Tropical pasture establishment, 5. Improved handling of chaffy grass seeds: options, opportunities and value [review]. [Workshop paper]
1993
Loch, D.S. (Queensland Dept. of Primary Industries, Gympie (Australia))
Examples are given of the structural diversity among chaffy grass seeds. The functions of hygroscopic awns and other appendages during establishment are examined, indicating situations where intact seeds (including chaffy appendages) should be sown, and others where structural modification to improve seed handling and distribution would enhance establishment. Processing methods to remove some or all of the chaffy appendages are reviewed. Machinery available includes hammer mills, de-bearders, brush polishers and de-awners, and cone, belt and filament threshers, as well as equipment for flame treatment and aerodynamic conditioning. Processing removes 40 percent or more of the original weight as inert matter. The advantages of higher seed quality and more uniform seed delivery during sowing, as well as the compensatory effect of lower seeding rates on costs per hectare, should be emphasised in price-sensitive markets. In some situations, artificial coatings applied to processed seeds may also facilitate sowing and improve the competitive ability of establishing seedlings.
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