PUBLICATION llOO APRIL 1961 ROW SPACING AFFECTS YIELDS OF FORAGE GRASSES IN THE BROWN SOIL ZONE OF SASKATCHEWAN 630.4 C212 P1100 1961 (1 965 print) c.2 ; CANADIAN AGRICULTURE LIBRARY E PUOTHEUUE CANADENNE OE L'AGRICUlTURE BRANCH • CANADA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE CONTENTS Page Grasses Tested and Methods Used 5 Yields and General Observations 5 Crested wheat grass ~ 6 Russian wild rye grass. 6 Brome grass . .. 9 Intermediate wheat grass ~ 9 Effects of Various Factors on Yields 10 Characteristics of Species 10 Soil Moisture 10 Availability of Nutrients 10 Some Practical Limitations 10 Conclusions and Recommendations. 11 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - Agriculture et Agroalimentaire Canada http://www.archive.org/details/rowspacingaffectOOcana ROW SPACING AFFECTS YIELDS OF FORAGE GRASSES IN THE BROWN SOIL ZONE OF SASKATCHEWAN M. R. Kilcher Experimental Farm Swift Current, Saskatchewan Perennial grasses usually yield much less under the semi-arid conditions in the brown soil zone of the Canadian prairies than in prairie areas that have more moisture. Any management practice that increases the yields even a little is important. Though grass-legume mixtures yield much better than forage grasses grown alone, many thousands of acres are still being seeded only with grass. If this practice continues, as is likely, the grasses should be managed so as to produce as much as possible under the existing conditions of soil and climate. One of the most neglected practices in managing perennial grasses for forage is the use of suitable spaces between the seeded rows. From 1938 to 1959, tests on spacings between rows for four common forage grasses in the brown soil zone were conducted at the Experimental Farm, Swift Current. This publication gives the results of these tests. Various factors affecting the yields are discussed, as well as some practical limitations in choosing the most suit- able spacing for each of the grasses. GRASSES TESTED AND METHODS USED Crested wheat grass, Russian wild rye grass, brome grass and intermediate wheat grass were the four species tested. Most of the tests lasted five years. To obtain results for different periods of years, all except intermediate wheat grass were included in more than one test. Yields of dry matter in each crop year, as well as general observations, were recorded. Each crop was seeded in drilled rows. The spaces between rows varied from 6 to 36 inches with 6-inch increases. In all tests, 30 seeds were sown per linear foot of row. All plots were seeded in the spring on dry land loam in summer fallow. YIELDS AND GENERAL OBSERVATIONS For each grass, the relation of yield to distance between rows was consist- ent from test to test for comparable test years. The yields of each grass are therefore expressed in averages for the various years of production. 2.0. I .0- 0.5- CRESTED WHEAT GRASS FIRST YEAR SECOND YEAR THIRD YEAR FOURTH YEAR FIFTH YEAR FIVE YEAR AVERA6E H r 6 18 30 12 24 36 6 18 30 12 24 36 6 18 30 12 24 36 6 18 30 12 24 36 6 18 30 12 24 36 6 18 30 12 24 36 INCHES BETWEEN ROWS Figure 1. — - Yields of dry matter per acre from crested wheat grass grown in rows seeded various distances apart, averages of four tests, 1938^42, 1941-45, 1944.48, 1954-59. Crested wheat grass. Except in the first crop year, crested wheat grass yielded more per acre in widely spaced rows than in rows 6 inches apart (Fig. 1). In the second year the stands with 12-inch spaces yielded 16 per cent more than those with 6 inches; in the fifth year they were 57 per cent more productive. For rows 18 and 24 inches apart the yields were similar to those for rows 12 inches apart. When rows were 30 or 36 inches apart, the yields were greater than for those 12 inches apart (Fig. 2). At these very wide spacings the amounts of stem growth and heading were increased. However, the crown growth of the plants, and some soil erosion between rows, soon caused undesirable ridging in the fields. Russian wild rye grass. — The narrowly-spaced rows gave the lowest yields of Russian wild rye grass (Fig. 3). In the first crop year the yields per acre for rows 6 inches apart were 25 per cent less than for rows 12 inches apart, and 40 per cent less than for those 18 inches apart. Throughout the succeeding crop years the yields from the rows 6 and 12 inches apart were each less than for rows 18 inches apart. For all five years, the yields for rows 30 and 36 inches apart averaged slightly less than for those 18 inches apart. Practically no weeds grew between the rows even when they were wide apart. However, the exposed soil between the widely spaced rows eroded somewhat, and this accelerated the build-up of plant crowns in the rows. Figure 2* — (on page J) Bottom to top, crested wheat grass at 6*, 12*, 18>, 24«, and 30-snch spacings between rows* Increasing the space between rows results in more grass growth but also more weeds* i Kw&*xr;i$r& ' ' i. ■''fflk j^.. » - ** «*■'*"_-> *'' _*? *< ^*** ;>■ /;" &>* J' ■ y: ' p^f ^ /* ' 4f* '/ j£ m m V 2.0-1 DC o < or ^ i-