Effect of Spacing and Nitrogen-level on Floral Initiation in Cocksfoot (Dactylis glomerata L.)

Abstract

COCKSFOOT, like many perennial herbage grasses, is a long-day plant¹, and is reported to have an obligate winter requirement for cold and short days² or cold alone³, before floral initiation can occur. It has not been possible to satisfy this requirement artificially by cold or short-day treatment given to germinating seed or young seedlings, (Calder, D. M., and Cooper, J. P., unpublished data) although such treatment has been effective in Lolium and the winter cereals¹. Preliminary observations suggested that spacing of plants and nitrogen supply might have an overriding influence on flowering in cocksfoot and the following experiment was planned to investigate these effects.