Characteristics, properties, cultivation and utilization of bermudagrass
A species of the genus Cynodon in the grass family (Poaceae), scientific name Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pars., an overwintering annual herb. Also known as wiregrass and "xingyizhi". It is an excellent forage grass, turfgrass and soil-and-water conservation crop. It is distributed throughout the warm regions of the world; in China it is found south of the Yellow River basin.
Fibrous roots are fine and tough; it has rhizomes or stolons, with internodes of varying length; the part of the stem lying flat on the ground reaches more than 1 m in length and roots and branches at the nodes, while the upright part is 10-30 cm tall; leaves are short, linear, 1.5-3 cm long and 1.5-3 mm wide; the spike is 2-5 cm long, with 3-6 of them arranged in a digitate cluster at the top of the stem; spikelets are arranged on one side of the rachis, 2-2.5 mm long, containing one floret; the caryopsis is elliptical, about 1 mm long; the 1000-grain weight is about 0.13 g.
It prefers a warm, hot climate and slightly moist soil. It grows best in areas with a daily average temperature above 24°C. It is drought-tolerant and also tolerates prolonged waterlogging. It grows well in both acidic and alkaline soils, but grows best in low-temperature, well-drained fertile soil. Nitrogen fertilizer should be applied to poor, thin soils. The sowing period is best in spring; it can be sown directly with seed at a sowing rate of 5.3-7.5 kg per hectare. Broadcast sowing, followed by light harrowing and maintaining proper moisture, will bring about emergence. It can also be established by transplanting turf; the transplanting period is best in spring and summer. Dig up bermudagrass turf to a thickness of about 3 cm. Cut it into strips or blocks 20-30 cm wide and lay them on leveled ground; lay one strip of turf every 1 m, then tread it down firmly and irrigate, and it will readily establish.
Because it has well-developed rhizomes and stolons and is short in stature, it is most suitable for laying turf on streets, sports fields and embankments. Fresh grass contains 25.3% dry matter; the dry matter contains 14.62% crude protein, 2.37% crude fat, 29.25% crude fiber, 40.32% nitrogen-free extract and 13.44% ash.
Furrow-sowing of millet
A planting method in which millet seed is sown in shallow furrows opened in advance; also known as "yonggu" or "haogu", it evolved from the ancient "zuntian" (ditch field). It is a cultivation technique for lodging prevention and drought resistance. It can be adopted in areas of north China and northwest China with deep soil layers, high fertility and irrigation conditions. In arid and semi-arid regions it is also often used as an effective method for drought resistance and seedling preservation.
The key technical points are "plant disease-resistant varieties, sow in furrows, apply fertilizer in a concentrated way, plant densely in wide bands, level the furrows in stages, and build up soil into ridges." This makes millet "sown in the furrow and grown on the ridge." Before sowing, the seed is first selected with salt water, rinsed with clean water and dried, and the seed is treated with chemicals.
Open furrows and sow, applying fertilizer in a concentrated way. After the land is leveled, open furrows first, with a furrow spacing of 40 cm and a furrow depth of 15 cm. Apply fertilizer in a concentrated way in the furrows; after mixing the manure and soil evenly, level the bottom of the furrow. The sowing rate is 7.5 kg per hectare; after sowing, cover with 3-4 cm of soil and compact 1-5 times. For large-area furrow-sown millet, a suspended furrow-millet seeder can be used. Pulled by a 12-horsepower small tractor, it sows two furrows at a time, and the furrow spacing can be adjusted. Furrow opening, fertilizer application, sowing, soil covering and compaction are completed in one pass. It can sow 0.3 ha per hour.
Wide-band dense planting: on the basis of preserving seedlings, keep seedlings in wide bands and increase density. After the seedlings emerge, when the first true leaf unfolds, compact once; after 2-3 leaves, spray dimethoate to control insects; at 3-4 leaves, thin the seedlings, doing wide-band angled thinning, leaving 900,000-1,200,000 basic seedlings per hectare, so that the millet seedlings grow within the furrows.
Level the furrows in stages and build up soil into ridges. When the seedlings are 16-17 cm tall, apply organic fertilizer in the furrows and fill the furrows level with soil from the ridges in two passes. When the seedlings are 50-65 cm tall, apply nitrogen chemical fertilizer as a top dressing and, in two passes, build up soil around the root zone into ridges, so that the plants grow on the ridges.
The scientific reasons why furrow-sown millet increases yield are, first, strong roots and lodging prevention. Second, widening the row spacing and planting densely in wide bands. On the basis of concentrated fertilizer application and increased fertilizer, because the sowing band is relatively wide, although the population is increased, the plants are evenly distributed; combined with measures such as manual thinning and clearing the ridges, the development of individuals and the population is relatively coordinated, and the plants grow uniformly and consistently. The coefficients of variation for plant height, ear length and stem thickness are relatively reduced compared with flat-sown millet. Therefore, the light energy utilization rate of the population is relatively high.