Evaluation location: Nebraska, United States
The seed lots of the introductions used in these studies were obtained from the USDA Regional Plant Introduction Station at Ames, Iowa (Skrdla et al., 1976). Lincoln smooth bromegrass was used as a check in both the smooth bromegrass and the meadow bromegrass experiments. Seeds of the introductions and Lincoln were started in a greenhouse in February 1976 and transplanted into a nursery at the Mead Field Laboratory, Mead, Nebr., on 2, 3 June 1976. The smooth bromegrass and meadow bromegrass introductions were in separate areas of same nursery. The herbicides used were DCPA and 2,4-D. Dates and rates for fertilizer applications were as follows: 1 September 1976, 112 kg/ha N; 28 September 1976, 17 kg/ha P; 1 April 1977, 123 kg/ha N and 13 kg/ha P; 24 August 1977, 56 kg/ha N; 26 April 1978, 70 kg/ha N. The nursery was mowed in the early spring of each year to remove aftermath from the previous year. The nursery was also roto-tilled with a heavy duty rototiller the spring of 1977 and 1978 to cut all plants back to a uniform size of 0.5 x 0.5 m or 0.25m2. Individual plants were essentially microplots. Data were not collected during the year of establishment but it was observed that many of the accessions flowered in the establishment year. In 1977, heading date was scored on most individual plants in replicate 1 of the smooth bromegrass experiment and in 1978 on all plots in both experiments on a plot basis. Heading date was the day when two or more panicles per plant were emerging from the boot. The plants were scored for heading date on 12 and 24 May 1977 and on 26 May 1978. Introductions were scored as being earlier of later in maturity that Lincoln, which headed on 12 May 1977 and on 25 May 1978. In 1977, panicle and canopy height were measured on each plant in both experiments just before harvest.
Excel file with the 1977 and 1978 data.