Winter establishment of eastern gamagrass in the southern Piedmont

Eastern gamagrass [Tripsacum dactylaides (L.)] has the potential to contrib ute as a warm-season component in grazing systems and conservation planting s, but its seeds exhibit a strong dormancy that reduce germination and succ essful stand establishment, A 3-yr study was conducted on Typic Hapudult so ils to determine the influence of fungicide seed treatment [Captan (N-trich loromethylthio-4-cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboximide). 5.6 g a.i. kg(-1) seed] an d winter planting date (November-February) on germination, stand establishm ent, and herbage mass of eastern gamagrass, Eastern gamagrass was planted w ith and without fungicide seed treatment at monthly intervals between Novem ber and May, The May plantings (stratified and nonstratified seeds) served as controls. Fungicide seed treatment had no effect on initial or subsequen t stands of eastern gamagrass. Winter plantings resulted in initial stands that were equal or superior to stands established from planting stratified seeds in May (5.9 vs. 3.4 plants m(-2), respectively). Significant seed car ry-over effects were observed from spring (April and May) plantings, with a n average of 8.8 seedlings m(-2) germinating in spring of the second year c ompared with 1.7 seedlings m-2 for winter treatments. Herbage mass for spri ng plantings (March. April, and May) was depressed up to 75% compared,vith winter plantings, Planting in Nor ember, December, or January is an effecti ve alternative to planting stratified seeds in May in the southern Piedmont .