Effects of a Commercial Nutrient and Evaluation of a Seedling Growth Technique1

Abstract

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to evaluate Seaquist®,3 a commercial nutrient solution advertised to increase grain and dry matter production and seedling responses of small grains when it is applied either as a foliar spray or as a seed treatment. Grain yield and seedling tests were conducted with ‘Blueboy II’ wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), ‘Yancey’ oats (Avena sativa L.), and ‘Clayton’ barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). A dry matter production test was conducted with Blueboy II wheat and ‘Keowee’ ley. Forage was harvested to simulate grazing and cutting silage. Seaquist treatments for the grain‐yield tests were: 1) seed treatment, 2) foliar application, 3) seed treatment + foliar application, and 4) check. Seaquist treatments for the dry‐matter production test were: 1) seed treatment, 2) seed treatment + three (grazing) or one (silage) foliar spray, 3) one foliar spray, 4) three (grazing) or two (silage) foliar sprays, and 5) check. In four seedling experiments the variables tested included treating seed with Seaquist at the recommended rate (R) and 0, ½R, 2R, 4R, 8R, and 16R; treating seed with Seaquist and a similar compound, Fortified Seaquist; use of the three small grain species; and use of distilled water and modified half‐strength Hoagland's solution as growth media.Except for greater root growth after Seaquist treatment (compared to the check) in one of the four seedling tests, no significant differences attributable to Seaquist were found. However, when distilled water was compared with Hoagland's solution as the growth medium for seedlings, the nutrient solution caused a marked increase (2.13 cm) in top growth and a sizeable decrease (4.68 cm) in root growth.A technique was developed for growing large numbers of seedlings in a relatively small space and measuring root and top growth after 10 days. The precision of this technique was evaluated. Increasing the number of replicates from two to four and increasing the number of seedlings/plot from four to 10 provided the greatest reduction in the size of the least significant difference. The number of replicates had a greater impact upon precision than did the number of seedlings.