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The influence of sowing depth and seed press wheel weighting on seedling emergence of crisp lettuce

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 March 2009

D. C. E. Wurr  and
Jane R. Fellows
D. C. E. Wurr
Affiliation:
National Vegetable Research Station, Wellesbourne, Warwick, CV35 9EF
Jane R. Fellows
Affiliation:
National Vegetable Research Station, Wellesbourne, Warwick, CV35 9EF
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Summary

The effects on emergence and growth of crisp lettuce seedlings as a result of sowing seeds at different depths and pressing them into the furrow bottom with a weighted seed press wheel were examined in three similar experiments in 1982, 1983 and 1984. Sowing depth had a considerable effect on percentage seedling emergence and the spread of emergence times but the pattern of response varied from year to year and appeared to be related to differences in soil moisture content. The most uniform emergence and the highest level of emergence were achieved by sowing shallowly (< 10 mm) with rainfall almost immediately after sowing then keeping the soil moisture content close to field capacity for 2 days. When rainfall or irrigation were delayed, drilling 15–20 mm deep gave more consistent results. Effects on seedling weight and variability of weight were associated with the time and uniformity of seedling emergence. Later emerging seedlings were lighter and a wide spread of emergence times gave seedlings of variable weight. There was virtually no effect on emergence of using additional weights on a seed press wheel.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 104 , Issue 3 , June 1985 , pp. 631 - 636
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1985

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