A source of resistance to seed shattering in kleingrass,Panicum coloratum L.

Summary Seed of kleingrass, P. coloratum, ripen nonuniformly and shatter readily at maturity. Consequently, it is difficult to maximize both seed quality and yield. A source of resistance to seed shattering is needed. In this investigation, two kleingrass populations, the cultivar Selection-75, and an introduction from South Africa, PI 410177, were evaluated for seed shattering during three seed production seasons. Individual inflorescences from field-grown plants were enclosed in seed traps and all shattered seed was collected at weekly intervals until 49 days after anthesis. Although there were seasonal differences, PI 410177 always shattered seed at a slower rate than Selection-75 in each of the three seasons. Averaged over all seasons Selection-75 had shattered 74% of its seed by 49 days after anthesis while PI 410177 shattered only 37%. A separate greenhouse-field experiment demonstrated that seasonal differences in seed shattering are primarily the result of varying weather conditions during the period of seed production. PI 410177 is the first reported source of resistance to seed shattering in P. coloratum.