Sowing

About: Sowing is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 33888 publications have been published within this topic receiving 273438 citations. The topic is also known as: seeding.

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

Abstract: 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.

Effect of distance, aggregation, and habitat on levels of seed predation for two mammal - dispersed neotropical rain forest tree species

Abstract: The effect of seed aggregation and distance from conspecific trees on seed predation was experimentally examined for two neotropical tree species, Macoubea guianensis (Apocynaceae) and Pouteria sp. (Sapotaceae) in a lowland tropical rain forest in northeastern Peru. Results of these experiments are discussed in the context of the Janzen-Connell model (Janzen 1970; Connell 1971), which predicts decreased seed survival near parent trees due to either density-or distance-responsive mortality, and Howe's model (Howe 1989) which predicts that trees with seeds dispersed in clumps (aggregated) will not suffer density-dependent predation, and will have higher survival of seeds near the parent tree than other trees. We also examined whether predation on seeds of these species was affected by seed placement in or near 30-m-wide strips regenerating after clear-cutting. Both species appeared to be mammal-dispersed but differed in how frugivores handled seeds, seed size, overall fruit crop size, and gemination time. Neither of the two species studied appeared to suffer seed predation in a manner predicted by the Janzen-Connell model, and patterns of seed predation for only one of the species was similar to predictions of Howe's model. For neither species did seed predation along the edge of, or in the center of, regenerating clear cuts differ from predation 15 m into the primary forest. For Pouteria, seed predation in and near regnerating strips was significantly greater than around forest trees, but the opposite pattern held for Macoubea. Overall, seed predation was much greater on Macoubea. The difference in seed predation for these two species was most likely a result of differences in the types of seed predators that attacked these two species.