scholarly journals Development of Field-grown Wildflower Sod

HortScience ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 895F-895
Author(s):  
Anne Marie Johnson ◽  
Ted Whitwell

In a study examining the potential for production of a field grown wildflower sod, 29 annual and perennial wildflower species were evaluated. Species selection for the study was based on lack of a large taproot, adaptability to the southeastern climate, flowering period, and potential for surviving root undercutting. Species were individually seeded in 1-m2 plots in Fall 1993 and Spring 1994 to determine an optimum planting time. In early Spring 1994, fall seeded plots were undercut at a 5 cm depth with a hand held sod cutter. Spring planted species were undercut in early summer. After undercutting, sod pieces were placed on clear plastic under overhead irrigation for 7 weeks then transplanted to prepared field sites. Ratings for flower appearance, root mat density, top growth vigor and fresh root weights were taken at the time of undercutting and after transplanting. Fall-planted species had a higher survival rate than spring-planted species. Species with the highest ratings and greatest increase in fresh root weights from the time of undercutting to transplanting were yarrow (Achillea millefolium), oxeye daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum), lance-leaf coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata), plains coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria), blanketflower (Gaillardia aristata), lemon mint (Monarda citriodora), blackeyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), and moss verbena (Verbena tenuisecta).

1997 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 411-414
Author(s):  
Anne Marie Johnson ◽  
Ted Whitwell

Twenty-nine annual and perennial wildflower species were evaluated for sod development based on ratings for appearance, root mat density, and stability following undercutting and storage and performance after replanting. Species selection was based on the lack of a large taproot, adaptability to the southeastern climate, flowering period, and potential for surviving root undercutting. Species were seeded in fall and spring, and leaf area and root mass samples were compared. Wildflower sod was undercut at a 5 cm (2 in) depth in March (fall-seeded plots) and May (spring-seeded plots) and then stored on clear plastic for 7 weeks and replanted. Fall-planted species had a higher survival rate than spring-planted species. Species selected for sod development were Achillea millefolium L., Chrysanthemum leucanthemum L., Coreopsis lanceolata L., Coreopsis tinctoria Nutt., Gaillardia aristata Foug., Monarda citriodora Cerv. ex Lag., Rudbeckia hirta L., and Verbena tenuisecta Briq. To reduce damage to aerial growth during harvesting, paclobutrazol, daminozide, and uniconazole were tested on eight greenhouse-grown wildflower species. Uniconazole had limited growth control over Rudbeckia hirta, Monarda citriodora, Coreopsis lanceolata, and Coreopsis tinctoria.


Author(s):  
G.W. Sheath ◽  
R.W. Webby ◽  
W.J. Pengelly

Comparisons of controlling late spring to early summer pasture growth on either easy or steep contoured land with either a fast rotation or continuous grazing policy were made in self-contained farmlets for two years. Pasture control was maintained over more land by controlling steep land first and with continuous grazing. Animal performances (ewes, steers) were generally similar for the mid-November to early January treatment period, and subsequently until May shearing. In the first year better animal performances occurred in "steep control" farmlets during winter and early spring, but this was less evident in the second year. Priority control of steep land during late spring-early summer is recommended because of likely longer-term benefits in pasture composition,density and production. Quick rotation grazing through the period provides a better ability to recognise and manage pasture quantities and should be adopted if summer droughts are anticipated. For well fenced properties in summer-wet areas and with integrated stock grazing, continuous grazing during late spring-early summer may be equally suitable. Keywords: hill country, grazing management, pasture control


Author(s):  
J.A. Baars ◽  
G.J. Goold ◽  
M.F. Hawke ◽  
P.J. Kilgarriff ◽  
M.D. Rolm

Patterns of pasture growth were measured on 3 farms in the Bay of Plenty (BOP) and at No2 Dairy (Ruakura Agricultural Centre) in the Waikato from 1989 to 199 1. A standardised trim technique with cages and 4-weekly cutting under grazing was used. Long-term seasonal growth patterns, using a predictive pasture model, were also simulated. Simulated pasture growth from long-term climatic data shows that pasture growth rates are higher in winter, early spring and late autumn in the BOP than the Waikato. However, the actual measurements over the 2 years show that pasture growth over the latter periods is lower at the BOP sites than at the Waikato site. In the BOP the spring peak is much later than in the Waikato while an early summer peak, with higher growth rates than in the Waikato, occurred in the BOP. No such summer peak was evident in the Waikato. The difference between the two regions is caused by the large contribution of subtropical grasses to sward production in summer and autumn, The prolific summer growth of subtropical grasses may explain the low ryegrass content and low pasture production in winter. The lower than expected autumn, winter, spring production may also becaused by low clover content, possibly a result of competition from subtropical grasses and a sulphur deficiency. The apparent low amount of nitrogen fixed by clover may explain the low rates of pasture production over the cooler season. Applications of nitrogen fertiliser may substantially increase dry matter production from April to September. Keywords pasture,simulation,subtropical grasses, Paspalum, Digitaria sanguinalis, growth rates


1995 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 704-712 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce N. McLellan ◽  
Fred W. Hovey

Based on the analysis of 1100 feces or scats, the seasonal diet of grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in the Flathead drainage between 1979 and 1991 was estimated. In the early spring, major foods included ungulates and hedysarum roots (Hedysarum sulphurescens). Later in the spring and early summer, green vegetation that mainly included horsetails (Equisetum arvense), graminoids, and cow parsnip (Heracleum lanatum) dominated the diet. Later in the summer, berries, particularly huckleberries (Vaccinium spp.) and soopolallie (Shepherdia canadensis), were most common. In the autumn, berries, ungulates, and hedysarum roots were major foods. Seasonal changes in nutrients were measured for major foods. The volume of a food consumed within a season was inversely related to food quality, suggesting that food availability and handling time may have been more important factors influencing diet selection. The proportions of food items in the scats, and species of fruit in particular, varied among years. The Flathead and contiguous Waterton Lakes National Park are so far the only study areas in North America that contain all major bear foods found across the interior of the continent, and in particular, both major berry species, huckleberries and soopolallie. This observation supports the hypothesis that a favourable food base in the Flathead is partially responsible for the high density of bears found there. It is important for managers to realize the possible uniqueness of the Flathead area and not extrapolate information without due caution.


Author(s):  
J. F. Bradbury

Abstract A description is provided for Xylophilus ampelinus. Information is included on the disease caused by the organism, its transmission, geographical distribution, and hosts. HOST: Vitis vinifera. DISEASE: Bacterial blight of the grapevine; 'Tsilik marasi' in Greece; 'Maladie d'Oleron' in France; 'Mel nero' in Italy; 'Vlamsiekte' in South Africa. In early spring buds on infected spurs fail to open or make stunted growth which eventually dies. Affected spurs often appear slightly swollen because of hyperplasia of the cambial tissue. Cracks appear along such spurs and enlarge to form cankers. Young shoots may develop pale yellowish-green spots on the lowest internodes. These expand upwards on the shoot, darken, crack and develop into cankers. Cracks and later cankers also form on more woody branches later in spring. In summer, cankers are often seen on the sides of petioles causing a characteristic one-sided necrosis of the leaf. They may also appear on main and secondary flower and fruit stalks. Leaf spots and marginal necrosis sometimes occur. Gum formation is not necessarily a symptom. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: South Africa, France, Greece (including Crete), Italy (including Sardinia and Sicily), Spain, Turkey (68, 367). (IMI Distribution Map 531, ed 2, 1986). TRANSMISSION: Bacteria are carried by moisture to wounds, leaf scars and other sites where infection may take place. Primary infection can take place without wounding. Grafting and pruning can cause much spread of the disease. Overhead irrigation contributes to spread and development (51, 551). Observations indicate that sources of infection survive in vines even after removal of visibly infected parts.


Author(s):  
Magdalena Daria Vaverková ◽  
Dana Adamcová ◽  
Jan Winkler ◽  
Eugeniusz Koda ◽  
Jana Červenková ◽  
...  

When the landfill use comes to end, important subsequent steps include aftercare, safety assurance, and ecological regeneration. Landfill revegetation is cost-effective and eco-friendly approach in the management of landfill areas, which serves the purpose of stabilization and provides a pleasant landscape. There are various vegetation types that can be planted, yet grass species are often used for low-cost reasons. Plants can be important sources of air pollution, particularly by grass pollen. The main goal of our study was to identify plant species that produce allergenic pollen. Long-term vegetation monitoring took place on three sites in the growing seasons of years 2008–2018. Studied objects were landfills located in the Czech Republic. The vegetation was assessed using a floristic survey of identified plant species. Plant species that produced allergens were recorded. During the monitoring, 298 plant species were determined. Plant species with allergenic pollen have a considerable share in the landfill vegetation. Thus, landfills are potential sources of various kinds of allergenic pollen. Moreover, our results indicated that there are three periods of pollen production: early spring, late spring, and early summer; late summer; and autumn. The second period is typical for the production of highly allergenic pollen by grasses. Most detected plant species with allergenic pollen are common for all monitored sites, which demonstrates that the vegetation of landfills is a significant source of allergenic pollen.


1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (12) ◽  
pp. 2332-2339 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. G. Goldsborough ◽  
G. G. C. Robinson

Annual sequences of biomass, species diversity, and community composition of epiphytic diatoms on a dense mat of Lemna minor L. growing in a freshwater marsh are described. In 2 successive years, maximum biomass occurred in early spring prior to occlusion of the water surface by the mat, while diversity reached relative maxima in the early summer (during a period of declining total biomass) and late fall. Ambient air temperature (possibly through a relationship with in situ metabolic activity and nutrient availability) was significantly correlated with community ordination scores on a temporal basis. Depth profile maxima of diatom abundance on vertically positioned artificial substrata occurred below the mat, suggesting that light limitation of algal growth within dense mats may be of lesser importance. Dominant diatom species in the spring and fall were generally ubiquitous in the surrounding marsh, while the major taxa in midsummer, Achnanthes hungarica, Amphora veneta, and Navicula twymaniana, may be specific to the Lemna microhabitat. The development of algal community specificity within a defined seasonal range is discussed in terms of the relative importance of host exudates versus exogenous nutrients as the basis for algal-substratum associations.


1992 ◽  
Vol 160 (3) ◽  
pp. 390-397 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilio Sacchetti ◽  
Alessandro Calzeroni ◽  
Antonio Vita ◽  
Andrea Terzi ◽  
Franco Pollastro ◽  
...  

Although the excess of schizophrenic births in the winter and early spring has been replicated and some non-conclusive work supports the same seasonal birth trend in patients with major affective disorders, the aetiopathogenetic foundations of this phenomenon remain uncertain. The primary role of perinatal seasonal factors that predispose to the development of schizophrenia via induction of brain damage has been invoked, as has a tendency for patients to conceive during the spring and early summer. In order to test these two hypotheses, cerebral ventricular size and cortical atrophy in 206 schizophrenics and 107 patients with major affective disorders were assessed by CT and analysed in relation to month of birth. Compared with schizophrenics born during the remainder of the year, those born between December and April, particularly in cases lacking a family history of schizophrenia, showed increased chances for ventricular enlargement, but not for cortical atrophy. No association between season of birth and central or cortical atrophy was found for patients with major affective disorders. This suggests that the brain-damaging effect played by perinatal seasonal factors has both a disease and an anatomical specificity.


2010 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 125-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Olesya Anishchenko ◽  
Michail Gladyshev ◽  
Elena Kravchuk ◽  
Elena Ivanova ◽  
Iliada Gribovskaya ◽  
...  

AbstractThe concentrations of metals K, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Ni, Pb, Co and Cr, in the water and periphyton (epilithic algal communities) were studied at a site in the middle stream of the Yenisei River (Siberia, Russia) during three years using monthly sampling frequencies. Despite considerable seasonal variations in aquatic concentrations of some metals, there was no correlation between metal contents in the water and in periphyton. Seasonal concentration variations of some metals in periphyton were related to the species (taxonomic) composition of periphytic microalgae and cyanobacteria. Enhanced levels of Ni and Co in periphyton in late autumn, winter, and early spring were likely caused by the predominance of cyanobacteria in the periphytic community, and annual maximum levels of K in periphyton in late spring and early summer were attributed to the domination of Chlorophyta, primarily Ulothrix zonata.


2012 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 213 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. VASILIU ◽  
L. BOICENCO ◽  
M.T. GOMOIU ◽  
L. LAZAR ◽  
M.E. MIHAILOV

Chlorophyll a (Chl a) dynamics in the near-shore waters of the NW Black Sea was investigated between 2002 and 2010 in the Mamaia Bay (north of Constanta, Romania) in relation to some physical-chemical parameters. Chl a ranged from values below detection limit (0.17 μg.l–1) to 76.13 μg.l–1, and showed large temporal variability (CV = 142.3%), strongly related to the Danube’s discharges, meteorological conditions, and anthropogenic pressures. Seasonally, Chl a showed a winter/early spring maximum, sometimes followed by a stronger one in April/early May, closely linked to the Danube’s higher discharges in spring. After significantly lower concentrations in late spring/early summer, Chl a exhibited its strongest maximum in summer (July-August), followed by another one in autumn (late September–October). Interannual variation of Chl a seems to be controlled by the hydrometeorological conditions in summer. Thus, the highest annual Chl a means were observed in 2006 (8.56 ± 8.35 μg.l–1) and 2010 (9.20 ± 11.72 μg.l -1), when, also, the summer Chl a concentrations were maximal due to the large riverine discharges. The lowest annual Chl a mean was observed in 2004 (4.57 ± 9.81μg.l–1), closely linked to minimal summer Chl a resulted from a strong P limitation during summertime.


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