SALINITY AND TRINEXAPAC-ETHYL EFFECTS ON SEED RESERVE UTILIZATION AND SEEDLING GROWTH OF TWO LOLIUM PERENNE CULTIVARS

Plant growth regulators are frequently applied on warm-season turf just before over-seeding to increase the turf performance, and its competitive ability.
In case that turf is irrigated with saline water, the timing of TE application on turf is critical.
Seeds of two perennial ryegrass cultivars ‘Numan’ and ‘Speedy Green’ were subjected to different salinity (0, 2000, 4000 and 6000 mg L^-1 NaCl) and TE levels (0, 5 and 10 mg m^-2) either in agar or soil to detect their effects on germination and seedling initial growth.
Seed germination percentage, germination rate, weight of mobilized seed reserves and seed reserves depletion percentage were significantly affected by TE and salinity with the exception of seed reserve utilization efficiency.
TE inhibited germination percentage more severely in higher concentrations.
The results showed that TE had no significant effect on chlorophyll concentration, plant height, electrolyte leakage, root length, fresh and dry weight of seedling.
In contrast salinity significantly decreased all of them.
It is expected that TE application before over-seeding will have deleterious effects on over-seeded grass germination, but it will have no effects on the initial growth of seedlings and therefore it can be used at this stage.

XXVIII International Horticultural Congress on Science and Horticulture for People (IHC2010): International Symposium on Environmental, Edaphic, and Genetic Factors Affecting Plants, Seeds and Turfgrass

I. Roohollahi, M. Kafi

plant growth regulators, germination, initial growth, perennial ryegrass

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2012.938.19