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Tiller development and flowering in swards of Bmchiaria decumbens
Author(s) -
STUR W. W.,
HUMPHREYS L. R.
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
annals of applied biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.677
H-Index - 80
eISSN - 1744-7348
pISSN - 0003-4746
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7348.1987.tb04183.x
Subject(s) - raceme , tiller (botany) , biology , inflorescence , brachiaria , agronomy , botany , forage
SUMMARY Swards of Brachiaria decumbens were burnt and the development of tillers emerging 5 (T5) or 10 (T10) days later was studied. The stages of raceme initiation, spikelet initiation, spikelet differentiation and inflorescence exsertion occurred in 50% of tillers c. 14.5, 21, 26.5 and 59 days after tiller emergence respectively. Growth of T5 tillers was faster than that of T10 tillers, and raceme initiation occurred when T5 tillers were slightly longer and heavier than T10 tillers, making the external identification of early development events unreliable. Attention is directed to the large variability in the development of tillers emerging on the same day and to the need for better synchrony of raceme initiation as a basis for increased uniformity of inflorescence exsertion.