The effect of time of sowing on flowering and fertile tiller production in S. 48 timothy

Abstract

1. In a field experiment all plants of S. 48 timothy produced ears after being sown on or before 24 April; more than 90% of the plants still flowered if sown up to 19 May but fertility declined after later sowings, until only vegetative growth resulted in plants sown on or after 30 June.2. In a pot experiment, during which the performance of individual tillers was recorded, all tillers arising after 23 July were found to remain vegetative. Ear-bearing capacity declined towards this date but was still high in tillers appearing as late as 2 July in plants sown in the middle of May.3. Tillers on the main stem were more fertile and produced heavier ears than other tillers of the same age and order of succession on the plant.4. Many plants sown late in the field produced ears which formed vegetative proliferations after the end of the summer.5. The results are discussed in relation to the response of timothy to the changing environment, notably the length of day. It is suggested that timothy does not react to favourable photoperiods immediately upon germination and that failure to flower in plants sown after the middle of May does not necessarily imply any inadequacy of the environment to cause floral initiation, since it was possible for tillers appearing up to 2 July to produce ears, with few exceptions. Factors inherent in the organization of the plant are considered to be responsible for a decline of ear-boaring capacity from tiller to tiller, which occurred irrespective of changing environmental conditions.