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SEEDS

Environmental Influences on Seed Quality of Windmillgrass Ecotypes in South Texas

^a Inst. Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales Agricolas y Pecuarias, Campo Exp. El Verdineño, Km. 7.5 Carr. Navarrete-Sauta, Sauta, Nayarit, Mexico
^b Forage Physiology and Management, Texas A&M Univ. Agric. Res. Stn., Beeville, TX 78102-9410
^c Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Res. Inst., Texas A&M Univ., Kingsville, TX 78363-8202
^d Animal & Wildlife Sci. Dep., MSC 228, Texas A&M Univ., Kingsville, TX 78363-8202
^e USDA-NRCS, E. Kika de la Garza Plant Materials Center, Kingsville, TX 78363. At the time of the study, the senior author was a Ph.D. student in Wildlife Program at Texas A&M Univ., Kingsville, TX. This is a Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Res. Inst. manuscript 06-125

^* Corresponding author (poncho.ortega{at}tamuk.edu).

Hooded windmillgrass (Chloris cucullata Bisch.) and shortspike windmillgrass (C. subdolichostachya Muell.) are native grasses with potential for restoration of wildlife habitat. This study was conducted to characterize variability in windmillgrass seed quality as affected by temperature and precipitation. Seed-fill was superior in 2005 with 18% compared with 10 and 5% obtained in 2003 and 2004, respectively. Hooded ecotypes had higher seed-fill with 17% compared with 8% in shortspike ecotypes. No differences were found in seed viability among years, species, or ecotypes. Average seed dormancy was greatest in 2005 and 2003 with 82 and 81%, respectively, compared with 75% for 2004. Shortspike 9085283 (S-283) and 9085260 (S-260) ecotypes showed greater seed dormancy with values of 94 and 89%, respectively, compared to 73 and 62% for Hooded 9085313 (H-313) and 9085301 (H-301), respectively. Seed germination was highest in 2005 (83%), and the lowest (71%) in 2004. The H-313 and H-301 ecotypes showed the greatest seed germination with 86 and 83%, respectively, compared with 69 and 67% obtained by S-283 and S-260, respectively. We concluded that windmillgrasses are well adapted to variable environments and even when variability existed seed quality was acceptable.

Abbreviations: H301, hooded 9085301 • H-313, hooded 9085313 • PMC, Plant Materials Center • S-260, shortspike 9085260 • S-283, shortspike 9085283

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Received for publication June 5, 2007.