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Production Papers

Trinexapac-Ethyl and Open-Field Burning Maximize Seed Yield in Creeping Red Fescue

^a Dep. of Crop and Soil Science, Oregon State Univ., 107 Crop Science Bldg., Corvallis, OR 97331
^b Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Pontificia Univ. Católica Argentina, Freire 183, C1426AVC Buenos Aires, Argentina
^c Marion County Extension Office, Oregon State Univ., 3180 Center NE Rm. 1361, Salem, OR 97301

^* Corresponding author (maria.zapiola{at}oregonstate.edu)

Received for publication July 28, 2005. Open-field burning, an effective and economical practice for increasing seed yield in creeping red fescue (Festuca rubra L.), has been restricted in Oregon due to air quality and safety issues. The use of the plant growth regulator trinexapac-ethyl [4-(cyclopropyl--hydroxy methylene)-3,5-dioxocyclohexane carboxylic acid ethyl ester] (TE) was evaluated as a potential alternative to open-field burning for maximizing yield in creeping red fescue over 4 yr. Fall and spring applications of TE in combination with residue management practices, open-field burning and mechanical removal (flailing) of post-harvest residue, were evaluated to determine potential effects on seed yield and dry matter partitioning. Spring TE applications in burn plots increased cumulative seed yield by 38% over the check. In flail plots, spring TE applications increased yield by 30 and 16% over the burn check for the first 2 yr, but no response was observed later. Open-field burning was critical for maintaining high yields in the last 2 yr. Although late-spring TE applications in flail plots resulted in cumulative yields comparable to those of burn check plots, yields were 34% lower than those of burn, TE spring-treated plots. Fall TE applications had no consistent effect on seed yield. Therefore, neither spring nor fall TE applications are an effective alternative to replace open-field burning in creeping red fescue seed production over the life of the stand if seed yield is to be maximized. Spring TE applications plus open-field burning maximized seed yield and had the greatest harvest index, resulting in a more efficient crop.

Abbreviations: DM, dry matter • GDD, growing degrees days • HI, harvest index • RM, residue management • TE, trinexapac-ethyl