Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-22T09:55:35.955Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Effect of sowing depth on plant establishment, tillering capacity and other agronomic characters of cereals

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

A. Hadjichristodoulou
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute, Nicosia, Cyprus
Athena Della
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute, Nicosia, Cyprus
J. Photiades
Affiliation:
Agricultural Research Institute, Nicosia, Cyprus

Summary

In field trials conducted over 8 years the effect of sowing depth on plant establishment, tillering capacity, plant height, grain yield, top growth weight and patterns of root development of wheat and barley was studied. Establishment, number of grainbearing tillers per established plant, plant height at maturity and grain yield and top growth weight per plot as well as per plant were reduced with increase in sowing depth from 2 to 20 cm. Seedling emergence started earlier from large seeds and from shallow sowing. Establishment from large seeds of two varieties was better, especially for deep sowing and in clay soils. Several patterns of root and tiller development were observed at various sowing depths. Varietal differences in stand establishment under field conditions were not related to plant height. It was concluded that deep sowing beyond around 10 cm should be avoided because stand and plant vigour are adversely affected.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1977

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Allan, R. E., Pritchett, J. A. & Patterson, A. (1968). Juvenile and adult plant growth relationships in wheat. Crop Science 8, 176–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bhatt, G. M. & Qualset, C. O. (1976). Genotype environment interactions in wheat: effects of temperature on coleoptile length. Experimental Agriculture 12, 1722.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burleigh, J. R., Allan, R. E. & Vogel, O. A. (1965). Varietal differences in seedling emergence of winter wheats as influenced by temperature and depth of plants. Agronomy Journal 57, 195–8.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Chowdhry, A. R. & Allan, R. E. (1966). Culm length and differential development of coleoptile, root and subcrown internode of near-isogenic wheat lines. Crop Science 6, 4951.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fasoulas, A. K. (1963). EmbryoSizein Wheat. Publication of the Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, Aristotelion University of Thessaloniki, Greece.Google Scholar
Feather, J. T., Qualset, C. O. & Vogt, H. E. (1968). Planting depth critical for ehort-statured wheat varieties. California Agriculture 22, No. 9, 1214.Google Scholar
Hadjichristodoulou, A. (1974). Breeding barley for drought tolerance. Proceedings of the First FAO/SIDA Seminar on Improvement and Production of Field Food Crops for Plant Scientists from Africa and Near East. TF/INT 88 (SWE) FAO, 369–83.Google Scholar
Kolp, B. J., Miller, D. G. & Hwang, Shou-Jen (1967). Relation of coleoptile structure to coleoptile strength and seedling emergence under compacted soil conditions in six varieties of winter wheat. Crop Science 7, 413–17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Leonard, W. H. & Martin, J. H. (1963). Cereal Crops. New York: The Macmillan Company.Google Scholar
Tadmor, N. H. & Cohen, Y. (1968). Root elongation in the preemergence stage of Mediterranean grasses and legumes. Crop Science 8, 416–19.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xenophontos, E. (1975). Germination and growth potential of cereal seeds. M.Sc. dissertation. The University College of Wales, Aberystwyth.Google Scholar