Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture

Completed Competitive Grant

Development of dormancy breaking mechanisms in eastern gamagrass

Project ID: 2001-19

Abstract

Eastern gamagrass would be an excellent pasture grass, but producers have difficulty establishing a stand. Various techniques for solving the dormancy problems in eastern gamagrass were investigated and analyzed.

Key Question: What can be done to affect dormancy in eastern gamagrass?

Findings: If gibberellic acid (GA3) is added to stratification procedures for eastern gamagrass, it would reduce the amount of time needed to completely break dormancy to as little as three weeks from the six weeks that are currently needed. The seed resulting from these procedures would germinate more rapidly providing the potential for quicker stand establishment. Seed stratification with GA3 would be important for spring planting because stratified seed is required and eastern gamagrass is sensitive to soil drying that frequently occurs in late spring. This research has demonstrated through other studies that full eastern gamagrass stands are best achieved with fall planting. Stratification is not required for fall planting because winter conditions easily break eastern gamagrass seed dormancy in Iowa.

Lead investigator: Lance Gibson, ISU Agronomy, et al

Year of grant completion: 2004

This competitive grant project was part of the Leopold Center's Initiative.

Topics: Animal management and forage