Effects of Planting Date, Harvest Date, and Environmental Conditions on Germination of Forage Kochia Accessions

Forage kochia is used to re-seed areas in harsh environments that have been infested by annual weeds or disturbed by repetitive fires. It is an introduced perennial semi-shrub that is valuable to livestock and wildlife as a forage. The seed of forage kochia is very unpredictable and successful establishment in areas of low precipitation where it is utilized has often been erratic. Forage kochia seeding failures are costly and leave the land vulnerable to further degradation and erosion. This study was conducted to investigate how germination of forage kochia is affected by different harvest and planting dates, age of seed, type of forage kochia, and weather. This information will be useful to increase the understanding of the germination characteristics of forage kochia and hopefully increase successful plantings. Results from this study show that successful establishment of forage kochia is affected by many factors related to seed maturity, viability, and the environment required for germination. Harvesting before the seed is mature decreases seed viability. Using fresh, recently harvested seed, as opposed to cold-stored year-old seed for planting, increases the probability of establishment significantly. Gray type forage kochia has larger seed and germinates at higher rates than green type forage kochia. Besides using quality seed, this study demonstrated that planting early in January and February, when cooler temperatures and moisture are prevalent, resulted in the highest germination. Harvesting seed soon after it matures and planting fresh seed early when conditions are favorable will result in improved success of forage kochia plantings