Optimal sowing depth for southeastern wildrye (Elymus glabriflorus)

Abstract

Southeastern wildrye (Elymus glabriflorus (Vasey ex L.H. Dewey) Scribn. & C.R. Ball [Poaceae]) is a native, cool-season, perennial grass that is commonly found along right-of-ways, woodland boundaries, and old fields across the Southeast, Midwest, and East Coast US. Recent interest in this species for forage plantings has generated the need to learn more about its propagation from seed, including appropriate sowing depth. We conducted greenhouse trials in 2011 and 2012; southeastern wildrye was sown in plastic trays at 5 depths (surface, 0.64, 1.27, 1.90, and 2.54 cm). Seedling counts completed 21 d after sowing showed 0.64 cm and 1.27 cm sowing depths produced a significantly greater number of seedlings compared with other treatments. Unlike some common warm-season grass species, southeastern wildrye was only slightly sensitive to deep sowing. Our finding that optimal sowing depth for southeastern wildrye is relatively shallow will simplify establishment of large plantings for this species since most conventional grass planting equipment is set to plant at similar shallow depths.