EMERGENCE OF ALTAI WILD RYEGRASS AND OTHER GRASSES AS INFLUENCED BY DEPTH OF SEEDING AND SOIL TYPE

Altai wild ryegrass (Elymus angustus Trin.), bromegrass (Bromus inermis Leyss.), tall wheatgrass [Agropyron elongatum (Host.) P.B.], and Russian wild ryegrass (Elymus junceus Fisch.) were seeded at depths of 3, 5, 7 and 9 cm in clay, clay loam, loam and loamy sand. Basically, the species reacted similarly within or between soil types, although top growth of all species was slower in the saline clay. Emergence of Altai wild ryegrass compared with that of other species when shallow-seeded, but exceeded that of all other species when deep-seeded. Emergence of Altai wild ryegrass from 9 cm was half that from the shallow depths, while the other species did not emerge at all from this depth. Its most important establishment attribute was its tolerance to deep seeding in a range of soil types.