The study was conducted to determine the optimum fertilizer-N application rate formaximum seed yields of Zoysiagrass stands
from seeding and transplant
respectively, atJiaozhou, Shandong Province, China from 2001 to 2003. In the third year after establishment,seed yields and yield components for both stands showed a similar response to fertilizer-N. Maximum fertile tiller numbers (3342 heads m-2 and 2941 heads m-2 from stands seeded inrows and
transplanted, respectively) and the highest seed yields (844.50kgha-1 and 874.65kg ha-1 from stands seeded in rows and transplanted, respectively) were obtained at a Nfertilizer rate of 20kgha-1 in autumn and 10kgha-1 in spring (30kgha-1 N in total). Thefertile tillers and seed yields decreased with further increasing of N fertilizer rate.Fertilizer-N application could increase the length of spike, spikelets per fertiletiller, seed number per spike, setting percentage and thousand seed weight. The 1000-seed weight and the length of spike from transplant plots were higher than that fromseeding plots. The optimal harvest time of zoysiagrass at Jiaozhou was on the 36th dayafter peak anthesis, near June 15th, when the seed moisture content was 26-28%.