Reproductive Initiation, Closing Dates, Nitrogen Requirements and Harvesting of Smooth Brome cv. Grasslands Tiki

Reproductive initiation, closing dates, nitrogen requirements and optimum harvest time were investigated for seed production of Grasslands Tiki smooth brome (Bromus inermis Leyss.) in the South Island of New Zealand. Reproductive initiation began in late June, spikelet initiation in mid-September and ear-emergence in mid­October. Seed yield was not affected detrimentally by mowing to 5 cm in mid-September but decreased 24% by mowing in mid-October. Seed yield tended to increase with increasing amounts of N. However, although the highest seed yields were achieved with 50 kg/ha of N in autumn plus I 00 or 150 kg/ha in spring, they did not differ significantly from the yield from 100 kg N/ha applied in spring. Optimum harvest was 21-25 days after anthesis.