yield and its components were measured on 24 subterranean clover strains grown as irrigated swards. Seed yield was unrelated to time or duration of flowering, but positively correlated with rate of inflorescence production, total inflorescence, burr and seed numbers, number of seeds per burr, and seed size. Rate of inflorescence production was the main determinant of total inflorescence numbers per unit area and an important determinant of total burr and seed numbers per unit area. It was negatively related to flowering duration, and weakly so to seed size. Seed size was unrelated to strain maturity. Seeds of small-seeded and fast-flowering strains on average attained viability faster than those of large-seeded and slow-flowering strains. Number of seeds per burr increased slightly with lateness of flowering, but was unrelated to seed size or flowering rate. It is concluded that rapid flowering and high seed number per burr should be useful primary selection criteria in selecting subterranean clovers for seed yield and general adaptation in southern Australia.

The influence of seed size and depth of sowing on pre-emergence and early vegetative growth of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.)

1956 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 98 ◽  
Author(s):  
JN Black
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Seed Size ◽  
Vegetative Growth ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Relative Rate ◽  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Total Leaf Area ◽  
Pot Culture

Changes in the pre-emergence distribution of dry matter in subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) variety Bacchus Marsh were followed at 21°C, using three sizes of seed and three depths of sowing, ½, 1¼, and 2 in. Decreasing seed size and increasing depth of sowing both reduce the weight of the cotyledons a t emergence. Seed of the three sizes were sown a t three depths in pot culture a t staggered intervals so that emergence was simultaneous. Dry weight in the early vegetative stage was proportional to seed size, and total leaf area and leaf numbers showed similar trends. Plants of each seed size grew at the same relative rate. No effect of depth of sowing could be detected, and this was shown to be due to the cotyledon area a t emergence being constant for any given seed size, regardless of varying depth of sowing and hence of cotyledon weight. It was concluded that seed size in a plant having epigeal germination and without endosperm is of importance: firstly, in limiting the maximum hypocotyl elongation and hence depth of sowing, and secondly, in determining cotyledon area. Cotyledon area in turn influences seedling growth, which is not affected by cotyledon weight. Once emergence has taken place, cotyledonary reserves are of no further significance in the growth of the plants.

Monitoring ley pastures and their response to winter cleaning

2006 ◽  
Vol 46 (8) ◽  
pp. 1023 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. C. Wolfe ◽  
J. A. Paul ◽  
P. D. Cregan
Keyword(s):  
Rapid Development ◽  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Total Biomass ◽  
Seedling Density ◽  
Bare Ground ◽  
Herbicide Application ◽  
Seeding Rate ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Legume Growth

The purposes of this study were to evaluate subterranean clover-based leys on farms and in experiments using several pasture parameters, and to assess the impact of winter cleaning on the productivity and botanical composition of clover swards. Annual pastures were monitored on a group of 5 farms in the Wagga district and compared with an experimental subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) pasture. The major problem in the farm paddocks was a lack of legume biomass due to poor legume densities, a consequence of the use of the soft-seeded cultivar Woogenellup and a high content of grassy weeds. The farmers in the group were unaware of the tools, parameters and benchmarks for making quantitative pasture comparisons. In 2 experiments, a range of subterranean clover swards were generated through the use of cultivars, seeding rate and winter cleaning treatments, grazed at 15 sheep/ha and monitored for 3 years. Appropriate benchmark values for the seed pool of subterranean clover were 300–350 kg/ha in winter and 600–700 kg/ha in summer. On the basis of both winter production, a function of May seedling density (target >1000 seedlings/m2) and spring production, which depended on the cultivar maturity, Junee was superior at Wagga to either Dalkeith (earlier maturing) or Woogenellup (softer seeded). Winter cleaning, using selective herbicides (fluazifop, simazine) to remove grasses and weeds, was advantageous in achieving a high content (>90%) and productivity of subterranean clover, provided that the legume content of the pasture was at least 28%, or >20% of total ground area before herbicide application in winter. In winter-cleaned swards, legume growth increased by up to 80%, legume biomass was improved by up to 46% and legume content increased from <50 to >95%. The main disadvantages of winter cleaning were increased areas of bare ground and reduced total biomass for several weeks after herbicide application, and the rapid development of ryegrass that was resistant to at least 1 of the herbicides used. The strategic use of observations to monitor the performance of pastures and their response to management is discussed.

Growth of skeleton weed (Chondrilla juncea L.) as affected by growth of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) and infection by Puccinea chondrillina Bubak and Syd

1975 ◽  
Vol 26 (6) ◽  
pp. 975 ◽  
Author(s):  
RH Groves ◽  
JD Williams
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area ◽  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Root Competition ◽  
Leaf Number ◽  
Root Weight ◽  
Large Reduction ◽  
Plant Parts ◽  
Chondrilla Juncea

Growth of skeleton weed (Chondrilla juncea, form A) and subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum) was studied in a glasshouse experiment in which the species were grown alone or together and the resultant effects of shoot and root competition assessed. The leaf number and weight of plant parts of C. juncea were reduced by competition vith subterranean clover, especially when shoots of the two species were competing. The leaf area of C. juncea was reduced, especially when roots of the two species were growing together. Puccinia chondrillina on C. juncea rosettes reduced leaf number, leaf area, and weight of plant parts. Subterranean clover grown with C. juncea infected with P. chondrillina further reduced the size and weight of the weed. The large reduction in leaf area and root weight of C. juncea (form A) plants in the presence of both subterranean clover and P. chondrillina suggests that growth of this form of C. juncea in Australia will be greatly reduced in pastures containing these species. In the long term, densities of this form may possibly be so lowered that a significant level of control will be reached in a cereal cropping-pasture system.

Seed size as a factor in the growth of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) under spaced and sward conditions

1957 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 335 ◽  
Author(s):  
JN Black
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Area Index ◽  
Leaf Area ◽  
Seed Size ◽  
Seed Weight ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Incident Light ◽  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Significant Difference

The significance of seed weight in the growth of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L) , of the Bacchus Marsh strain, has been assessed under both spaced plant and sward conditions at the Waite Agricultural Research Institute. Under conditions of spacing, plants of three widely separated seed size grades were grown a t a density of 1 per 25 sq. links. The dry weights of the plants were proportional to seed weight from the time of sowing (in May) till the end of October – over almost the entire growing period of the crop. Three sets of swards were grown a t a density of 25 plants per sq. link, each sward being planted with seed of one of the three sizes. Dry weight was proportional to seed weight in the early part of the season but when the swards reached a leaf area index of about 4 (i.e. when there were 4 sq. links of leaf surface on 1 sq. link of ground), a reduction in growth rate occurred. This critical leaf area index was reached first in "large seed" swards, followed later by "medium seed" and finally by "small seed" swards. Thus there was a period in which the swards were growing at different rates, and in which the dry weights came to parity, so that on the final sampling occasion (in December) there was no significant difference between the dry weights of the swards from the three seed sizes. It is concluded that a t a leaf area index of about 4, interception of incident light energy is complete.

Effects of early defoliation on the seedling growth of subterranean clover

1992 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 717
Author(s):  
RC Rossiter
Keyword(s):  
Linear Relationship ◽  
Leaf Area ◽  
Seedling Growth ◽  
Shoot Growth ◽  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Relative Reduction ◽  
Insect Damage ◽  
Leaf Production ◽  
Plant Densities

Two experiments were conducted in an open-sided glass shelter at Perth during winter. Subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum, L.) seedlings were grown in shallow seed boxes at low plant densities, 2 4 and 2 0 plants/dm2. The effects of a single defoliation involving mainly the removal of cotyledons only, on shoot growth and leaf production were measured at harvest, c. 5 weeks after sowing. Total shoot dry weights were reduced by 15-30% when 40-60% of the leaf area was removed by single defoliations from days 7 to 19 after planting. However, the growth was reduced by almost 70% when both cotyledons were removed (days 7 to 9) before emergence of the unifoliate leaf, i.e. when all of the leaf area was removed. In general, the relative reduction in growth largely depended on the percentage of leaf area removed, rather than on time of removal. Defoliation also reduced the size of trifoliate leaves, and total numbers of trifoliate leaves at harvest. There was a linear relationship between total leaf numbers and shoot dry weights. In the field, these findings are probably of more relevance in terms of insect damage, especially from redlegged earth mites, than for grazing by sheep.

A gradient seeder for species establishment and production studies

1964 ◽  
Vol 4 (14) ◽  
pp. 217 ◽  
Author(s):  
FG Swain ◽  
WJC Hudson
Keyword(s):  
Gradient Methods ◽  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Drive System ◽  
Flow Mechanism ◽  
Seeding Rate ◽  
Production Studies ◽  
Calibration Curves ◽  
Species Establishment ◽  
Uniform Change

A gradient seeder, designed to produce a uniform change in seeding rate in proportion to the distance travelled, is described. A 'Grasslands' sodseeder was converted by attaching a male thread to the shaft operating the fluted seed flow mechanism and changing the drive system. From seed weights obtained at intervals along the gradient, calibration curves were constructed for vetch (Vicia satlva L.), subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) and Glycine javanica L. A comparison was made between the conventional and gradient methods of studying the effect of seeding rate on the establishment of vetch and subterranean clover.

The effect of some environmental conditions on seed development and hard-seededness in subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.)

1979 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 65 ◽  
Author(s):  
GB Taylor ◽  
MJ Palmer
Keyword(s):  
Seed Development ◽  
Seed Size ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Moisture Stress ◽  
Effect Of Temperature ◽  
Temperature Regimes ◽  
Increasing Temperature ◽  
Dry Out

Subterranean clover (cv. Daliak) was grown in boxes with provision for unrestricted lateral growth. At the commencement of flowering, plants were allocated to three day/night temperature regimes of 12/7°, 18/13° and 24/19°C in controlled-temperature glasshouses and well watered until maturity (unstressed). In two additional treatments at 18/13°, plants were either subjected to intermittent moisture stress throughout the flowering period (stressed) or well watered for the first 6 weeks of flowering and then allowed to dry out (droughted). Increasing temperature resulted in more rapid inflorescence production, seed development and earlier plant maturation. The overall mean seed size was lower at 24/19° than at the other two temperatures. The stressed and droughted treatments produced fewer and smaller seeds than the corresponding unstressed treatment. There was a small effect of temperature on the degree of hard-seededness as determined from the mean softening time of seed subjected to daily alternating temperatures of 60/15°. Softening time was not significantly affected by watering treatments. There were small differences in softening time due to the position of the burr on the lateral, with a slight trend for seeds from the first-formed burrs to soften more rapidly. Most of the variation in softening time between seeds was due to variation within burrs. The sequence of seed softening within burrs was related to seed size, the larger seeds generally softening first, but no single regression could be used to describe this relationship for different burr positions or treatments. The absence of major treatment effects on the degree of hard-seededness indicates that varying the length of the seed development period does not necessarily result in differences in hard-seededness, as has been suggested from field experiments.

Influence of forage legume species, seeding rate and seed size on competitiveness with annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum) seedlings

2006 ◽  
Vol 46 (5) ◽  
pp. 627 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. S. Dear ◽  
A. Hodge ◽  
D. Lemerle ◽  
J. E. Pratley ◽  
B. A. Orchard ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Size ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Legume Species ◽  
Annual Ryegrass ◽  
Forage Legume ◽  
Lolium Rigidum ◽  
Seeding Rate ◽  
Forage Crops ◽  
Relative Growth Rates ◽  
Herbicide Resistant

Annual legumes sown as short-term forage crops are an important non-chemical option for the control of herbicide-resistant annual ryegrass (Lolium rigidum L.). The relative ability of 5 annual forage legume species (Trifolium subterraneum L., T. michelianum Savi., T. alexandrinum L., Medicago murex Wild and Vicia benghalensis L.) to suppress annual ryegrass seedlings was examined in a glasshouse study. The experiment investigated the importance of legume species, seed size and seeding rate in influencing the relative competitiveness of the legumes. Balansa clover (T. michelianum) and berseem clover (T. alexandrinum), the smallest seeded of the legume species, were the most effective of the 5 legume species, when compared at equivalent seeding rates, at reducing ryegrass biomass. Legume leaf area and biomass were the 2 factors measured that were most closely associated with depressing ryegrass biomass and were themselves most influenced by legume species and seeding rate. Balansa clover and vetch (V. benghalensis) were the most effective at restricting the amount of light penetrating to 50% of the height of the canopy over a range of seeding rates. The study showed that the competitiveness of forage break crops can be optimised by maximising legume biomass through selecting small-seeded legume species with high relative growth rates and dense canopies and by increasing the seeding rate where seed costs are low.

The early vegetative growth of three strains of subterranean clover (Trifolium subterraneum L.) in relation to size of seed

1957 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
JN Black
Keyword(s):  
Size Distribution ◽  
Agricultural Research ◽  
Subterranean Clover ◽  
Trifolium Subterraneum ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Leaf Production ◽  
Relative Growth ◽  
Relative Growth Rates ◽  
Waite Agricultural Research Institute ◽  
Early Production

Three strains of subterranean clover (Bacchus Marsh, Clare, and Mount Barker) were grown in pot culture at the Waite Agricultural Research Institute; for each strain, seed of four widely separated sizes mere sown. Dry weight a t any one time in the early vegetative stage was linearly related to embryo weight, but was independent of strain. Hence differences in early growth noted under uniform environmental conditions between strains are the result not of differing relative growth rates, but of differences in the size distribution within the seed populations; evidence is presented suggesting that there may well be little difference in the size distribution of seed of Bacchus Marsh and Mt. Barker, but that Clare contains a higher proportion of large seed, and thus as a strain would be expected to give greater early production. Leaf area per plant was also linearly related to embryo weight but independent of strain; but for a common embryo weight, Clare was found to have fewer leaves than the other two strains. Examination of the areas of successive leaves showed that the maintenance of similar total leaf areas depended on a balance of rate of leaf production and size of individual leaves; in relation to Bacchus Marsh and Mt. Barker, Clare has fewer but large1 leaves.

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