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.

Cropping system influence on planting water content and yield of winter wheat

Abstract: Many dryland producers in the central Great Plains of the USA express concern regarding the effect that elimination of fallow has on soil water content at winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) planting and subsequent yields. Our objectives were to quantify cropping system effects (fallow weed control method and crop sequence), including corn (Zea mays L.) (C) and proso millet (Panicum miliacium L.) (M), on soil water at winter wheat planting and subsequent grain yield, and to determine the frequency of environmental conditions which would cause wheat yield to drop below 2500 kg ha -1 for various cropping systems. Crop rotations evaluated from 1993 through 2001 at Akron, CO, were W-F, W-C-F, W-M-F, and W-C-M (all no-till), and W-F (conventional till). Yields were correlated with soil water at planting: kg ha -1 = 373.3 + 141.2 × cm (average and wet years); kg ha -1 = 897.9 + 39.7 × cm (dry years). Increasing cropping intensity to two crops in 3 yr had little effect on water content at wheat planting and subsequent grain yield, while continuous cropping and elimination of fallow reduced soil water at planting by 11.8 cm and yields by 450 to 1650 kg ha -1 , depending on growing season precipitation. No-till systems, which included a 12- to 15-mo fallow period before wheat planting nearly always produced at least 2500 kg ha -1 of yield under normal to wet conditions, but no cropping system produced 2500 kg ha -1 under extremely dry conditions.

‘On-farm’ seed priming with zinc in chickpea and wheat in Pakistan

Abstract: A series of on-station trials was implemented between 2002 and 2006 to assess the response of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and chickpea (Cicer arietinum) to zinc (Zn) added by soaking seeds (priming) in solutions of ZnSO4 before sowing. Wheat seed was primed for 10 h in 0.3% Zn and chickpea for 6 h in 0.05% Zn. Seed treatments increased the seed concentration in wheat from 27 to 470 mg/kg and in chickpea from 49 to 780 mg/kg. Priming wheat seeds with 0.3% Zn significantly increased the mean shoot dry mass, Zn concentration and Zn uptake of 15-day-old seedlings relative to non-primed controls and seeds primed with water alone. Using 0.4% Zn further increased shoot Zn concentration but depressed shoot dry mass to the level of the non-primed control. In seven trials, mean grain yield of wheat was significantly increased from 2.28 to 2.42 t/ha (6%) by priming with water alone and to 2.61 t/ha (14%) by priming with 0.3% Zn. Mean grain yield of chickpea in seven trials was increased significantly from 1.39 to 1.65 t/ha (19%) by priming seeds with 0.05% Zn. The effect of priming chickpea seeds with water was intermediate (1.49 t/ha) and not statistically separable from the non-primed and zinc-primed treatments. Increased grain yield due to priming in both crops was associated with increases in total biomass but there was no significant effect of priming on harvest index. In addition to increasing yield, priming seeds with Zn also significantly increased grain zinc concentration, by 12% in wheat (mean of three trials) and by 29% in chickpea (one trial) and the total amount of Zn taken up by the grain (by 27% in wheat and by 130% in chickpea). Using ZnSO4 to prime seeds was very cost-effective, with net benefit-to-cost ratios of 75 for wheat and 780 for chickpea.

Asymbiotic and symbiotic seed germination of Eulophia alta (Orchidaceae)—preliminary evidence for the symbiotic culture advantage

Abstract: Eulophia alta (Linnaeus) Fawcett & Rendle seeds collected from the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge (Collier County, FL; FPNWR) were used in a screen of five asymbiotic orchid seed germination media to determine their effectiveness in promoting germination and protocorm development. In addition, 10 fungal isolates collected from the roots of E. alta at sites in the FPNWR, Highlands County (FL), and Goethe State Forest (Levy County, FL; GSF), and a fungal isolate from the roots of Spiranthes brevilabris collected from GSF were screened for their effectiveness at promoting in vitro symbiotic germination of E. alta seeds. After 18 weeks asymbiotic culture, seeds sown on PhytoTechnology Orchid Seed Sowing Medium germinated to a higher percentage (87.9%) and had a higher percentage of protocorms with developing protomeristems (32.7%) than seeds cultured on Knudson C, Malmgren Modified Terrestrial Orchid Medium, ½-strength Murashige & Skoog, or Vacin & Went Modified Orchid Medium. Significantly more leaf-bearing protocorms were observed on PhytoTechnology Orchid Seed Sowing Medium (0.8%) and Vacin & Went Modified Orchid Medium (1.3%) than other media tested. Of the fungi tested, one fungal isolate (Ealt-396) promoted germination to 69.0%, two isolates promoted germination to less than 0.75% and did not support further protocorm development, and eight isolates did not support germination. Seeds co-cultured in darkness with Ealt-396 grew more rapidly than asymbiotic seedlings following germination. In addition, co-cultured (=symbiotic) seedlings continued to develop more rapidly than asymbiotic seedlings upon transfer to 16/8 h light/dark photoperiod. Symbiotic seed culture of E. alta may be a more desirable method of propagation since protocorms develop more rapidly than seeds sown on asymbiotic media. Symbiotic seedlings may be more appropriate for reintroduction to natural areas than asymbiotic seedlings since symbiotic seedlings could serve to inoculate soils with a germination promoting mycobiont.