FERTILIZATION, YIELD, PURITY AND QUALITY OF SEED OF TWO VARIETIES OF BANDERILLA GRASS

Abstract

The response of two cultivars (Chihuahua 75 and AN Selection 75) of sideoats grama (Bouteolua curtipendula (Michx.)Torr.) to fertilization with phosphorus (0 and 100 kg/ha) and nitrogen (0, 40, 80, and 120 kg/ha) was studied in Navidad, N.L. in 1984, as a factorial experiment 2x2x4. Treatments were randomized within complete blocks and replicated four times. Seed yield, seed yield
components (number of culms/meter of row, number of spikes/raceme and spike weight), seed set (purity) and weight/1000 caryopses (seed quality) were taken. No significant difference was found between varieties for seed yield. Seed yield increased with phosphorus (P) only in Chihuahua 75 when 80 and 120 kg of N/ha were applied (291 kg/ha and 436 kg/ha of seed yield, respectively). The highest yield of cultivar AN Selection 75 (284 kg/ha) was obtained with 80 kg/ha of N. Significant difference was found between cultivars for all three seed yield components; phosphorus had no effect on them, but nitrogen had a positive effect for all three seed yield components, specially on the number of culms/meter of row (325% increase at the rate of 120 kg/ha). Chihuahua 75 produced seed of higher purity. Seed set was not affected by P or N. Chihuahua 75 produced heavier caryopses (better seed quality). Seed quality was aftected only by N .