Publication Date
1989
Description
Slow seed germination and poor seedling establishment have been considered major problems in sericea lespedeza [Lespedeza cuneata (Dumont de Courset) G. Don.], a summer perennial legume grown in the southeastern United States for forage and soil conservation (Logan et al., 1969). Wright et al. (1978) considered sericea lespedeza a nonaggressive species because of the low number of seedlings that emerge and the long time needed for emergence as compared to other species. Hoveland et al. (1971) indicated that sericea lespedeza seedlings are weak and compete poorly with weeds. Recommended planting time of sericea is early spring as soon as there is not a risk of a heavy frost. In Alabama, this period is from March to early April (Ball and Donnelly, 1985). The estimated daylength during this time of year in Alabama is between 11 and 13 h (Anonymous, 1984). Pieters (1939) first observed that the growth of sericea lespedeza plants was strongly affected by daylength. Similar results were obtained by Bates (1955), who found that 5 cm plants exposed to daylengths less than 13 h grew very little. The objectives of the present study were to measure the influence of temperature and daylength on early growth of sericea lespedeza genotypes.
Citation
Mosjidis, J A., "Genotypic Differences in Seedling Vigor in Sericea Lespedeza" (2025). IGC Proceedings (1989-2023). 36.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1989/session3/36
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Genotypic Differences in Seedling Vigor in Sericea Lespedeza
Slow seed germination and poor seedling establishment have been considered major problems in sericea lespedeza [Lespedeza cuneata (Dumont de Courset) G. Don.], a summer perennial legume grown in the southeastern United States for forage and soil conservation (Logan et al., 1969). Wright et al. (1978) considered sericea lespedeza a nonaggressive species because of the low number of seedlings that emerge and the long time needed for emergence as compared to other species. Hoveland et al. (1971) indicated that sericea lespedeza seedlings are weak and compete poorly with weeds. Recommended planting time of sericea is early spring as soon as there is not a risk of a heavy frost. In Alabama, this period is from March to early April (Ball and Donnelly, 1985). The estimated daylength during this time of year in Alabama is between 11 and 13 h (Anonymous, 1984). Pieters (1939) first observed that the growth of sericea lespedeza plants was strongly affected by daylength. Similar results were obtained by Bates (1955), who found that 5 cm plants exposed to daylengths less than 13 h grew very little. The objectives of the present study were to measure the influence of temperature and daylength on early growth of sericea lespedeza genotypes.
