THE EFFECT OF RELATING APPLICATIONS OF NITROGEN TO THE STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT OF COCKSFOOT (DACTYLIS GLOMERATA L.) GROWN FOR PRODUCTION OF SEED

An experiment is described in which nitrogen was applied in relation to the physiological stage of development in cocksfoot grown for seed. All applications of N increased the yield of seed, but applying all the N during the phase of autumnal tillering was less effective than applying it at stages of development in spring (beginning of vernal growth, initiation of inflorescences, complete differentiation of inflorescences), or in autumn and spring, because of a decrease in the number of tillers which survived to flower in the following year. Differences due to the stage of development at which N was applied in spring were small. Primary effects of N were to increase the number of tillers and ears per plant, and to accelerate the rate of development of inflorescences; in addition, N advanced the date of initiation of inflorescences without similarly advancing the date of complete differentiation of inflorescences. It is concluded that a long period between the initiation and complete differentiation of the inflorescence is conducive to high yields of seed.