Track 2‐7‐1: Seed Production, Storage, Quality, Testing, Quarantine and Marketing Systems

Description

Under the present scenario of severe green fodder shortage (64%) in India, grassland offers an opportunity to enhance fodder availability. To revitalize the existing denuded grasslands, seed is the best propagating material. Availability of quality seed in forage grasses is less than 20% of actual requirement/ demand. Hence, there is a need to enhance the production and productivity of grass seeds. Even the available grass seeds have very low germination percentage, which is mainly due to the absence of a caryopsis inside the fluffy seed material. Chrysopogon fulvus, commonly known as Guria grass or red false beard grass, is a tufted perennial tropical grassland species, with good palatability and green fodder potential of >20 t/ha. With its ability to grow under annual rainfall of 300-1200 mm it is well suited for the rainfed situation of Indian grasslands.

As per Indian minimum seed certification standards (IMSCS), the germination percentage of C. fulvus is only 15%. The low germination coincides with the low seed setting (14-18%) as recorded in bulk harvested sample by Bahukhandi et al. (2011). Enhancement of seed to ovule ratio not only increases germination percent but enhances productivity per se. With this background, the present study was undertaken to understand the reproductive morphology, pollen availability and effect of exogenous application of chemicals for enhancement of seed to ovule ratio in C. fulvus.

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Anthesis Dynamics, Pollen Availability and Enhancement of Seed to Ovule Ratio in Chrysopogon fulvus

Under the present scenario of severe green fodder shortage (64%) in India, grassland offers an opportunity to enhance fodder availability. To revitalize the existing denuded grasslands, seed is the best propagating material. Availability of quality seed in forage grasses is less than 20% of actual requirement/ demand. Hence, there is a need to enhance the production and productivity of grass seeds. Even the available grass seeds have very low germination percentage, which is mainly due to the absence of a caryopsis inside the fluffy seed material. Chrysopogon fulvus, commonly known as Guria grass or red false beard grass, is a tufted perennial tropical grassland species, with good palatability and green fodder potential of >20 t/ha. With its ability to grow under annual rainfall of 300-1200 mm it is well suited for the rainfed situation of Indian grasslands.

As per Indian minimum seed certification standards (IMSCS), the germination percentage of C. fulvus is only 15%. The low germination coincides with the low seed setting (14-18%) as recorded in bulk harvested sample by Bahukhandi et al. (2011). Enhancement of seed to ovule ratio not only increases germination percent but enhances productivity per se. With this background, the present study was undertaken to understand the reproductive morphology, pollen availability and effect of exogenous application of chemicals for enhancement of seed to ovule ratio in C. fulvus.