The quality switchgrass depends on the year of vegetation of the culture

Abstract

The purpose of the research was to find out the peculiarities of the formation of seed quality, specifically germination energy, germination and 100 kernel weight of switchgrass, depending on the period of its vegetation. Methods. Laboratory, measuring and weighing, mathematical and statistical. Results. It was found that the quality of the seeds did not depend on the year of sowing. On average over four years, germination energy and germination of seeds collected from switchgrass plants sown in 2009 (the 10th year of vegetation) were 64% and 65%, respectively. The same indicators of the plants sown in 2014 (8th year of vegetation) were significantly lower and accounted for 57 and 60%, respectively. In 2016, (3rd year of vegetation) they were significantly higher — 74 and 75%. Study of the factors that affect seed qualityrevealed, that the greatest influence of the ‘vegetation period’ factor was 52.2%, and the influence of the ‘vegetation conditions’ factor was much smaller and amounted to 16.6%. Studies of seed germination by years of vegetation of switchgrass of all sowing years did not reveal a natural decrease of this indicator depending on the year of sowing. Conclusions. Germination energy and germination of switchgrass depended not so much on the year of sowing but on the period of vegetation; no regular decrease or increase of these indicators was found. Significantly higher indicators of germination energy and germination were obtained in all years of vegetation from plants sown in 2011 and 2012.