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DeLange Seed
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KOREAN LESPEDEZA: Lespedeza stipulaces Korean lespedeza was introduced to this country in 1919 from Korea. Day-length and temperature influence the vegetative growth, floral initiation, and seed maturation. It is a short day cultivar. That is, plants remain vegetative until day length shortens sufficiently to initiate flowering. When Korean lespedeza is grown at more northern latitudes, floral initation and seed maturation are delayed because its critical photoperiod occurs late in the season. If taken too far north, frost will kill plants before they mature seed. In the more southern latitudes, the high temperatures become the limiting factor in the use of Korean lespedeza. High temperatures reduce the number of days between flowering and maturity. Vegetative growth is retarded when seedlings emerge before the day-lengths in spring are equal to or greater than the critical photoperiod. Thus, Korean lespedeza has a rather narrow band of adaptation; from northeast Oklahoma, through eastern Kansas, to southern Iowa and east to the Atlantic Ocean. Unlike red clover or alfalfa, Korean lespedeza is a warm-season annual legume. Capable of producing nitrogen in excess of its own requirements, Korean lespedeza is an excellent supplement to cool-season pastures in eastern Kansas. In spite of the fact that it is an annual, Korean lespedeza is very persistent. Natural reseeding from hard seed results in good stands year after year as long as competition is not too severe. Kobe Lespedeza is resistant to bacterial wilt and tar spot, unlike Korean Lespedeza. The major concern with Kobe is that it matures later in the season than Korean and so may not produce seed before the first killing frost. Kobe usually produces acceptable amounts of seed if not subjected to an unseasonably early frost. |