Temperature, in addition to moisture, oxygen, and light, plays an important role in seed germination. Early seedling emergence and stand establishment can be promoted by germination of seeds under a wide range of temperatures; therefore, it is desirable for commercial legume cultivars to germinate over a range of temperatures. The objective of this growth chamber experiment was to determine the effects of temperature on seed germination of seven annual warm‐season and 11 annual cool‐season legumes. Greatest germination of warm‐season and cool‐season legumes occurred at 25 and 20°C, respectively. Germination of warm‐season legumes tended to be maximized at 25°C, while cool‐season legume germination was greatest from 10 to 25°C. Cultivars ‘Rio Verde’ lablab [Lablab purpureus (L.) Sweet] and ‘Whitetail Thicket’ soybean [Glycine soja Siebold and Zucc. × Glycine max (L.) Merr.] had greater germination than the other entries at 35°C, indicating their potential for use in warmer climates or in delayed planting dates. Additionally, Whitetail Thicket had the greatest germination of summer legume entries at 10°C. The germination of ‘Dixie’ crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum L.), PI 419238 button medic [Medicago orbicularis (L.) All.], and 600RR and ‘Bulldog 505’ alfalfas (Medicago sativa L.) were less sensitive to temperature than the other cool‐season legume entries. Germination of ‘Devine’ little burr medic (Medicago minima L.), ‘Armadillo’ burr medic (Medicago polymorpha L.), and ‘Apache’ arrowleaf clover (Trifolium vesiculosum Savi) were severely reduced at temperatures above 30°C.

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This research was carried out between 2009 and 2011 to determine the herbage yield and some agricultural and quality characteristics of alfalfa varieties under the ecological conditions of Eastern Anatolia, Gurpinar, Van Turkey. Six alfalfa varieties were grown, including domestic Kayseri, Bilensoy-80 and Van Native (ecotype) in addition to varieties Planet, Plato and CW-3567 of foreign origin. It was found that means of alfalfa varieties ranged from 77.9 to 82.3 cm for plant height; from 29.9 to 33.4 for number of main stems per plant; from 8.32 to 9.38 % for crude ash and from 16.55 to 17.55 % for protein content. The differences among the varieties for certain traits were not statistically significant. However, Van Native (43575 kg ha -1 ) and CW-3567 (43242 kg ha -1 ) gave high fresh herbage yields whereas CW-3567 (16201 kg ha -1 ), Van Native (15519 kg ha -1 ) and Kayseri (15194 kg ha -1 ) gave high hay yields. Beside, CW-3567 (2827 kg ha -1 ) was the best variety for crude protein yield. Based on the results of the study, it could be said that cultivar CW-3567 could be recommended to be grown under the ecological conditions of Eastern Anatolia.

Temperature plays a primary role in seed germination, and germination under a wide range of temperatures can promote early seedling emergence and stand establishment. The objective of this growth chamber experiment was to determine the effects of temperature (5–35°C) on the germination of eight species using 6 annual and 14 perennial cool‐season grass lots. The greatest germination of annual and perennial cool‐season grasses occurred at 20 and 15°C, respectively. Germination of oat (Avena sativa L.) was typically greatest at 10 to 20°C, whereas rye (Secale cereale L.) germination was generally greatest at 5 to 20°C and annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.) germination was greatest at 10 to 30°C. Germination of orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) and hardinggrass (Phalaris aquatica L.) was greatest at 15 to 20°C. Germination of tall fescue [Schedonorus arundinaceus (Schreb.) Dumort.] varied by type: summer‐active tall fescue had optimal germination between 15 and 25°C but summer‐dormant tall fescue had optimal germination between 10 and 20°C, except for ‘NFTF 1800E–’, which was more sensitive to high temperatures (> 5°C). On the basis of these findings, the seeding rates of rye, oat, orchardgrass, hardinggrass, and tall fescue should be increased by ∼30% if planted in early September rather than late September to account for the reduction in germination; summer‐dormant tall fescue should be planted 2 to 3 wk later (1–15 October) than summer‐active types (early September) in the southern Great Plains.

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