Germination and Emergence of Different Age Seeds of Six Grasses

Abstract

Different aged seeds of six grass varieties were tested for percentage laboratory germination and percentage field emergence. Best age of seed for planting differed greatly among the varieties and the results from laboratory and field tests were not always consistent. One-year-old seeds of sand bluestem, blue grama and A-6606 switchgrass; two-year-old side-oats grama and yellow indiangrass; and seven-year-old Grenville switchgrass seeds had emerged best at the end of the field test. Except for sandhill bluestem, seeds two years and older emerged faster, a factor that may be important in successful field establishment of seeded grasses.