Teosinte (Euchlaena mexicana L.) Seed Production: Effect of Sowing Date, Seed Rate and Cutting Management on Seed Yield

Abstract

Teosinte (Euchlaena mexicana L.) is a popular herbage crop in Nepal. Although farmers produce teosinte seeds, management for maximizing seed yield is unknown. A study was undertaken to investigate teosinte seed yield in order to explore the seed production potential of teosinte for maximizing herbage yield. There were four different sowing dates (30 March, 30 April, 30 May and 30 June), four seed rates (20, 40, 60 and 80 kgha−1) and three herbage cuttings (nil, once at 45 days after sowing (DAS), twice at 45 and 75 DAS) arranged in a split-split plot design. In both years, the highest seed yield was obtained from the two earliest sowings because they had taller plants, more tillers, a higher leaf area index (LAI) and more cobs per plant, ears per cob and seeds per ear than later sown plants. In 2017, seed yield did not differ among the seed rates because of adverse climatic conditions; however, in 2018 the two lower seed rates out yielded the two highest seed rates. Cutting twice significantly reduced seed yield in both years; one cut did not reduce seed yield in 2017 but it did so in 2018. These results suggest teosinte seed crops should be sown early at a seed rate between 20 to 40 kgha−1. An economic analysis indicated that the traditional farmer practice of taking one herbage cut from their seed crop would not affect the gross margin.