THE INFLUENCE OF FRUCTAN ON SEED PRODUCTION
In a perennial grass seed crop an early development of tillers is necessary for obtaining a high seed yield. Spring growth likely depends upon the amount of available energy arising from stored carbohydrates during autumn. In temperate grasses different fructans are used as the energy source. The amount of fructan available in early spring is related to the amount accumulated in autumn and the amount mobilized during winter. Optimising the amount of fructan incorporation during autumn might be important for the spring development of the crop in relation to the development of reproductive organs and hence seed yield.
The ability to incorporate fructan during fall seems to vary between varieties of the same grass species and between species. Additionally the distribution of fructan between root and top seems to change during fall and according to variety.
The influence of establishment method and fall management (cutting, straw cutting, burning, trimming) of the crop on fructan accumulation and the relationship between fructan content and the amount of tillers in fall is being investigated. However, samples are still being analysed. Therefore no results are included in this abstract, however a poster will present the preliminary data.