Category Archives: Grass Seed Crops

International Herbage Seed Group Confererence Lanzhou, China

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The 8th IHSG Conference will be held in Lanzhou, Gansu Province, China from 21 to 24 June 2015.  The conference will be followed by a post-conference tour to the Gansu Hexi Corridor.

Here’s the schedule for the conference and post-conference tour:

Conference

  • 21 June (Sunday) – Conference Registration at Lanzhou University
  • 22-24 June (Monday-Wednesday) – Conference papers and posters, visit research site

Post-Conference Tour

  • 25-29 June (Thursday-Monday) Depart Lanzhou by train to Hexi Corridor, visit seed fields, processing plants and the famous Dunghuang Grottoes (Mogao Caves)
  • 30 June (Tuesday) – Delegates depart from Dunghuang Airport to Beijing and other cities

More details will follow at the IHSG site (link below) including the announcement of the conference theme and session topics as well as a call for abstracts.

International Herbage Seed Group

 

2013 IHSG Workshop New Zealand (TG Chastain photo)
2013 IHSG Workshop New Zealand (TG Chastain photo)

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Seed Production Field Days at OSU

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OSU is presenting two seed production field day offerings on the same day where the public can visit research farms and learn more about a variety of seed crops.  The field days provide a convenient choice for those located in either the western or eastern parts of the state.

May 28 – Hyslop Farm Field Day – Plant growth regulators and irrigation management in red clover seed crops, establishment and tillage systems in annual ryegrass, nitrogen effects on seed yield in yellow mustard, and more.  Starts at 8 AM and ends with lunch provided by the OSU Crops Club.

Located at Hyslop Crop Science Field Research Laboratory just off Highway 20 between Corvallis and Albany at 3455 NE Granger Corvallis, OR 97330.  Phone (541) 737-6067.  Hyslop Farm location

May 28 – Grass Seed Field Day – Various topics focused on grass seed production practices and pests including ergot, powdery mildew and stripe rust control, ammonia volatilization, and more.  Starts at 8:30 AM and ends at noon.

Located at OSU’s Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center, 2121 S. First Street, Hermiston, OR 97838.  Phone (541) 567-6337.

Hyslop Farm Field Day
Hyslop Farm Field Day

Spring irrigation in tall fescue and perennial ryegrass seed crops

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Thomas G. Chastain

Research conducted at Hyslop Farm has shown that spring irrigation in tall fescue and perennial ryegrass can increase seed yield.  The soil at Hyslop Farm is a medium textured soil (Woodburn silt loam) that is typical of many places in the valley where tall fescue and perennial ryegrass seed crops are grown.  This soil is deep and has good water holding capacity.

Tall fescue seed yield responses to spring irrigation varied among the cultivars tested.  Increased number of seed in tall fescue was most responsible for the seed yield improvement observed with spring irrigation.   Strategic timing of spring irrigation to support seed filling was more important for increasing seed yield than season-long irrigation.  Spring irrigation increased seed yield up to 39%.  First years stands of stands of tall fescue averaged 28% increase in seed yield with spring irrigation while second year stands averaged 11% increased yield. Continue reading →

Strobilurin-containing fungicides and seed yield in tall fescue

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A new article from our research and extension team on strobilurin-containing fungicide effects in tall fescue seed crops has just been published online in the journal Crop Management, a joint product of the American Society of Agronomy and the Crop Science Society of America.  This work was led by Nicole Anderson, an OSU Field Crops Agent.  The trials were conducted in grower fields from 2010 to 2012.

Stem rust in tall fescue (T.G. Chastain photo)
Stem rust in tall fescue (T.G. Chastain photo)

The study reports several important findings including:

  • Strobilurin-containing fungicides increased tall fescue seed yield by 17% across on-farm sites and years.
  • Tall fescue seed yield was increased even with low incidence and severity of stem rust.
  • Seed yield increases were attributable to a combination of increased seed number and seed weight.
  • Cleanout was reduced by up to 18% with the fungicide treatment.

Click on the citation below to go to the article:

Anderson, N.P., T.G. Chastain, and C.J. Garbacik.  2014.  Effect of a strobilurin containing fungicide applied at two timings on seed yield in tall fescue.  Crop Management 13: Published online April 14, 2014, doi:10.2134/CM-2013-0011-RS.

 

Plant growth regulators – lodging control agents for grass seed crops

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Thomas G. Chastain

Why is lodging important in grass seed crops?

Under certain conditions, the tiller cannot support the weight of the developing inflorescence and seed. The tiller lodges or falls to the ground, especially when there are high levels of nitrogen fertilizer and soil moisture present (Fig. 1). Both conditions are common in Oregon’s commercial grass seed production fields in the spring.

Figure 1. Lodging in ryegrass. (T.G Chastain photo)

Continue reading →

Grass and Forage Legume Seed Crop Production Statistics for 2013

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Bill Young, OSU professor emeritus and extension agronomist in seed production, has recently updated Oregon’s grass and forage legume seed crop production statistics for the 2013 crop year. This report provides a wealth of useful information about quantity of seed produced, crop yields, and economic value of these seed crops in Oregon.

Here is a summary of the findings from Dr. Young:

In brief, the combined value for all grass and legume seed crops in the 2012-13 crop year ($461,693,000) increased 13.6% over the value of production in 2011-12. Oregon growers harvested 415,916 acres of grass seed crops in 2013, an increase of just 7,916 acres (+1.9%) over last year. However, the estimated value of all grass seed species increased by 12.7% due to the improved prices received by grower.  Legume seed crop acreage declined slightly (-1.6%) from the 2011-12 crop year, but the $44,067,000 value marked a new high for this industry.  Further details are examined in Dr. Young’s “Narrative Discussion” and its accompanying tables.

Here is a link to the report on OSU’s Seed Crops page:

2013 Grass and Legume Seed Crop Estimates

You can follow the links on the Seed Crops page to find information about this past year’s seed crops and comparisons to previous crop years. Historical reports are also archived at this page.