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Abstracts
Proceedings
SEED PRODUCTION OF MEDICAGO POLYMORPHA L.:
EFFECT OF DIFFERENT PLANT DENSITIES AND CROP MANAGEMENT
C. Porqueddu, G. Fara and S. Caredda
CNR - Centro Pascoli Mediterranei, V. De Nicola, 071 00 Sassari, Italy
Burr medic seed crop performance was assessed during two years in Sardinia. An experiment was carried out to examine the effect of different seed rates (5,10 and 15 kg ha-1), herbicide application (sprayed vs. unsprayed) and forage utilization (cut vs. uncut treatment at pre-flowering) on M. polymorpha var. vulgaris cv 'Anglona". The trial was set out in a four replicates split-split-plot design. Potential seed yield (PSY) was high and ranged from 447 to 652 g m-2 in the first and second year respectively. No. racemes m-2 was the component more correlated with PSY. The highest PSY (l.092 g m-2) was associated with seed rate of 10 kg ha-1 without spray and cut. Actual seed yield (ASY) at 5 kg ha-1 seed rate was significantly lower while any difference was observed between 10 and 15 kg ha-1. ASY was correlated to the No. pods m-2. Chemical weed control had a clear depressive effect on burr medic vegetative growth. Cut affected negatively the seed production in the second year.
Keywords: Burr medic; seed rates; weed control; pre-flowering utilization; potential seed yield; actual seed yield.