Effect of a Micronutrient Fertilizer and Fungicide on the Germination of Perennial Ryegrass Seeds (<i>Lolium perenne</i> L.) in Field Conditions

Abstract

The aim of this research was to determine the effect of micronutrients and a fungicide on the germination of perennial ryegrass seeds. The experiment was conducted between 2016 and 2018 in Blizocin (51°22′ N, 17°09′ E), Poland. The first experimental factor was InnoFert Mikro, a micronutrient fertilizer used at doses of 0.5 and 1 L∙ha−1, while the second factor was the Soprano 125 S.C. fungicide used at the same doses. From each of the plots, 100 seeds were collected and placed on a Petri dish. Then, every day for 14 days, the plant germination was observed. The highest germination capacity of 95.3% was recorded for seeds from plots where combined full doses of the experimental factors were applied. This figure was 2% higher than for the control sample. The germination speed of the seeds from the above plot, determined by Maguire’s index, was the highest out of the other seed groups, although the seeds from the above plot had the longest average germination time. It was also noted that by increasing the dose of micronutrient fertilizer, the germination speed also increased. In the case of the fungicide, half a dose had a positive effect on germination, but increasing the dose to 1 L∙ha−1 resulted in fewer germinated plants when compared to the control sample.

Keywords

• grass
• two-factor experiment
• germination capacity
• Pieper’s index
• Maguire’s index