Adopting native grasses for forage production and designed urban landscapes could be helpful in reducing pressure on natural fresh water resources. The present study was carried out to determine the effect of different growth conditions (polyhouse and nursery) on seed germination, seedling survival and growth performance of five native grass species (Chloris virgata, Lasiurus scindicus, Pennisetum divisum, Sporobolus arabicus and Sporobolus spicatus) from Arabian deserts. All the studied species showed higher germination percentage under polyhouse condition. However, there was no significant difference in seedling survival percentage between polyhouse and nursery condition. For all species, the highest germination speed was recorded under polyhouse condition. Seedlings of most species showed more above ground and below ground biomass allocation when growing in a polyhouse compared to the nursery. These findings can be related to their distribution on warm Arabian desert environments.

Keywords: Growth parameters; Poaceae; polyhouse; seed germination; seedling survival