Technological aspects of producing bird's foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L.) seeds

Abstract

The species Lotus corniculatus L., commonly named bird’s-foot trefoil, is a very important perennial legume,
widely spread in both Romania and abroad, being the basis for meadow and hay-making fields mixtures in
the mountain and plain areas. Ensuring high-quality seeds in sufficient amounts from the cultivars with high
biological value implies the development of the seed production activity and the maintenance of biological
value of existing cultivars. In this paper, the authors aim at pointing out the effect of some insecticides on
bird’s-foot trefoil thrips (Odontothrips loti H.) as well as the impact of different cut methods on seed yield in
bird’s-foot trefoil. All insecticides used in the control of bird’s-foot trefoil thrips increased mean seed
production per ha compared to the control: among them, Sinoratox 1.5 l/ha proved to be the best. As for the
bi-factorial trial in which we tested different cutting methods in combination with different insecticides to
control bird’s-foot trefoil thrips, the best proved to be the cutting method in which we used the desiccant
Reglone 1 l/ha (163.66 kg/ha).