Autumn Sowing Research Articles

Effect of Winter Sowing and Different Fertilizer Sources on Physiological Parameters and Yield Components of Dragon’s Head (Lallemantia iberica Fisch. & C.A.Mey.)

The effects of autumn sowing and chemical, organic, and biological fertilizer sources were explored on yield components and physiological traits of dragon’s head (Lallemantia iberica Fisch. & C.A.Mey). The study was conducted as a factorial experiment based on a randomized complete block design with three replications in a field experiment in the 2017-2018 crop year. The fertilizer treatments included organic fertilizers (vermicompost, manure, and humic acid), biofertilizer (Thiobacillus mixed with sulfur), chemical fertilizer (macro NPK), and control (no fertilizer). The studied traits included seed yield per ha, harvest index, biological yield per ha, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotenoid, proline, and dissolved carbohydrate. The results of the comparison of the means revealed that the winter sowing outperformed the spring sowing evidently and increased traits like seed yield per ha, biological yield per ha, and harvest index significantly. The fertilization of the plants in both sowing seasons, especially in the winter sowing, increased seed yield per ha, biological yield per ha, and harvest index so that the vermicompost-fertilized winter-sown plants produced the highest seed yield per ha (0.91 g), whereas the application of manure was related to the highest harvest index in the winter sowing (27.9%). The highest biological yield (8797 kg ha-1) was related to the treatment of Thiobacillus of the winter-sown plants. Proline content was higher in the spring sowing plants, and the control treatment in the spring sowing had the highest proline content (0.120 mg g-1). Concerning dissolved carbohydrates, the spring sowing and the unfertilized plants had the highest content (20.3 mg g-1). On the other hand, chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, and carotenoid were higher in the treatments of Thiobacillus and vermicompost, which resulted in achieving higher yields due to the increase in photosynthesis rate. According to the results, the winter sowing of the dragon’s head in the Azerbaijan region of Iran and the use of Thiobacillus and vermicompost could be recommended for obtaining plants with optimum quality parameters.

Identifying dryland-resilient chickpea genotypes for autumn sowing, with a focus on multi-trait stability parameters and biochemical enzyme activity

BackgroundChickpea is a key pulse crop grown in the spring in dryland regions. The cold resistance potential of chickpeas allows for the development of genotypes with varying sowing dates to take advantage of autumn and winter rainfall, particularly in dryland regions. In this study, we assessed grain yield, plant height, 100-seed weight, days to maturity, and days to flowering of 17 chickpea genotypes in five autumn-sown dryland regions from 2019 to 2021. Additionally, the response of selected chickpea genotypes to cold stress was examined at temperatures of -4 °C, 4 °C, and 22 °C by analyzing biochemical enzymes.ResultsMixed linear model of ANOVA revealed a significant genotype × environment interaction for all traits measured, indicating varying reactions of genotypes across test environments. This study reported low estimates of broad-sense heritability for days to flowering (0.34), days to maturity (0.13), and grain yield (0.08). Plant height and seed weight exhibited the highest heritability, with genotypic selection accuracies of 0.73 and 0.92, respectively. Moreover, partial least square regression highlighted the impactful role of rainfall during all months except of October, November, and February on grain yield and its interaction with environments in autumn-planted chickpeas. Among the genotypes studied, G9, G10, and G17 emerged as superior based on stability parameters and grain yield. In particular, genotype G9 stood out as a promising genotype for dryland regions, considering both MTSI and genotype by yield*trait aproaches. The cold assay indicated that − 4 °C is crucial for distinguishing between susceptible and resistant genotypes. The results showed the important role of the enzymes CAT and GPX in contributing to the cold tolerance of genotype G9 in autumn-sown chickpeas.ConclusionsSignificant G×E for agro-morphological traits of chickpea shows prerequisite for multi-trial analysis. Chickpea`s direct root system cause that monthly rainfall during plant establishment has no critical role in its yield interaction with dryland environment. Considering the importance of agro-morphological traits and their direct and indirect effects on grain yield, the utilization of multiple-trait stability approches is propose. Evaluation of chickpea germplasm reaction against cold stress is necessary for autumn-sowing. Finally, autumn sowing of genotype FLIP 10–128 C in dryland conditions can led to significant crop performance.

A GWAS study highlights significant associations between a series of indels in a FLOWERING LOCUS T gene promoter and flowering time in white lupin (Lupinus albus L.)

BackgroundWhite lupin (Lupinus albus L.) is a high-protein Old World grain legume with remarkable food and feed production interest. It is sown in autumn or early spring, depending on the local agroclimatic conditions. This study aimed to identify allelic variants associated with vernalization responsiveness, in order to improve our knowledge of legume flowering regulatory pathways and develop molecular selection tools for the desired phenology as required for current breeding and adaptation to the changing climate.ResultsSome 120 white lupin accessions originating from a wide range of environments of Europe, Africa, and Asia were phenotyped under field conditions in three environments with different intensities of vernalization, namely, a Mediterranean and a subcontinental climate sites of Italy under autumn sowing, and a suboceanic climate site of France under spring sowing. Two hundred sixty-two individual genotypes extracted from them were phenotyped in a greenhouse under long-day photoperiod without vernalization. Phenology data, and marker data generated by Diversity Arrays Technology sequencing (DArT-seq) and by PCR-based screening targeting published quantitative trait loci (QTLs) from linkage map and newly identified insertion/deletion polymorphisms in the promoter region of the FLOWERING LOCUS T homolog, LalbFTc1 gene (Lalb_Chr14g0364281), were subjected to a genome-wide association study (GWAS). Population structure followed differences in phenology and isolation by distance pattern. The GWAS highlighted numerous loci significantly associated with flowering time, including four LalbFTc1 gene promoter deletions: 2388 bp and 2126 bp deletions at the 5’ end, a 264 bp deletion in the middle and a 28 bp deletion at the 3’ end of the promoter. Besides LalbFTc1 deletions, this set contained DArT-seq markers that matched previously published major QTLs in chromosomes Lalb_Chr02, Lalb_Chr13 and Lalb_Chr16, and newly discovered QTLs in other chromosomes.ConclusionsThis study highlighted novel QTLs for flowering time and validated those already published, thereby providing novel evidence on the convergence of FTc1 gene functional evolution into the vernalization pathway in Old World lupin species. Moreover, this research provided the set of loci specific for extreme phenotypes (the earliest or the latest) awaiting further implementation in marker-assisted selection for spring- or winter sowing.

An Alternative to the Water Scarcity in Conventional Summer Sugar Beet (Beta vulgaris L.) Cultivation: Autumn-Sown and Non-irrigated Under the Aegean Coastal Zone Conditions

AbstractSummer sugar beet growing regions such as the Central Anatolia Region of Türkiye face a shortage of irrigation water. For this reason, we tested autumn sowing sugar beets without irrigation in the Aegean Coastal Zone, where sugar beet cultivation is not practiced. The two-year study was conducted in a split-plot experimental design with four replications. Terranova, Aranka and Dionetta cultivars were sown on 1 December 2020 and 30 November 2021. Ridge sowing was implemented to minimize the possibility of bolting and to prevent them from being affected by excessive December, January and February rainfall. There was no frost-induced seedling loss during the winter growing season and no bolting in the following spring in both years. Growing degree days (GDD) from emerging to harvest (1956 vs. 1497) were higher in the yielding year. Higher solar radiation in the first year (757.30 kWh m−2 vs. 673.80 kWh m−2) during the vegetation period was positively associated with GDD and yield. Ridge sowing and Terranova cultivar performed superbly in terms of root yield, sugar content, SPAD value and Fv/Fm. It was concluded that autumn-sown sugar beet can be grown in the Aegean Coastal Zone as an alternative to the Central Anatolia Region without irrigation with the ridge sowing method.

Создание во ВНИИМК несуществующей в природе озимой формы горчицы сарептской (обзор)

Breeding of a new winter form of mustard started at the V.S. Pustovoit All-Russian Research Institute of Oil Crops in 1959. This work was aimed on increasing of crop yield due to winter plant growth. Hybrids between winter rapeseed and spring mustard were used as initial material. These species cross easily and had fertile progenies. A breeding sample No. 7823 was selected in hybrid combinations; it withstands low temperatures – from minus 10 to minus 15 °C at autumn sowing. At favorable overwintering conditions, yield of this sample was 2.0–2.8 t/ha, oil content of seeds – 44–48%. During further works, the winter mustard samples No. 26205 and 25582 with yield of 3.65–4.06 t/ha were selected. However, in unfavora-ble winter conditions, the winter resistance of winter mustard was 30–40% low than of winter rapeseed. In 1968, another method to develop winter mustard was chosen: by resynthesis from the elementary species – winter turnip rape (genome AA) and black mustard (genome BB). Usage of grafting and gamma radia-tion of pollen allowed producing F1 hybrid seeds. As a result of long-term works (1971–1989), based on resynthesis hybrids, the first in the world practice variety of winter mustard Suzdalskaya was developed. It competed with winter rapeseed by seed yield and winter resistance, however, erucic acid content in seed oil was 35–37%. In 2002, the first erucic acid free (1.5%) variety of winter mustard Snezhinka was submitted for the State trial. In 2010, the absolutely erucic acid free variety of winter mustard Dzhuna was included into the State register of breeding achievements. In 2022, the variety Vyuzhanka was included into the State Register, it exceeds the variety Dzhuna by seed yield by 0.72 t/ha and has oil of high quality.

Bayesian analysis of cultivar and climate effects on seed and oil production in linseed

Linseed oil is utilised in a broad range of industrial and food applications, which make desirable a thorough understanding of the factors that influence its yield and quality. In this study, we used a Bayesian hierarchical model to investigate the impact of genotype and climatic variables on linseed seed and oil yield, as well as fatty acid composition, by utilising a germplasm collection database. Data were collected for 25 years at two nearby locations in Northern Italy, covering between 192 and 252 cultivars. After model optimisation, the cultivar-specific intercept coefficient exhibited the highest degree of differentiation across cultivars for all the variables under investigation. The response to temperature showed on the other hand no difference among cultivars, but it was generally negative for seed yield and seed oil content while it did not impact on fatty acids except for reducing the ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fats in a few cultivars. A higher variability was detected for the cultivar response to rainfall, which affected seed yield and oil content either negatively or positively. Rainfall also influenced fatty acid composition, in particular the fraction of monounsaturated acids which were negatively impacted in all cultivars. Overall, the seed yield was the variable most affected by weather factors, which accounted for a value ranging between −27.9 % and 14.9 % on the average characteristic value of the cultivar, whereas for all other variables, the deviation was always less than 8 % in absolute value. The study also analysed the effect of autumn sowing compared to spring sowing, more commonly practiced in the study sites. Autumn sowing increased seed yield by up to 79.4 %, whereas oil content rose by no more than 1.6 %. While the saturated and monounsaturated fractions of fatty acids decreased, the polyunsaturated fraction rose to a maximum of 13.1 %. The ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fats was increased up to 29.4 %.

Relay strip intercropping of wheat and cotton under limited water conditions

AbstractWheat (Triticum aestivum L.)–cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) relay strip intercropping involves cultivating wheat sown in autumn and cotton sown in spring, allowing the two crops to grow together for ∼2 months. Despite its prevalence in cotton‐growing regions globally, this agricultural practice remains untapped in Turkey, where the emphasis on resource use efficiency and the competition between staple and cash crops are paramount. To address this, we conducted a study comparing three cropping systems under both well‐watered and limited water conditions: sole wheat with a row spacing of 13.5 cm, sole cotton with a row spacing of 70 cm, and an intercropping system consisting of four rows of wheat and two rows of cotton, with row spacings of 13.5 cm and 40.5 cm, respectively. In intercropped wheat and cotton, the relative wheat yield was 0.68, while the relative cotton yield was 0.73, resulting in a combined relative yield of 1.41 when compared to monoculture. The land equivalent ratio (1.44) and area time equivalent ratio (1.08) consistently exceeded 1.0, particularly under limited watering conditions and concurrent heat stress observed in the second year of the experiment. Our findings indicate that wheat–cotton relay intercropping holds significant potential as a highly effective approach to enhance the production of both cotton and wheat in Turkey, particularly in stressful conditions such as limited water availability.

Effect of sowing date and planting method on yield and yield components of three varieties of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd)

The most important parameter for the adaptability a crop to different climates is the sowing date, as this has the greatest influence on the phonological characteristics of the plant. This study was conducted to determine the potential yield of different quinoa varieties sowed at various dates in hot and dry climates. The experiment was conducted as a split-plot experiment based on a randomized complete block design with four replications over two crop years, 2018–2019 and 2019–2020. The sowing date was considered as the main factor at four levels (October 21, October 31, November 10 and November 20), the sowing method (transplanting and seed sowing) as the sub-factor and the quinoa varieties (Gizal, Q26 and Titicaca) as the sub-sub-plot. The results showed that delays in sowing date reduced leaf area index (LAI), plant height, grain yield components, grain yield and biological yield of quinoa. The highest values for these traits were recorded for the first sowing date of October 21. Late transplanting was superior to direct seed sowing. Among the varieties studied, the Q26 variety was superior to the other two varieties in terms of growth, yield components and grain yield. The highest grain yield (2786 kg/ha) was recorded direct sowing on October 21 and the lowest (896 kg/ha) for under direct sowing on November 20 and 30, respectively. Overall, early autumn sowing was suitable for growing different quinoa varieties in the Khuzestan province due to the longer growing period and avoidance of heat stress at the end of the growing period. Transplanting did not have much advantage over early seed sowing, but was better than delayed seed sowing.

Phytochemical Characterization and Biological Activities of Essential Oil from Satureja montana L., a Medicinal Plant Grown under the Influence of Fertilization and Planting Dates.

The rising demand for safe plant compounds and herbal products that contribute positively to human health is in line with current market trends. Plants belonging to the Satureja genus, particularly the aromatic medicinal S. montana L. from the Lamiaceae family, are well suited to these trends as they serve as pharmaceutical raw materials. This research aimed to assess the influence of sowing date and fertilization doses, as well as their interaction, on the fresh weight, essential oil content, and composition of S. montana. Experimental cultivation involved varying nitrogen and phosphorus levels. The second cut had the highest fresh weight and oil production compared to the first cut. The highest total plant biomass was achieved with autumn sowing and fertilization at 55 kg N/ha and 37 kg P/ha, whereas Spring sowing exhibited higher essential oil production, with the maximum oil % with 74 kg P/ha and oil yield after applying 55 kg N/ha and 74 kg P/ha. The GC-MS analysis revealed that carvacrol was the predominant compound, with it being recommended to grow S. montana in Spring at doses of 55 kg N/ha and 74 kg P/ha for the superior oil yield. Additionally, S. montana essential oil demonstrated notable biological and antimicrobial activity, positioning it as a potential alternative to chemical food preservatives.

Effect of Different Sowing Seasons, Growth Stages, Leaf Positions, and Soybean Varieties on the Growth of Clanis bilineata tsingtauica Mell Larvae

Clanis bilineata tsingtauica Mell (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae, CBT), as a traditional edible insect, is becoming popular in China due to its high nutritional value, but production needs to be improved to meet the expanding market. In the present study, CBT eggs were artificially inoculated on soybean leaves to evaluate the effects of leaf position, growth stage, sowing season, and soybean variety on CBT larval growth, respectively. The results showed that (1) the larval weight and survival rate were poorly correlated, so they could represent two different larval growth and development indicators for CBT. The 21-day-old larval weight was significantly different between the sowing seasons and between soybean growth stages, which was suitable as a key indicator for evaluating CBT larval rearing factors. (2) Compared with autumn-sown soybeans, the weight of 21-day-old larvae feeding on V6 stage (sixth trifoliolate) leaves of summer-sown soybeans was significantly higher, with an average increase of 44.7%. (3) Under autumn sowing conditions, the weight of 21-day-old larvae feeding on soybeans in the V6 stage was significantly higher than those fed on soybeans in the R3 stage (beginning pod), increasing by 33.9%. (4) Under summer sowing conditions, the weight of 21-day-old larvae feeding on the third-top leaf (the third leaf from the top of the soybeans’ main stem) was significantly higher than those feeding on the third-bottom leaf (the third leaf from the bottom of the soybeans’ main stem) at V6 stage by 35.7%. Similar results also appeared in autumn sowing; the average weights of 21-day-old larvae feeding on the third-top leaf increased significantly by 29.9% compared to those feeding on the third-bottom leaf. Moreover, the survival rate of larvae fed with the third-top leaf was significantly higher than that of those fed with the third-bottom leaf at the V6 stage in autumn sowing. Leaf position is the main factor affecting the survival rate of larvae. (5) Under summer sowing conditions, the weights of larvae fed with the third-top leaf of the susceptible-soybean varieties NN89-29 and NN1138-2 were significantly higher than that of those fed with the third-bottom leaf of these varieties. This difference was significantly reduced with autumn sowing. In conclusion, the CBT eggs inoculated on the third-top leaf of NN89-29 and NN1138-2 at the V6 stage in summer sowing could achieve maximum larval yield.

Study of the influence of stratification on germination of sea buckthorn seeds (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) in the conditions of the Moscow region

The article presents a comparative analysis of the influence of stratification methods on germination of sea buckthorn seeds (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) in autumn and spring sowing. In the fall sowing with natural stratification under snow, sprouts of H. rhamnoides seeds were more friendly, and the percentage of germination was higher than in the spring sowing with artificial stratification. At autumn sowing of seeds in H. rhamnoides seedlings, formation of many short roots was observed, which predicts more active development of the root system. The number of nodules on the roots of H. rhamnoides plants is formed depending on varietal characteristics and does not depend on the term and method of sowing. Lomonosovskaya, Rossiyanka, Studencheskaya varieties proved to be the most strongly growing in two variants of the experiment at fall sowing, and Trofimovskaya at spring sowing.

The link between farmers’ sowing date and herbicide management

This study presents an on-farm approach to investigate the impact of the sowing date on herbicide management in arable farming. Ten years of data (2012–2021) on the herbicide use and crop management practices of 4325 fields in north-eastern Germany were examined for winter barley, winter oilseed rape and winter wheat. We investigated whether the sowing date was related to the herbicide use intensity (described as Treatment Frequency Index, TFI) and mode of action (MoA) use (classified using the global HRAC classification).While the sowing of winter barley and winter oilseed rape took place over a short period of two weeks, sowing dates for winter wheat were spread over two months from the beginning of September to the end of October.Seventy-five percent of the winter barley fields were treated with HRAC group 2 herbicides and every second field was treated with herbicides in HRAC groups 15 and 3, respectively. Delayed autumn sowing of winter barley differing by 14 days decreased the in-crop use intensity of HRAC group 2 by up to 16%, for HRAC group 3 by up to 15% and for HRAC group 15 by up to 27%.In contrast, the herbicide management did not relate to the time of sowing in winter oilseed rape, except for HRAC groups 14 and 15.Ninety percent of the winter wheat fields were treated with HRAC group 2 herbicides and almost seventy-five percent with HRAC groups 15 herbicides, respectively. For winter wheat, our study provided evidence that delayed sowing dates in-mid October reduced the use intensity of HRAC group 2 by up to 41% and for HRAC 15 by up to 35%, respectively, compared with sowing at the beginning of September.With regard to the European-wide efforts to reduce chemical pesticide use by 50% by 2030, we conclude that cultural weed control with a sowing date delay may be highly effective at meeting this requirement. Additionally, delayed sowing dates have the potential to reduce the use intensity of MoA with a high resistance risk.

Genetic Diversity and Inter-Relationships of Morpho-Agronomic Traits in Kabuli Chickpea Genotypes under Autumn Sowing Condition

Genetic Diversity and Inter-Relationships of Morpho-Agronomic Traits in Kabuli Chickpea Genotypes under Autumn Sowing Condition

Productivity of winter pea under the application of nitrogen fertilization and biological preparations in the Steppe of Ukraine

Purpose. To determine the elements of the yield structure and the level of crop productivity under the effect of the studied agronomic practices. Methods. Field, agrochemical and statistical methods were used in the study. Results. The results of experiments on the effect of nitrogen fertilization and biological preparations on the yield structure formation and the productivity of winter pea in the Steppe of Ukraine are presented. It was determined that the winter pea varieties ‘Enduro’ and ‘NS Moroz’ formed different plant densities: 78 plants/m2 and 77 plants/m2, respectively. With the application of biological preparations Leanum Humikor and Mycofriend, plant density increased by an average of 3%. The number of beans and seeds per plant and the weight of grain for the application of fertilizers in ‘Enduro’ was on average 11.3 and 30.6, respectively, and for the application of biological preparations 11.0 and 28.6, respectively. In ‘NS Moroz’, these indicators were 15.6 and 27.1, respectively, for the application of fertilizers and 15.5 and 27.1, respectively, for the application of biological preparations. The grain weight was 4.5–4.3 g in ‘Enduro’ and 4–3.8 g in ‘NS Moroz’. A high grain yield of 3.83 t/ha and 3.82 t/ha was obtained in both ‘Enduro’ and ‘NS Moroz’, respectively, after applying the Mycofriend + N40. In the treatments where the main fertilizers N10Р46К0 + N40 and N64Р46К0 + N40 were applied in spring, the yield was 3.15 t/ha and 3.08 t/ha in the ‘Enduro’ variety and 3.15 t/ha and 3.24 t/ha in the ‘NS Moroz’ variety, respectively. Conclusions. The application of biological preparations increased grain yield of winter pea compared to the use of additional doses of nitrogen fertilizers. The difference in grain yield between the fertilization options and the application of biological preparations was 0.67–0.74 t/ha in ‘Enduro’ and 0.59–0.68 t/ha in ‘NS Moroz’, respectively. To obtain high productivity of winter pea, the most effective agronomic practice is the application of fertilizers and biological preparations during autumn sowing, which helps to reduce the influence of changing soil and climate conditions in the period of plant organogenesis, and obtain optimum yield structure.

Breeding of the facultative barley varieties at the FSBSI ARC «Donskoy»

The current paper is devoted to the study of promising barley lines with an alternative type of development (facultative). Famous breeders P. F. Garkavy and V. M. Shevtsov believed that the future belonged to the facultative barley varieties, since they had high adaptive properties. Facultative varieties have several advantages, such as they can be used for early spring reseeding of sparse autumn crops of winter barley with seeds of the same variety and dead crops of winter cereals, as well as for obtaining high-quality seeds from spring sowing for autumn sowing. In connection with the above, the cultivation of facultative varieties for production is of great relevance and necessity. The purpose of the current study was to estimate new breeding material for facultative barley varieties in the conditions of the south of the Rostov region. The study was carried out in 2021–2023 in the fields of scientific crop rotation of the department of barley breeding and seed production of the ARC «Donskoy». In the first competitive variety testing there have been studied 12 promising facultative barley lines and the two currently best facultative barley varieties ‘Step’ and ‘Marusya’. There has been carried out comprehensive estimation of the studied samples based on such traits as the length of a vegetation period, resistance to lodging and damage by leaf diseases, 1000-grain weight, number of grains per an ear, number of productive stems per square meter, productivity. According to lodging resistance on average over three years, there were identified the varieties ‘Marusya’ and ‘Step’, as well as the lines Parallelum 2019, 2139, 2110, 2128, 2152, 2153 and Pallidum 2100; according to grain size the best varieties and lines were ‘Step’, ‘Marusya’, Parallelum 2141, 2110, 2128, 2149, 2152 and Pallidum 2100. The variety ‘Marusya’ and the lines Parallelum 2139, 2128, 2136, 2110, 2149, 2152, 2153 have shown the greatest productivity increase of 1 t/ha to the standard. Based on the data obtained, all studied varieties received a score based on a complex of economically valuable traits. The variety ‘Parallelum 2128’, which received the maximum number of points, was selected, and prepared for sending to the State Variety Commission of the Russian Federation for study.

Hard-seeded temperate annual legumes establish better in a tropical grass pasture when autumn-sown than spring-sown in a summer dominant rainfall zone, Australia

ABSTRACT Temperate annual legumes can be effective companion species in tropical perennial grass pastures. These legumes are commonly sown in autumn following establishment of the grasses. However, it may be more effective to establish a seed bank before sowing the grass, or possibly sow the legumes as hard seed/pod in spring when the tropical grass pasture is sown. A study was conducted in northern New South Wales to compare establishment, regeneration and productivity of three hard-seeded legumes: bladder clover (Trifolium spumosum) cv. Bartolo, biserrula (Biserrula pelecinus) cv. Casbah and French serradella (Ornithopus sativus) cv. Margurita. The legumes were sown four times: either one or two autumns before digit grass (Digitaria eriantha) cv. Premier was established, the autumn following grass establishment or sown at the same time as the grass as either hard seed/pod segments or scarified seed (total of five treatments). While seasonal conditions influenced establishment success, autumn was the optimal time to sow temperate annual legumes to achieve a productive mixed pasture. The legumes can be sown 1–2 autumns before or in the autumn following grass establishment. Legume plant populations of spring sown hard seed/pod segments were lower than those autumn sown but they increased the following year.

Effect of sowing dates on physiological characteristics, yield, and quality of Carthamus tinctorius

A field experiment was conducted to measure the physiological characteristics, yield, active ingredient content, and other indicators of Carthamus tinctorius leaves undergoing 13 sowing date treatments. The principal component analysis(PCA) and redundancy analysis were used to analyze the correlation between these indicators to explore the effect of sowing date on the yield and active ingredient content of C. tinctorius in Liupanshan of Ningxia. The results illustrated that the early sowing in autumn and spring had significant effects on leaf photosynthetic parameters, SPAD value, antioxidant enzyme activity, nitrogen metabolism enzyme activity, filament yield, grain yield, and hydroxy safflower yellow A(HYSA) of C. tinctorius. Sowing in mid-November and late March had the best effect. Leaf transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, nitrate reductase, nitrite reductase, glutamine synthetase, and glutamate synthase increased by 44.9%, 52.4%, 15.9%, 60.8%, 10.3%, and 38.3%, respectively. The activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase decreased by 10.8%, 4.1%, and 20.9%, respectively. The improvement of photosynthetic physiological characteristics promoted the dry matter accumulation and reproductive growth of C. tinctorius. The yield of filaments and seeds increased by 15.5% and 11.7%, and the yield of HYSA and kaempferol increased by 17.9% and 20.0%. In short, the suitable sowing date can promote the growth and development of C. tinctorius in Liupanshan of Ningxia, and significantly improve the yield and quality, which is conducive to the high quality and efficient production of C. tinctorius.

The effect of prolonged stratification and shading on the emergence of Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco seedlings

The Douglas fir has been cultivated in Europe since the mid-19th century, but its artificial regeneration leads to a low yield of seedlings. It could be improved by prolonged pre-sowing treatment (cold stratification of seeds) or the early shading of sowings, so that their effect on five Douglas fir seed lots and their emergence and growth of seedlings were analysed. One lot came from the USA; four lots came from the Czech Republic. The germination capacity and germination rate were analysed for seed without pre-sowing treatment and seed after 21-day and 49-day stratification. The emergence rate was tested for variants of the 21-day and the 49-day stratification (shaded and unshaded treatment) and for autumn sowing (unshaded treatment). The results show that the maximal germination capacity of full seeds is achieved after the 21-day stratification. The prolonged 49-day stratification increases the germination rate, especially in seed lots with lower vitality. The biggest seedlings, in terms of length and biomass of the above-ground part and the biomass of the root system, emerged from seeds sown in autumn. The combination of the 49-day stratification of seeds and the 3-week shading after spring sowing can accelerate seedling emergence and increase the emergence rate of seedlings; seedlings achieve more biomass and length of the above-ground part, the root system compared to unshaded seedlings or seedlings emerged from 21-day stratified seeds. Comparable or better results were achieved from autumn sowing.

The relationship between Mute Swan Cygnus olor population trends in Great Britain and environmental change

ABSTRACT Capsule The increase in autumn sowing of crops is probably an additional contributory factor to the national ban on lead angling weights in influencing the large increase in British Mute Swan Cygnus olor numbers since the 1970s. Aims The national population of Mute Swans in Great Britain has more than doubled since the 1970s, and previous correlative analyses of national population changes identified a national ban on lead angling weights in 1987 as the main driver of this change. We examine regional variation in Mute Swan population changes to test the contribution of additional environmental covariates to the observed increase. Methods We explore regional and national variation in Mute Swan population trends to changes in climate, agriculture, water quality, and angling to assess whether the same patterns emerge at different scales. Results Changes in the extent of oilseed rape and wheat, which provide winter food for Mute Swans, showed a consistent positive association with the spatial and temporal pattern of Mute Swan population trends, while a proxy for the expected change in the exposure of swans to lead weights from angling contributed much less. Conclusion The lead weight ban occurred alongside rapid changes in arable cropping area, with swans probably benefitting from both increased food resources and reduced rates of lead ingestion. Our study highlights the value of exploiting both spatial and temporal variation in abundance when exploring potential drivers of population change. Future changes in agricultural policy and practice in Great Britain may influence Mute Swan populations.

The effect of natural moisture availability on the yield of Agropyron in arid conditions of the south of Russia

The Volgograd right bank belongs to a very arid natural and climatic zone (HTC 0.3-0.7), the main limiting factor of which is the moisture supply of plants. Therefore, this study was aimed at establishing the influence of the moisture availability of the region and meteorological factors, as well as the timing and methods of sowing on the yield of Agropyron cristatum and Agropyron fragile in arid agro-climatic conditions on light chestnut salty soils of southern Russia. The research was carried out at the experimental production field of the Research Centre of Agroecology of the Russian Academy of Sciences in the period from 2019 to 2022. Field experiments, records, analyses and statistical processing were carried out in accordance with the methodology of field and agrotechnical research with forage crops. Methods of mathematical statistics of the STATGRAPHICS program and the MatLab package were used to process and analyze the results obtained. A close correlation was noted between the yield of Agropyron and moisture reserves (r=0.935) at the autumn sowing period. A close positive relationship (r=0.859-0.856) was noted with the ordinary and cross-seeding method between the moisture reserves in the soil and the crop yield, which indicates a high value of moisture availability during the formation of the phytomass of the crop. Close links between the hydrothermal coefficient (HTC) of the growing season and the yield of Agropyron were noted in April (r=0.960), when plants grew intensively and required sufficient moisture. A promising species can be called Agropyron fragile, the yield of which is 5.0-8.4% higher than the yield of Agropyron cristatum. Moreover, Agropyron produces the highest yields in the third year of life (3.16-3.30 t/ha).