Grass Establishment Research Articles

Effect of Microclimate on the Establishment of Timothy Grass

PERMANENT quadrat studies on the establishment of timothy grass (Phleum pratense) and white clover (Trifolium repens) in 1947 and 1948 showed timothy seedlings frequently dried up during hot spells. It was noticed that small seedlings growing close to larger ones or among white clover often remained healthy whereas others surrounded by bare ground died. The apparent explanation, for which support was given by Geiger's1 work, lay in the protection afforded by vegetative cover. Among other effects cover would lower evaporation from the top layer of soil and prevent temperature and humidity conditions from becoming extreme.

Establishment and Care of Lawns

AMONG the more general matters dealt with in a recent issue of the journal of the Board of Green-keeping Research (7, No. 24 ; 1948) are papers on the consolidation of lawn surfaces by bitumen, and a useful review of methods of earthworm control on lawns. R. B. Dawson and J. R. Escritt describe the method of stabilizing the surface of lawns by the application of sand and bitumen emulsion immediately after the grass seeds are sown. The treatment can also be applied to established turf. Lawn surfaces were much improved, and the process may be useful for small areas subject to heavy wear. Detrimental effects were not very marked, but the establishment of bent and timothy grasses was reduced. J. R. Escritt and J. H. Arthur review the methods available for earthworm control. Many species of earthworm do not form casts, and therefore are not a nuisance, but only help in aeration and soil mixing. Organic manures generally stimulate earthworm activity, while the presence of a turf 'mat' diminishes the production of unsightly casts. Factors of management and manuring are therefore important. The relative merits of mowrah meal, copper sulphate, potassium permanganate, derris, mercuric chloride, lead arsenate and other control substances are discussed and provide a very useful advisory review of this matter.

The Establishment and Comparative Wear Resistance of Various Grasses and Grass‐Legume Mixtures to Vehicular Traffic1

The Establishment and Comparative Wear Resistance of Various Grasses and Grass‐Legume Mixtures to Vehicular Traffic¹

Grass Establishment and Development Studies in Morton County, Kansas

A high percentage of the farm and range land of Morton County, Kansas, was seriously damaged by drouth and wind erosion in the early thirties. The federal government purchased 102,000 acres of that land to be revegetated to grass largely for grazing use. In this revegetation work many problems have been encountered in finding adapted grasses and in determining the best methods for their establishment. Very little experimental work had been done previously in grass reseeding in southwestern Kansas. This study is concerned with the results obtained from a series of seedings made during the period 1941-1945, inclusive, on the three most important problem areas of the county.

Some Effects of Season, Habitat, and Clipping on the Chemical Composition of Andropogon furcatus and Stipa spartea

1. The seasonal trend of certain chemical constituents of established big bluestem (A. furcatus) and needle grass (S. spartea) growing on lowland and upland habitats in eastern Nebraska was studied. The effects of periodic clipping on the composition of established and seedling plants were also investigated. 2. The growing season was characterized by a late spring; sufficient rainfall in April, May, and June; and severe drought in July and August. Mean monthly temperatures were all above normal. After late June little soil moisture available for growth occurred on the upland. On the lowland, water remained available, at least in small amounts, throughout the investigation. 3. Established big bluestem plants on the lowland became taller than those on the upland. The latter showed severe drought effects early in July, and flowering occurred only in the lowland plants. The degree of development of needle grass in the two habitats was similar, although more drying of foliage occurred in plants on the upland. During the flowering stage, grasses with flower stalks and grasses remaining in the leaf stage were separately collected. Established grasses on the lowland regenerated after five cuttings. Seeds planted on the upland and lowland produced seedlings, which were clipped from one to three times. 4. The sugar plus starch percentage was greater in big bluestem on the upland than on the lowland early in the season, but later the situation was reversed. The percentage decreased in big bluestem on the upland when the leaves began to dry up. This drying may have reduced photosynthesis and may have permitted the soluble sugars to be leached from the leaves. The hemicellulose percentage in big bluestem was usually higher in established plants on the lowland, perhaps because of their more stemmy nature. Needle grass on the upland, however, had a higher percentage of hemicellulose than lowland plants. Indications were that hemicellulose is not used as a reserve food. 5. Varying available water content between the upland and the lowland was probably the primary factor in causing the established unclipped plants in the two habitats to be chemically different, since the supply of available water was probably the most critically controlling factor in determining the degree of development and drying of the plants. 6. Clippings from established plants which were periodically clipped were succulent, and their percentages of soluble nitrogen and "true" protein were high, but their percentage content of hemicellulose was low. Clippings from seedlings showed generally similar results. 7. The soluble nitrogen, "true" protein, and total ash percentages were higher in grass remaining in the leaf stage than in plants with flower stalks, but the sugar-starch percentage was greater in the culms. 8. This investigation may be of value in comparing the forage value of big bluestem and needle grass in different habitats and under grazing.

Preliminary Trials on the Effect of Management on the Establishment of Perennial Grasses and Legumes at Davis, California1

Agronomy JournalVolume 36, Issue 8 p. 699-703 Article Preliminary Trials on the Effect of Management on the Establishment of Perennial Grasses and Legumes at Davis, California1 R. Merton Love, R. Merton Love Assistant Professor of Agronomy.Search for more papers by this author R. Merton Love, R. Merton Love Assistant Professor of Agronomy.Search for more papers by this author First published: 01 August 1944 https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj1944.00021962003600080007xCitations: 10 1 Contribution from the Division of Agronomy, University of California, Davis, Calif. AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditWechat Citing Literature Volume36, Issue8August 1944Pages 699-703 RelatedInformation

Some Factors Affecting the Establishment of Perennial Grass for Erosion Control in Eastern Colorado1

Some Factors Affecting the Establishment of Perennial Grass for Erosion Control in Eastern Colorado¹

Some Experiences with Asphalt in the Establishment of Grasses and Legumes for Erosion Control

Soil Science Society of America JournalVolume 6, Issue C p. 459-461 Joint Program with Extension Agronomist Some Experiences with Asphalt in the Establishment of Grasses and Legumes for Erosion Control† H. E. Myers, Search for more papers by this authorR. I. Throckmorton, Associate Professor of Soils and Head of Department, respectively.Search for more papers by this author H. E. Myers, Search for more papers by this authorR. I. Throckmorton, Associate Professor of Soils and Head of Department, respectively.Search for more papers by this author First published: 01 January 1942 https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1942.036159950006000C0085xCitations: 1 ‡ Contribution No. 329, Department of Agronomy, Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station, Manhattan, Kan. AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onEmailFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume6, IssueC1942Pages 459-461 RelatedInformation

Latency of Seedlings in some Grasses

EXPERIMENTS at this Station have shown that when seeds of Lolium italicum are sown in the field together with those of certain other grasses (notably Festuca pratensis, Phleum pratense, and Poa trivialis), the early establishment of the latter may be considerably diminished as compared with that occurring in the absence of the rye-grass. Some months after sowing, an increase in the establishment of the same grasses is often shown. In seeking an explanation of this behaviour, a peculiar property of grass seedlings has been revealed.