GREEN FOXTAIL: SEED DORMANCY, GERMINATION AND GROWTH

Abstract

Green foxtail seed exhibited complete or near-complete dormancy when freshly harvested. This dormancy was overcome most readily during moist storage at 6 C for three to six weeks. Seed germination occurred over a wide range of temperature, but most rapidly at or above 25 C. Seedlings emerged readily from planting depths up to 8 cm. Plants emerging as late as the end of July could still produce seeds during the same season. Implications of the findings for green foxtail control are discussed. Severely restricted growth of green foxtail under reduced temperature and light intensity is considered to account for at least part of the reported low competitive efficiency of green foxtail infestations in field crops in western Canada.