Establishing field stands of Russian dandelion (Taraxacum Kok-saghyz) from seed in southern Ontario, Canada

Abstract

Taraxacum Kok-saghyz (L.E. Rodin) (TKS) is a natural source of rubber. There is a rising interest in TKS establishment as a new crop in Ontario. Trials were conducted at Simcoe and Guelph, Ontario between 2013 and 2014 to explore the possibility of establishing TKS plants from seed in fields in Ontario. The effects of seeding depth, watering regimes, polymer, and covering mulch on the recruitment of TKS were explored. It was found that TKS displays very low field recruitment levels regardless of treatment. KNO3 did not have any significant effect on TKS seed germination. Seedling emergence was greatest when seeds were placed on the soil surface and decreased with increasing seeding depth. Two years of field experiments highlighted that TKS seedlings recruit better in moderate conditions when the temperature is optimum for TKS germination (warm but not hot, <25 °C). TKS seedlings recruited better at Simcoe (with a sandy soil type) than at Guelph (with a loamy soil type). Overall, however, field recruitment from seed was low (15% at best) and these results suggest that establishing TKS from seed in Ontario fields remains a challenge.