Bluegrass Seed Production in the Klamath Basin
R.L. Dovel and J. Rainey
Introduction
Over 540 million pounds of grass
seed are produced in Oregon each year,
with a value in excess of 192 million
dollars. Curtailment of field burning has
significantly impacted this important
industry. Alternative production sites are
actively being sought by seed companies
for species that are very dependent upon
burning for disease prevention, such as
bluegrass. Central Oregon is already a
significant producer of bluegrass seed.
The Klamath Basin is very similar to
central Oregon climatically, and could
also be a potential production site for
bluegrass seed.
There is a historical precedent for
the production of bluegrass in the region.
Bluegrass seed was first produced in the
Klamath Basin in 1926 by Ed Geary.
Reports indicate that seed size and
plumpness were excellent and seed
yields reached as high. as 1,000 lb/acre.
Seed production at the Geary ranch led
to the development of a variety marketed
as Geary Kentucky Bluegrass. No recent
data has been collected documenting
seed production of modern bluegrass
varieties in the Klamath Basin.
Procedures
An eight entry bluegrass variety
trial was established on August 16, 1993
at the Klamath Experiment Station
(KES). Plots were seeded at an
approximate rate of 4.5 lb seed/acre.
Plots measured 5x20 feet with a one-foot
border. Row spacing was one foot with 5
rows per plot. Seed was planted with a
Planet Junior planter at a depth of 1/4
inch or less. Plots were fertilized with a
broadcast application at a rate of 150
lb/acre 16-16-16 following planting.
Post-emergence broadleaf weed control
was accomplished by application of
bromoxynil at a rate of 0.38 lb ai/acre.
There was inadequate vernalization for
good seed production in 1994 due to late
planting. Seed production in 1995 was
not adequate for harvest due to
insufficient N fertilization in the fall of
1994.
In preparing for the 1996 seed
production year, 16-16-16 fertilizer was
applied at a rate of 312 lb/acre (50 lb
N/acre) on September 13, 1995.
Additional nitrogen was applied at 75 lb
N/acre on March 12, 1996, and 50 lb
N/acre on May 17. Bromoxynil was
applied at 0.38 lb ai/acre on May 15.
Plots were irrigated weekly with solidset sprinklers until three weeks prior to
harvest.
Results
The highest yielding entry was
Abbey. It produced over 1,000 lb/acre,
twice that of most other entries in the
trial. Ba 76-204 and Nottingham also
produced significantly higher yields than
other entries in the trial, producing 675
and 580 lb/acre, respectively. The
Associate Professor and Biological Sciences Research Technician III,
respectively, Klamath Experiment Station, Klamath Falls, OR.
Klamath Experiment Station
1 CG
average trial yield was 480 lb/acre. This
is lower than experienced in central
Oregon, where the average expected
yield is about 1,000 lb/acre. Yields in the
Klamath Basin would be expected to
increase as additional expertise is gained
and management is refined. Break-even
production levels in central Oregon,
assuming a $1.00/1b price for seed paid
to the farmer, is 570 lb/acre. Costs of
production should be similar in central
Oregon and Klamath County. It appears
that bluegrass seed production is a viable
alternative for farmers in the Klamath
Basin. Further research is warranted.
Table 1. Summary of Bluegrass Seed Production. Seed yield, seed weight, heading rating, plant
height, and panicle weight for 1996, and heading and maturity ratings for 1995 for Bluegrass
grown at Klamath Falls, OR.
1995
1996
Ten head
Plant Panicle
Variety/Selection
Seed
yield
height weight Heading' Maturity 2
weight Heading'
cm
gm
lb/A
gm
1 Abbey
2 Buckingham
3 Ba 91-025
4 Nottingham
5 Coventry
6 Ascot
7 Sidekick
8 Ba 76-204
Mean
LSD (0.05)
CV (%)
I
1019
233
220
580
1.3
1.4
0.7
1.0
8.3
4.8
3.3
7.8
51
44
61
47
6.6
8.0
7.1
7.1
4.0
3.5
4.3
2.5
3.8
4.5
8.5
2.8
339
428
344
675
0.9
0.8
1.0
1.1
5.0
4.0
5.8
8.3
54
43
43
50
6.8
6.4
7.6
7.6
4.8
6.3
5.5
2.8
7.0
7.5
4.3
1.5
480
182
26
1.0
0.3
3
5.9
2.2
25
49
12
17
7.2
0.9
9
4.2
2.0
• 32
5.0
2.0
28
/ Visual rating of heading from one to ten with ten being the best and one the worst.
Visual rating of maturity from one to ten with ten being the most mature and one the least mature.
2/
156
Klamath Experiment Station