Publication Date
1985
Location
Kyoto Japan
Description
In order to extend growing season and to increase annual production of pastures in southern part of Kyushu where warm and humid summers alternate cold winters, authors attempted to seed a mixture of cool- and warm-season pasture species. Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) and bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum) were sown in spring and autumn to form monoculture and mixture swards. Tall fescue started growth earlier and produced maximum yield in spring, while bahiagrass yielded much during early summer to autumn. In the mixture, combined yield of two species was between two monocultures, but total annual yield was less than that of bahiagrass and similar to that of tall fescue monoculture. Composition of the mixture was influenced by sowing time; tall fescue was dominant by autumn-sowing and bahiagrass achieved dominance by spring-sowing. Increase of production in each species corresponded to the development of its inflorescence. Vertical stem elongation associated with reproductive phase suppressed the growth of underlying species by light interception. It was suggested that the time of flowering of each species and sowing time were governing factors to establish a stable mixture of cool- and warm-season grasses.
Citation
Ueno, M; Sugimoto, Y; and Hirata, M, "Some Trials to Establish a Mixture of Tall Fescue and Bahiagrass in Warmer Region of Kyushu" (1985). IGC Proceedings (1985-2023). 74.
(URL: https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1985/ses6/74)
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Some Trials to Establish a Mixture of Tall Fescue and Bahiagrass in Warmer Region of Kyushu
Kyoto Japan
In order to extend growing season and to increase annual production of pastures in southern part of Kyushu where warm and humid summers alternate cold winters, authors attempted to seed a mixture of cool- and warm-season pasture species. Tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) and bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum) were sown in spring and autumn to form monoculture and mixture swards. Tall fescue started growth earlier and produced maximum yield in spring, while bahiagrass yielded much during early summer to autumn. In the mixture, combined yield of two species was between two monocultures, but total annual yield was less than that of bahiagrass and similar to that of tall fescue monoculture. Composition of the mixture was influenced by sowing time; tall fescue was dominant by autumn-sowing and bahiagrass achieved dominance by spring-sowing. Increase of production in each species corresponded to the development of its inflorescence. Vertical stem elongation associated with reproductive phase suppressed the growth of underlying species by light interception. It was suggested that the time of flowering of each species and sowing time were governing factors to establish a stable mixture of cool- and warm-season grasses.
