scholarly journals Evaluation of reed canary grass for different end-uses and in breeding

2003 ◽  
Vol 12 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 227-241 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. SAHRAMAA

Traditionally reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) has been cultivated for forage, but currently is a new non-food crop in northern Europe. The aim of this study was to evaluate reed canary grass germplasm, elite and wild populations, for non-food, forage and seed production. An index composed of different agronomic traits was used to establish the best populations for each end-use. Populations were also ranked according to biomass or seed yield only. Non-food cultivars have not yet been developed, but results from this study suggest that some high biomass forage cultivars could be used in non-food production. However, local populations possessed a desirable combination of traits, including higher proportion of straw associated with high biomass yield. This study indicated that local populations could be used in non-food crop breeding together with elite material. Some evidence for the potential of populations for forage production was also noted, mainly through leaf area and leaf proportion measurements. High non-food or forage indices were associated with good seed production in some populations. Results help in selecting appropriate cultivars for non-food use, which is currently important as the cultivated area of reed canary grass for biofuel in Finland is anticipated to be 75 000 hectares by 2010.;

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lars Nesheim ◽  
Olav Martin Synnes ◽  
Arvid Steen ◽  
Anne Langerud ◽  
Anne Kjersti Bakken

Rations with low to negative dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) given to dairy cows before calving reduce the risk of hypocalcaemia (milk fever). Different strategies for increasing forage DCAD were investigated in field trials in Central and Western Norway. Fertilisation with 70, 140 or 210 kg Cl per hectare as calcium chloride and low supply rates of K reduced DCAD in forage harvested at late developmental stages in spring growth of timothy and meadow fescue. The ideal negative DCAD was only attained on soils very low in plant available K. Timing (spring versus late spring) and source of Cl (CaCl2 versus MgCl2) were of no importance for the result. When pure stands of seven grasses were fertilised in spring either without chloride or with 140 kg chloride per hectare, the lowest values of DCAD after chloride fertilisation were found in perennial ryegrass and reed canary grass. By comparison, cocksfoot had equally high or higher Cl concentrations in its tissues, but accumulated more K, and seemed to be poorly suited for low DCAD forage production. It was concluded that Cl fertilisation is a more efficient means of controlling DCAD than sward species composition.


2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (7) ◽  
pp. 657 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Saeidnia ◽  
M. M. Majidi ◽  
A. Mirlohi

Genetic analysis of seed production and the effect of water stress on seed and forage production have not been addressed simultaneously in orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.). Thirty-six genotypes of orchardgrass were clonally propagated and evaluated in the field under two moisture environments (normal and water stress) during 3 years (2013–15). A high degree of variation was observed among genotypes for all of the measured traits. Water stress had a negative effect on seed weight per plant and dry matter biomass per plant, and it reduced genotypic variation for most of the traits. A significant and positive correlation was found between seed weight per plant and dry matter biomass per plant, which suggested that simultaneous selection for both traits is possible in normal as well as water-stress environments. The results also indicated that traits explaining seed and forage production variability were not exactly the same in water-stress and non-stress environments. Therefore, indirect selection based on seed weight and dry matter biomass components under normal and water-stress conditions may result in genotypes with different performances. In both normal and water-stress environments, some genotypes were identified as superior with respect to high seed weight and dry matter biomass per plant. These genotypes can be used for further studies to improve seed weight and dry matter biomass per plant, simultaneously.


1964 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 332-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. A. Hubbard ◽  
H. H. Nicholson

Average annual gains of 748 and 853 lb were made by long-yearling steers on irrigated pastures at Kamloops, B.C., in 1958 to 1960, during grazing seasons of 121 and 131 days’ duration. A comparison was made using three grass–legume mixtures, namely, bromegrass–orchardgrass and ladino clover, bromegrass–orchardgrass and alfalfa, and Reed canary grass – orchardgrass and ladino clover. The feed efficiency based on pounds of dry matter consumed per pound of gain was superior for the bromegrass – orchardgrass – ladino clover mixture. There were no significant differences between daily animal gains on the three mixtures. Neither forage production calculated for TDN nor calculated animal TDN showed satisfactory comparative relationship to beef productivity of the three pasture mixtures.From the data it appears that beef production is limited by the forage potential. Rate of stocking, whereby the forage and animal potentials may be equated, deserve further study.


2003 ◽  
Vol 12 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 213-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. SAHRAMAA ◽  
H. IHAMÄKI ◽  
L. JAUHIAINEN

Reed canary grass, Phalaris arundinacea L., is a relatively new biomass crop in northern Europe, which produces raw material for bioenergy and paper pulp. Breeding reed canary grass for industrial purposes is under way in the absence of domestic cultivars being available. Knowledge of the extent of variation in biomass related traits is a basic requirement of the breeding programme. The aim of this study was to describe variation in biomass related traits and evaluate the relationships among the variables. Field experiment was carried out between 1994 and 1998 in Finland. Research material included wild and elite populations, which were divided into ten groups according to their origin. Biomass yield, plant fractions, shoot number, node number, leaf area and overwintering ability were measured. Panicle number, plant height and seed ripening were included to the analyses of the relationships. Results indicated the high biomass yield potential of reed canary grass, reaching over 13 t DM ha-1 in the fourth year after establishment. Elite material and a local group from southern Finland had the highest biomass yield, whereas the northernmost local group had the lowest. Three factors established accounted for 45% of the variance and they were defined as “high biomass yield”, “leaf-shoot relationship” and “fast development”. The first factor indicated positive connections among biomass yield, panicle number, plant height, straw fraction and node fraction. This study indicated variation in agronomic traits of reed canary grass, which enables breeding of new cultivars with desired trait combinations.;


2000 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 239-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. SAHRAMAA ◽  
L. HÖMMÖ

Production of reed canary grass (Phalaris arundinacea L.) seed in Finland may be of interest in the near future. Seed production characters of cultivars Palaton and Venture were studied between 1995 and 1998 at Jokioinen. Effects of harvest time on seed yield, thousand seed weight and seed germination were evaluated for 'Palaton'. Seed yield varied from 2 to 432 kg ha-1, being only 100 kg ha-1 on average. In the years of highest seed yields the optimum harvest time was 15 days after complete anthesis. At that time high seed yield was associated with a low proportion of shattered seeds and high thousand seed weight and good seed germination. In an additional experiment, the effect of storage temperature and storage time on seed germination were investigated for 'Venture'. Storage temperature had no significant influence on final germination, but warmer storage significantly speeded up germination rate as recorded after 7 days of germination. After 7 days the percentage of germinated seeds was also significantly higher for seeds stored for >10 months than with seeds stored for


Tellus B ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 60 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
N. J. Shurpali ◽  
N. P. Hyvönen ◽  
J. T. Huttunen ◽  
C. Biasi ◽  
H. Nykänen ◽  
...  

2013 ◽  
Vol 375 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 149-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenedy E. Epie ◽  
Seija Virtanen ◽  
Arja Santanen ◽  
Asko Simojoki ◽  
Frederick L. Stoddard

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