| Abstract/Contents: | In experiments to improve oversowing as a means of grassland improvement, coating seeds of Vicia villosa with lime, peat moss powder or bentonite, but not with infusorial earth, using 3% methyl cellulose as sticker gave good germination. Solutions of 3% methyl cellulose, 13% gum arabic, 3% polyvinyl alcohol, 5% Doharon (a soil stabilizing agent), 30% Bond and 0.75% algin were compared as stickers when infusorial earth was the coating material; a combination of methyl cellulose with gum arabic gave the best result. The possibility of adding fertilizer to the coating material was investigated with red clover seeds. The addition of ammonium sulphate and KCl at 5% by weight of the coating material reduced germination; superphosphate, compound fertilizer (15-15-15) and dried poultry manure did not reduce germination at 5%, fused phosphate was safe up to 20% but was a poor pelleting agent because of its glassy character, and f.y.m. was safe up to 25%. Insecticides such as heptachlor and S-seven were harmless even when used as the sole coating material, and 20% Hg fungicide was tolerated. In experiments with 10 cool-temperate and 8 warm-temperate grasses and 10 legumes, seeds were coated with or without 5% compound fertilizer. Coating promoted germination in smooth brome, reed canarygrass, timothy, sorghum, Rhodes grass and Bermuda grass but results were poor in cocksfoot, tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass and Pennisetum glaucum (= P. americanum). Adding fertilizer did not reduce germination in smooth brome, timothy, Italian ryegrass, Rhodes grass and Bermuda grass, but adversely affected that of cocksfoot, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass and Kentucky bluegrass. Coating + fertilizer promoted germination of V. villosa, lucerne and Ladino clover but inhibited that of Lupinus luteus. F.en s. |
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