Volume 4
Issue 2
Agronomy
JOURNAL OF
POLISH
AGRICULTURAL
UNIVERSITIES
Available Online: http://www.ejpau.media.pl/volume4/issue2/agronomy/abs-03.html
REACTION OF SELECTED ORCHARD GRASS (DACTYLIS GLOMERATA L.) CULTIVARS TO SOIL MOISTURE
Zofia Kochanowska-Bukowska
ABSTRACT
The paper presents the results of 3-year pot experiment, aimed at defining the impact of soil moisture on selected biometric characteristics, dry matter yield and yield quality. The research covered four orchard grass cultivars, ‘Amera’, ‘Astera’, ‘Bepro’, ‘Potomac’, different in earliness, cultivated under four field water capacities (80%, 65%, 50% and 35% FWC). Tillering, leaf blade area and dry matter yield were most considerably enhanced by moderate soil moistures, 65% and 50% FWC. However the reaction to soil moisture differed across cultivars. ‘Amera’ yielded significantly highest under 50% FWC, ‘Astera’ yielded similarly under 65% and 80% FWC, ‘Bepro’ under 65% and 50%, while the highest yield of ‘Potomac’ was obtained under 65% FWC. ‘Astera’ was most prolific, developed the greatest number of shoots and the greatest leaf blade assimilation area. The soil moistures affected the contents of crude protein and water-soluble carbohydrates; the grater the soil moisture the lower the conte
Key words: orchard grass, cultivars, soil moisture, plant morphology, dry matter yield, nutritive value.