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• Factors affecting the thousand-grain weight of three grass cultivars

  15-21

  Anita Lepossa

  Adrienn Halasz

  Laszlo Menyhart

  Views:

  83

  We analyzed the effects of temperature, precipitation and the age of the mother plants on the change of an important seed quality parameter, the thousand-grain weight (TGW) in the case of three Hungarian cultivars of different grass species (’Tomaj’ red fescue, ’K-50’ tall fescue and ’K-51’ smooth brome). Examining the seed samples of six years from the stocks maintained at the MATE Georgikon Campus (Keszthely), we found that the age of the stocks did not affect the value of TGW. The age of the stocks did not affect the TGW. Only the heat sum lower than average showed negative effect to the TGW in the linear model applied the heat sum and total precipitation calculated between 1st of May to the harvest date, and the age of the stocks as independent factors. Precipitation had a positive but weak effect, the amount of precipitation calculated from 1st of November of the previous year to harvest correlated better with TGW. We also found that proper purification and the TGW-data correction for the same moisture content are necessary in such a comparative study of TGW values of grass seeds.

• Prospect of extending the grazing season on tall fescue pasture

  7-12

  Marta Bajnok

  Julianna Tasi

  Views:

  48

  In Central European relation, no significant experience is available regarding the yield and quality of winter harvest pastures. The aim of our research was to collect information about the effect of pre utilisation (July, June, and August) and winter harvest date (November, December, January) on the quantity and quality of fodder The examined values were the dry matter yield, energy-, ADF-ADL and ergosterol contents of the yield. We found that: The shorter regeneration period of the between harvests resulted in lower dry matter yields, but also in higher energy concentration and lower ergosterol concentration. The yield and the energy concentration decreased whereas the ADF-ADL and ergosterol concentrations increased with the progress of winter. The fodder harvested in November produced the best results in terms of yield quantity and quality. Thus, in the experiment conducted in Festuca arundinacea stands, the highest yield and energy values were gained by harvesting in November, regardless of pre-utilisation. Despite the cold and the long-lasting snow cover, the energy values of the samples harvested in December and January showed no significant decrease. Regarding fodder quantity and quality, the weather conditions were more important than the frequency and time of harvesting Thus, under continental climate, i.e. in places like Hungary, extensive utilisation, until the end of November or the beginning of December, is recommended. 

• Flow cytometric genome size estimation of Hungarian grass varieties

  9-16

  Lepossa Anita

  Dora Dallos

  Szabolcs Nagy

  Views:

  23

  In Keszthely, the breeding of grass species have several decades long history. Among other things, the aim of the maintenance work of the registered varieties is to preserve the ploidy levels that have been reported in the variety descriptions. Flow cytometry is a fast, modern tool for examining plant DNA content. In our pilot study, we compared the genome size of the four grass species maintained at the MATE Georgikon Campus with the data of known samples of similar ploidy levels published for the given grass species in the international database. Our results showed a high degree of agreement with the theoretically expected values, supporting the applicability of flow cytometry in plant breeding and in variety maintenance.

• Spring phonological development of grasses

  89-93

  Geza Nagy

  Views:

  92

  The paper starts with those arguments which underline the scientific importance of the research program entitled “Factors determining forage quality of grasses”. It summarizes the maint features of spring grass development based on the international scientific literature. It describes the methods and material of the research program.
  Based on the results of the 2004 research it presents data for tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea), brome grass (Bromus inermis), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) and thimothy (Phleum pratense) on
  - number of active leaves, at given dates,
  - the sum of the length of active leaves per shoot at given dates,
  - total number of leaves/per shoot developed until the end of the investigations,
  - crude protein and netto energy content of the grasses in the beginning in the middle and in the end of investigation period.
  Conclusions from the research results:
  - the phonological development of grasses is species-specific,
  - after the start of the generative development the active leaf area per shoot is declining,
  1 A dolgozat az MTA Gyepgazdálkodási Bizottságának 2005. július 09-én Beregszászon (Ukrajna) rendezett tudományos előadás bővített változata
  decline in crude protein content of grasses between middle April and June is continues while netto energy content declines between middle April and middle May, but it does not change after words.

• Some new aspects in the evaluation of grazing animal production

  41-46

  Geza Nagy

  Views:

  53

  The first part of this review papers presents the history of tall fescue endophyte toxicosis, which used to be a real constraint on grazing beef industry in southern US. The second part reviews some up-dated scientific publications, dealing with vitamins, fats and fatty acids in grass, grass products as well as in animal products produced on these feedstuffs. The papers cited prove that inclusion of grass or conserved (hay, silage) grass in the diets for cattles (beef and dairy) pigs or poultry (broiler chicken and leying han):

  - reduces the fat content of the body
  - improves some vitamin contents of animal products (milk, butter, meat, eggs)
  - improves the unsaturated fatty acid contents of the same animal products.

  The consumption of these high quality animal products consequently may contribute to better human health status of consumers. 

• The effects of fertilization on a 6 years old established grassland

  19-30

  Imre Kadar

  Imre Vinczeffy

  Peter Ragalyi

  Views:

  42

  The effect of different N, P and K supply levels and their combinations were examined in the 33rd year of a long-term fertilization experiment on the yield and mineral element content of a 6 years old established all-grass sward in 2006, with seed mixture of eight grass species. The trial was established on a calcareous chernozem soil. The soil of the growing site contained around 3% humus, 5% CaCO3, 20-22% clay in the ploughed layer and was originally moderately well supplied with available K, Mg, Mn and Cu and poorly supplied with P and Zn. The trial included 4N×4P×4K=64 treatments in 2 replications, giving a total of 128 plots. The fertilizers applied were Ca-ammonium nitrate, super phosphate and potassium chloride. The groundwater table was at a depth of 13-15 m and the area was prone to drought. The 1st cut was made on 08th June, the 2nd one on 11th September. During the vegetation period of 8.5 months in 2006, the site had a total of 397 mm precipitation. The lay-out, method and main results of the trial were published earlier (Kádár, 2004, 2008; Kádár és Győri, 2004, 2005). Main conclusions of this study are as follows:

  1. The 1st cut hay yield gave the ¾ of the total yield. Highest yields were reached with the 200 kg/ha/year N-fertilization on soil well supplied with P (Ammonium-lactate soluble P2O5: 214 mg/kg). The yield of NP control plots increased from 1.5 t/ha to about 7.5 t/ha as a function of the N×P positive interaction. The rising P supply alone was not able to enhance the yield, however the N fertilization gave 3.5 t/ha hay surplus even in the P-control treatments. N and P fertilization together resulted in 6.0-6.5 t/ha yield surpluses. The effect of K fertilization also reached 1 t/ha on the NP levels where the ammonium-lactate soluble K2O content fell below 150 mg/kg.
  2. The 2nd cut hay gave 0.5 t/ha on the NP-control plots unfertilized for 33 years, and 2.5 t/ha on the 300 kg/ha/year N treatment with well P-supply. The two cuts together resulted in yield levels between 2-10 t/ha according to the extreme NPK supply. In this year, with relatively good amount of precipitation, the hay yield surpluses for 1 kg N were 47-33-23 kg for the 100-200-300 kg/ha treatments.
  3. The C/N ratio of the 1st cut was narrowed (from 52 to 24) with N-supply and the concentration of N as well as most of the cations increased with the rising N fertilization. In the low yield of the 2nd cut the elements, metals were accumulated. The P, S and Sr were enriched in hay as a result of rising P supply, as superphosphate contains these elements. Antagonistic effect of P predominated in the uptake of other elements, metals (Na, Zn, Cu, Mo, Cr, Co). K content of the hay was lifting while other elements were dropping with the increasing K fertilization partly as a result of dilution effect (N, P, S) and mainly because of cation antagonism (Ca, Mg, Na, Sr). K-B antagonism also appeared.
  4. The N×K interactions resulted in 2-fold Sr and 18-22 fold Na content changes while N×P caused 18-22 fold changes in Mo contents, especially at the 2nd cut. As it can be seen, fertilization can have drastical effects on soil and crops. The induced element deficiencies or oversupplies can lead to diseases, disturbances in the metabolism of animals, so the soil and fodder analyses are necessary.
  5. Considering the leaf diagnostical data, the satisfactory level will be at 200 kg/ha/year N supply and 150 mg/kg ammonium-lactate soluble P2O5 and K2O level or above. The S, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn supply were satisfactory even at the control plots, while the Zn, Cu and B levels showed deficiency. The P/Zn and K/B ratios became adversely wider in some treatments, as well as the narrowing of the Cu/Mo ratio denotes Cu deficiency and Mo oversupply.
  6. The amount of elements uptaken by hay as a sum of the two cuts and as a function of the supply/yield varied between the following values in kg/ha: 17-163 N; 36-122 K; 9-48 Ca; 6-17 P; 4-15 S; 3-14 Mg; 0,3-8,0 Na; 0,2-1,4 Fe; 0,2-0,9 Al and Mn. The other elements showed the following uptake: Zn 33-194, Sr 28-141, Ba 5-46, Cu 5-39, B 5-26, Mo 3-6 g/ha.
  7. The botanical composition was drastically modified by the aging of the grass and the nutrient supply. Only three species remained out of the eight sown species and one immigrated. Coverage of the tall fescue was between 21-70% according to the N×P supply and 44% as average; coverage of cocksfoot varied between 4-24% depending on the treatment and 18% as an average; coverage of crested wheatgrass was between 0-28% and 9% as an average; the immigrant smooth brome covered 0-24% and 9% as an average; Weed cover was 3-4% as an average at the 1st cut. Weeds thrived mainly on those areas where the grass thinned away (extreme NP-deficiency or oversupply). The total plant coverage on NP-deficient soil was about 50%, while on treatments well supplied with NP it amounted 95-97%.