Abstract
Abstract Zoysia japonica grass has commercial importance to Brazil due to its use in golf courses and football stadiums. The main concern about its commercial cultivation is the unevenness on seed germination as well as the ideal seed harvesting time. Therefore, the objective was to measure the effect of temperature and potassium nitrate on dormancy overcoming, and of substrate and harvesting time on germination of zoysia grass seeds (Zoysia japonica Steud). There were three experiments: 1) temperature and potassium nitrate treatments, with six temperature conditions (constants at 20 ˚C, 25 ˚C, 30 ˚C, and 35 ˚C, and alternating at 20-30 ˚C and 20-35 ˚C), under absence or presence of potassium nitrate; 2) temperature and substrate treatments, with two temperature conditions (alternating at 20-30 ˚C and 20-35 ˚C) and three types of substrates (on paper, between paper, and on sand); and 3) harvesting time treatments, which seeds were obtained by manual harvesting comprising 11 harvesting periods. Seeds germinated more rapidly on the sand and paper, at the alternating temperature of 20-35 °C. The best period for seed harvesting was from 18 to 19 days after ear emergence in the production field.
Highlights
The lawn is one of the most important components in landscape composition
The zoysia grass (Zoysia japonica Steud.), that was introduced in Brazil, came from the United States in the late seventies, but it is native from Japan (Lorenzi, 2015)
The interaction between temperature and potassium nitrate was significant for both germination percentage and germination rate (Table 1), what proves that seed dormancy was overcome
Summary
In addition to its aesthetic value, it works by stabilizing the soil, preventing erosions caused by wind and water, intercepting rainfall, reducing the formation of mud and dust in residences caused by traffic and, improving water infiltration in the soil (Saifuddin and Osman, 2014). It helps in lowering the air temperature, reduces clearings in forests, and serves as a recreation area. Due to the great adaptation and high quality of lawns, its use is very common throughout the national territory, including production in all regions of the country. Z. japonica is considered more rustic than the other species of the same genus (Lorenzi, 2015)
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