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Publication Date
1981
Description
A descriptive scheme of morphological stages of development in forage grasses is urgently needed for scientific investigations as well as for practical purposes. It could be used for precise timing of management measures, such as application of fertilizers and herbicides, and in harvesting with respect to a certain level of forage yield and/or quality. Existing schemes, like the Feekes scale and its modifications, were devised for cereals. They do not adequately consider the peculiar stages of development of perennial grasses grown for forage. We propose a scheme that consists of consecutive stages of the following phases of plant development: number of leaves, elongation of leaf sheaths, stem elongation, inflorescence emergence, anthesis, and seed ripening. In an attempt to standardize the schemes, we have adopted the 2-digit code and wherever appropriate have maintained the stages and terms of the scale of Zadoks et al. (1974). The complete descriptive scheme is given in the paper. The association between a certain stage of growth and characteristics of nutritive value depends on the earliness of species and cul ti vars. At a fixed stage of plant development, nutritive value in terms of in-vitro digestibility, crude-fiber content, and crudeprotein content is generally lower in late types than in early ones. Inversely, a certain level of nutritive value is reached in late types at an earlier stage of growth than in early ones.
Citation
SImon, U and Park, B H., "A Descriptive Scheme for Stages of Development in Perennial Forage Grasses" (1981). IGC Proceedings (1981-2023). 14.
(URL: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1981/section6/14)
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A Descriptive Scheme for Stages of Development in Perennial Forage Grasses
A descriptive scheme of morphological stages of development in forage grasses is urgently needed for scientific investigations as well as for practical purposes. It could be used for precise timing of management measures, such as application of fertilizers and herbicides, and in harvesting with respect to a certain level of forage yield and/or quality. Existing schemes, like the Feekes scale and its modifications, were devised for cereals. They do not adequately consider the peculiar stages of development of perennial grasses grown for forage. We propose a scheme that consists of consecutive stages of the following phases of plant development: number of leaves, elongation of leaf sheaths, stem elongation, inflorescence emergence, anthesis, and seed ripening. In an attempt to standardize the schemes, we have adopted the 2-digit code and wherever appropriate have maintained the stages and terms of the scale of Zadoks et al. (1974). The complete descriptive scheme is given in the paper. The association between a certain stage of growth and characteristics of nutritive value depends on the earliness of species and cul ti vars. At a fixed stage of plant development, nutritive value in terms of in-vitro digestibility, crude-fiber content, and crudeprotein content is generally lower in late types than in early ones. Inversely, a certain level of nutritive value is reached in late types at an earlier stage of growth than in early ones.
