Residue Management Strategies for Kentucky Bluegrass Seed Production

Abstract

Open‐field burning provides effective, economical post‐harvest residue management in Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) seed crops, but public concern over air quality necessitates the identification of nonthermal management strategies. On‐farm trials were conducted in Oregon's Grande Ronde Valley to investigate the effect of nonthermal management in two cultivars of Kentucky bluegrass on crop regrowth, seed yield, and seed quality. Residue treatments imposed after the first, second, and third seed harvests included (i) removal of straw by baling (Bale), (ii) baling, flailing with a rotary scythe, followed by residue removal with a needle‐nose rake (Rake), (iii) baling, followed by removal of the residue by vacuum‐sweeper (Vacuum), (iv) flail‐chopping residue three times with no removal (Flail 3X), and (v) open‐field burning (Burn). Tillers were etiolated at the cessation of fall regrowth in Flail 3X (stubble height reduced, no straw removal) and Bale (no stubble height reduction, 75% straw removal) treatments. Fertile tiller number was lower in the following spring with Flail 3X and Bale treatments compared with Burn. Seed yield averaged across the 3‐yr period was reduced 38% when managed with Flail 3X and 10% when managed with Bale compared with Burn. Crop regrowth, fertile tiller production, and seed yield resulting from Rake and Vacuum treatments were equivalent to the Burn treatment. Rake and Vacuum treatments reduced stubble height and removed at least 90% of the straw. High seed yield and seed quality can be maintained in Kentucky bluegrass without open‐field burning when straw removal is thorough and stubble height is reduced prior to crop regrowth.

Residue management increases seed yield of three turfgrass species on the Canadian prairies

“…When burning is not possible or desirable, the results of the study at Saskatoon indicate that scalping increases yield over mowing. This observation is supported by the results of a study on KBG in Oregon, which indicated that seed yield could be maintained without burning, provided that there was thorough straw removal (>90%) and stubble height was kept short (Chastain et al 1997) and by single-year studies on KBG in Manitoba (Bruce and Wright 1996) and CRF in Saskatchewan (Kruger 1997). The impact of row spacing was not consistent between the trials.…”

Phytophagous arthropods and silvertop levels associated with post-harvest residue treatments in three turfgrass species grown for seed

“…This may explain why few strong relationships were found between silvertop levels and grass seed yields. Previous reports have shown that aggressive residue removal increases seed yield in KBG and CRF (Bruce and Wright 1996;Kruger 1997;Chastain et al 1997;Young et al 1998). Although CBG had lower incidence of silvertop than did the other two species in this study, low seed yields of CBG after the first production year indicate that the impact of silvertop may be less important on this grass species than cultivar yield variability (Cattani et al 2004) or stand persistence (Gossen et al 2002).…”

Seed yield variation in plains rough fescue (Festuca hallii (Vasey) Piper) populations and its relation with phenotypic characteristics and environmental factors

“…The seed yield of plains rough fescue during the years of this study was found to be more closely related to the number of reproductive tillers of individual plants than any other measured characteristic, which is in agreement with other studies (Chastain and Grabe, ,b; Chastain et al ., ). The population × year interaction for the number of reproductive tillers was not significant.…”

“…In other studies, the number of reproductive tillers was found to be a factor closely related to seed yield in orchardgrass ( Dactylis glomerata L.) (Chastain and Grabe, ), tall fescue ( Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) (Chastain and Grabe, ) and Kentucky bluegrass ( Poa pratensis L.) (Chastain et al ., ).…”