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Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2018, Vol. 27 ›› Issue (1): 195-203.DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2017197

• Orginal Article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Advances in seed breeding and production of Setaria sphacelata cv. Narok

ZHANG Mei-yan1, 2, XUE Shi-ming1, NAN Zhi-biao2, *   

  1. 1.Academe of Grassland and Animal Science, Kunming 650212, China;
    2.College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020, China
  • Received:2017-04-25 Revised:2017-07-25 Online:2018-01-20 Published:2018-01-20

Abstract: Setaria sphacelata cv. Narok has been cultivated extensively in tropical and subtropical areas around the world, and has favorable forage attributes of good palatability, regeneration, and persistence. It is tolerant to grazing, drought, cold, water logging, diseases, and insect attack, and so it has been widely grown as grassland for long-term grazing and cutting. Narok has a cultivation history of more than 30 years in China, and it is one of the elite cultivars for grassland establishment and improvement, karst rocky desert restoration, and herbivore production in Southern China. However, its disadvantages are its low seed yield and degraded genus characters. Therefore, our research goal is to improve the yield and quality of Narok seeds. In this paper, we discuss the utilization status, genus rejuvenation, and seed yield components of Narok, and describe some of the crucial technologies for Narok seed production, including fertilization, clipping, and seed harvesting. We conclude that further research should focus on the selection of high-quality plant materials, and on the optimization of fertilizer regimes, clipping, and seed harvesting technologies for the breeding and seed production of Narok. The results of this study provide technical support for the seed breeding and production of Narok in China.