This dissertation has been 65—3821 microfilmed exactly as received BAINS, Darshan Singh, 1921- LODGING IN SPRING OATS. The Ohio State University, Ph.D., 1964 Economics, finance University Microfilms, Inc., Ann Arbor, Michigan LODGING IN SPRING OATS DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Darshan Singh Bains M.Sc., (Agr.) ****** The Ohio State University 196k Approved by /ft. Adviser Department of Agronoi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I wish to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. Dale A. Ray for his continuous guidance, encouragement and help extended to me generously throughout the conduct of this study. My thanks are also due to Dr. 0. W. Volk, Dr. P. E. Smith, Dr. J. W. Burley and Mr. Albert E. Beardsley and other members of the Agronomy Department for their efforts in providing necessary facilities and counsel in conducting these investigations. Special gratitude is also expressed to Dr. J. B. Jones of the Agronomy Department, Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station, Wooster, Ohio, for the help in chemical analysis of the plant material. 1 am indeed grateful to the Agency for International Develop­ ment, the United States of America, and the Government of Punjab (India) who made it possible for me to spend the last two years at the Ohio State University for furtherance of my studies. Finally I am indebted to my wife and other family members who kept their problems to themselves, but shared with me their patience and courage during my stay in the United States Of America. (ii) VITA March 19, 1921 Born - Sarhali, Punjab, India 191*2 . B.Sc.(Agr.) Punjab University 19UU . M.Sc.(Agr.) Punjab University 191*5-191*6 Agricultural Assistant Extension Service 191*6-1951 Manager, Experimental Fruit Farm, Palampur, Punjab 1952-1961 Lecturer, Agronomy Section, Govt. Agricultural College, Ludhiana, Punjab 1961-1961* Assist. Professor of Agronomy Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, Punjab FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: Agronomy Studies in Techniques with Field Plot Bata and Experimental Designs. Professors Dale A. Ray and P. E. Smith Soil Fertility. Professors E. 0. McLean and F. L. Himes Plant Physiology. Professors C. A. Swanson and J. W. Burley Plant Morphology. Professor G. W. Blaydes Plant Anatomy. Professor R. A. Popham Plant Genetics. Professor E. F. Paddock (iii) CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS............................................. ii VITA ...................................................... ill LIST OF TABLES.............................................. vti UST OF ILLUSTRATIONS..................................... xiii INTRODUCTION ............................................. 1 UTERATUHE REVIEW ......................................... 3 Chemical Composition and Lodging of Plants ............ 3 Soil Fertilization and Plant L o d g i n g .................. 1* Measuring Resistance to Lodging... ..................... 6 Morphological Characters and Lodging .................. 8 EXPERIMENTAL METHODS AND MATERIALS..... ....................... li+ Experiment I ........................................... Til. Spring Oat Varieties ..............................lli Rates of Fertilization ........ * ................. l£ Heading D a t e ....................................... 16 Straw Strength..................................... 16 Degree of Lodging ............................... 17 Number of T i l l e r s ................................. 17 Height of Plants ............................17 Number of Nodes and Length, of Internodes............. 17 iv CONTENTS (Continued) Page Y i e l d ......................................... 17 Test W e i g h t ................. 17 Experiment II ..................................... 18 Rates of Fertilization ....................... 18 Inducement of Lodging ....................... 19 Width of C u l m ................................. 19 Weight of Shoot and Root ...................... 21 Chemical Composition of Top and Basal Portions of Oat Culm ................... 21 EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS AND DIS C U S S I O N..................... 22 Resistance to Lodging ............................. 22 Degree of Lodging ................................. 22 Height of Plants ................................. 26 Number of Tillers ................................. 30 Number of Nodes ................................. 30 Length of Internode ............................... 3k Culm W i d t h ......................................... 37 Heading D a t e ....................................... liO Yield U0 Test Weight ....................................... kS v CONTENTS (Continued) Page Weight of 100 Seeds ............................. k9 Weight of Plant Tops andRoots and the Top-Root Ratio . $1 Chemical Composition of the Cu l m ................... .. 57 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS.............................. 79 APPENDIX ................................................. 8i* LITERATURE CITED ......................................... 110 vi LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1 Resistance to lodging as influenced by fertilizer treat­ ment in three varieties of spring oats in the field, 1963 . 23 2 Angle in degrees of lodging in spring oat varieties in the field, 1963 ............................ 2i* 3 Degree of lodging as influenced by fertilizer treatment in three spring oat varieties in the field, 1963 25 U Angle in degrees of recovery from lodging of spring oat varieties in the field, 1963......................... 27 5 Angle in degrees of recovery from lodging of spring oats as influenced by fertilizer treatments in the field, 1963 • 28 6 Plant height as influenced by fertilizer treatment in three varieties of spring oats in the field, 1963 ........ 29 7 Number of tillers as influenced by fertilizer treatments > in the greenhouse, 1 9 6 U ............................. 31 8 Number of tillers as influenced by fertilizer treatments on three varieties of spring oats in the field, 1963 . 32 9 Number of nodes as influenced by the fertilizer treatments on three varieties of spring oats, 1963 ................. 33 10 Average length of first and second internodes from the top of plants in three spring oat varieties as influenced by fertilizer treatments in the field, 1963 35 11 Average length of fourth and fifth internodes from the top of plants in three spring oat varieties as influenced by fertilizer treatments in the field, 1963 36 12 Culm diameter as influenced by fertilizer treatment and induced angle of lodging in the greenhouse, 1961j. .... 33 13 Culm diameter as influenced by fertilizer treatment of the plants grown in the greenhouse, 196k • .......... 39 vii LEST OF TABLES (Continued) Table Page lU Heading date as influenced by fertilizer treatments in three varieties of spring oats in the field, 1 9 6 3 ............ Ul 15 Heading date of spring oats as influenced by fertilizer treatments in the field, 1963 ............................... 1*2 16 Heading date of spring oats as influenced by fertilizer treatments in the greenhouse experiment, 1961*.................1*3 17 Average yield in bushels per acre as influenced by fertilizer treatments in three varieties of spring oats, 1963 1*1* 18 Average yield of spring oats in bushels per acre as influenced by fertilizer treatments in the field, 1963 I46 19 Test weight in pounds per bushel as influenced by fertilizer treatments in three varieties of spring oats in the field, 1963................................................ 1*7 20 Test weight of spring oats in pounds per bushel as Influenced by fertilizer treatments in the field, 1963 ..................1*8 21 Weight per hundred seeds a3 influenced by fertilizer treat­ ments in three varieties of spring oats in the field, 1963 . 50 22 Weight per hundred seeds in grains of spring oats as influenced by fertilizer treatments in the field, 1963 52 23 Total shoot weight in grams per pot as influenced by fertilizer treatments and induced angle of lodging in the greenhouse, 1961* 53 2h Total shoot weight in grams per pot as influenced by fertilizer treatments in the greenhouse, 1961*......................... 51* 25 Total root weight in grams per pot as influenced by fertilizer treatments and induced angle of lodging in the greenhouse, 1961*55 viii LEST OF TABLES (Continued) Table Page 26 Total root weight in grains per pot as influenced by fertilizer 56 treatment in the greenhouse, 1961* ........................... 27 Top-root ratio as influenced by fertilizer treatment and induced angle of lodging in the greenhouse, 1961*. ....... 58 28 Phosphorus distribution in the oat culm as influenced by fertilizer treatment and induced angle of lodging in the greenhouse, 1961i......................................... 60 29 Potassium distribution in the oat culm as influenced by fertilizer treatment and induced angle of lodging in the greenhouse, 1961*......................................... 61 30 Calcium distribution in the oat culm as influenced by fertilizer treatment and induced angle of lodging in the greenhouse, 1961*........................................... 63 31 Zinc distribution in the oat culm as influenced by fertilizer treatment and induced angle of lodging in the greenhouse, 1961*.................................................... 61* 32 Copper distribution in the oat culm as influenced by fertilizer treatment and induced angle of lodging in the greenhouse, 1961*............................................ 66 33 Iron distribution in the oat culm as influenced by fertilizer treatment and induced angle of lodging in the greenhouse,