Summary:Seedling establishment ofPennisetum macrourumwas studied in a series of glasshouse and field experiments. Maximum germination of 88 occurred at a constant temperature of 30C. In the glasshouse, highest seedling establishment was obtained from seeds buried 1 cm deep; it was less than 25 from seeds sown on the soil surface. Dormancy was induced in seeds buried 8 cm deep but only 6.4 remained viable after 6 months. Few viable seeds ofP. macrourumwere found in the soil and only one seedling was observed to establish in the field over a 20 month period. Up to 98 of seedlings transplanted into the field established successfully. The results suggest that reproduction by seed would not be a major problem in the control ofP. macrourum.
展开▼
