Producers have found that grass seed production offers a diversification alternative in small acreages to traditional small grain and alfalfa. However, springfall deferment or grazing rotations are recommended to maintain plant health and to maximize forage production potential. Foundation seed for the production of certified seed is allotted through the foundation seed program, plant sciences department, montana state university. The story of crested wheatgrass development by amy mcinnis, wdm. It is used extensively for reclamation, stabilization and erosion control.
Grass seed production can really provide a great return when things go right, but can ruin you when it goes bad on too many acres. A field sown with foundation crested wheatgrass seed is eligible for eight years of certified seed production. Grass standards certification of fall seeded grasses must be. Accordingly, isolation from all other crested wheatgrass plants, regardless of ploidy level, is required in seed production fields. Some native shrubs, such as big sagebrush artemisia tridentata and rabbitbrush chrysothamnus spp. One such introduced plant is crested wheatgrass agropyron cristatum.
The method of path coefficients proved useful in analyzing correlation coefficients in this system of interrelated variables. It does, however, yield well and is highly palatable in the spring. Seed amounts, variety and acquisition about 14 pounds of crested wheatgrass seed per acre or onethird pound per 1,000 square feet should be used. Introduction each year in southern idaho, and in surrounding states, thou sands of dollars are spent to control sagebrush that reinvades and reduces yields of seeded grass stands, mainly crested wheatgrass. Crested wheatgrass is native to russia and was introduced to the united states in the early 1900s. Plant guide for siberian wheatgrass agropyron fragile. During 2 years of aboveaverage precipitation, plants in all row spacings produced enough seed to justify harvesting, but during 2 years of average precipitation, only the plants in the 18and 24inch spacings produced sufficient seed. The grass remained green until about the time of the fall photograph. Since its second introduction in 1906, information has accumulated on the ecological and physiological characteristics, management strategies, forage production, seed production, seeding methods.
The grass commonly seeded in the arid sections of the western united states. Seed retains viability for 12 years and up to 20 years in a lab ackigoz and knowles 1983. Crested wheatgrass control and native plant establishment in. Arid intermountain rangelands only general information. It was successfully introduced into north america in 1906 from eurasia westover et al. Grazing in native range with invading crested wheatgrass, manage. An overview on research and studies on diversifying crested.
The palatability of crested wheatgrass declines as the growing season advances. Much of what passes as montana steppe prairie actually comprises mostly few grass species that withstand long histories of overstocking, such as agropyron cristatum crested wheatgrass, agropyron dasystachyum thickspike wheatgrass, and stipa comata needle and thread grass. Species other than crested wheat grass were not measured. Mar 06, 1983 the use of crested wheatgrass as i know it. Seed production for crested wheatgrass ranged from 1,772. Growth and seed production of nordan crested wheatgrass in a modified corn. Crested wheatgrass is highly palatable to and good cover for blacktailed jackrabbits lepus californicus ganskopp et al. When interseeded into native stands, crested wheatgrass commonly coexists with native grasses, forbs and shrubs. Pdf strategies to enhance plant structure and diversity in crested. The field selected for crested wheatgrass seed production must be free of noxious grassy and broadleaf weeds.
It is palatable to livestock and wildlife and is a desirable feed in spring, and in the fall if it regrows enough. Agropyron cristatum is known among other grasses and wheat for its relatively high granivory. Yield of crested wheatgrass under four densities of big. Crested wheatgrass is competitive with weedy species, but can be crowded out by some aggressive introduced weedy species and native woody species.
Abstract crested wheatgrass was planted in rows spaced 6, 12, 18, and 24 inches apart. Seed at 6 kg14 lb per acre formulated for salinity prone pastures. As the grass matures is becomes harsh and protein content drops rapidly. Crested wheatgrass has commonly been planted in monoculture single species stands in the. Carter found at fargo the yield of crested wheatgrass hay was more than doubled by application of 100 pounds of nitrogen per acre. Influence of spring, fall, and springfall grazing on. Under irrigation and with good management, a yield of approximately 400 pounds of seed per acre may be expected. Variability of crested wheatgrass pro duction over years. General area of crested wheat grass adaptation in the united. Fertilizer as ammonium nitrate was applied with a broad cast spreader in midoctober each year.
Environmental plant center meeker, co for 5 years fy2010fy2015 of bluebunch wheatgrass seed production. In some areas, crested wheatgrass spreads by seed onto adjacent rangeland. Hycrest is well adapted to sagebrush and juniper sites in elevations. Seed germination of eph raim has averaged better than 90%. Clonal evaluation for increased seed production in two species of. Agronomy free fulltext breeding of the crested wheatgrass. Tall wheatgrass grown for seed production should be planted in 28 to 36 inch rows and cultivated, or 12 to 14 inch rows uncultivated. Seed yields are more consistent in regions receiving 350500 mm of annual precipitation. Seed production of crested wheatgrass saskatchewan forage. This decrease in percentage of production of the native wheatgrass species was the result of a large increase in crested wheatgrass production. Pdf crested wheatgrass agropyron cristatum sensu amplo l. Registration of vavilov siberian references and notes. Crested wheatgrass is also able to spread vegetatively through the production of tillers.
At least five years of preventing seed production is recommended prior to beginning an elimination program with herbicide. First and foremost, however, crested wheatgrass was seeded to increase the forage resources available to grazing livestock. Crested wheatgrasses are low maintenance plants requiring little additional treatment or care. Ephraim crested wheatgrassa rhizomatous grass for western. A field sown with breeder crested wheatgrass seed is eligible for four years of foundation plus four years of certified seed production. Kirk stumbled across some crested wheat grass seeds in the drawer of the desk. The plant may regrow in the fall if moisture is sufficient. Crested wheatgrass is a drought and winter hardy bunchgrass that grows to 3 ft. A field may be left unattended for several weeks with only minimal weed growth and no. The recommended seeding rate for seed production in 36 in row spacing is. Crested wheatgrass can be used for hay production and will make nutritious feed, but is more suited to pasture use. Goliath crested wheatgrass canadian science publishing. The bluegreen leaf blades do not droop, but stand stiff and erect.
Crested wheatgrass is usually recommended for forage production. Crested wheatgrass pasturehay long excellent bunch grass 175,000 early spring. Major grasses species considered for seed production in utah. Schwendimar thickspike wheatgrass, elymus lanceolatus ssp. It typically produces 300 pounds of seed per acre under dryland conditions and 600 pounds of seed per acre under irrigated conditions nrcs figures. There are many different varieties of crested wheatgrass available. Schwendimar thickspike wheatgrass 9006633, p1822 scientific name. Requests can be made through the foundation seed program, manager 406 9945687. Crested wheatgrass has an advantage over native grasses. For example, 1,273 acres of the new crested wheatgrass variety hycrest was established in utah for certified seed production in 1989. Northstar seed is a proud supplier of high quality forage seed developed to perform under tough. Crested wheatgrass seed great basin seed agropyron. Crested wheatgrass natural resources conservation service. Henderson and naeth 2005 suggest that controlling crested wheatgrass and restoring mixedgrass prairie ideally will require suppression of crested wheatgrass seed production, eradication of crested wheatgrass plants, and the addition of native grass and forb seeds to increase plant diversity.
Considerable literature has accumulated concerning seed and seedling relations of crested wheatgrass. This study indicates that protein was not a limiting factor in fall while grazing russian wildrye. Requests can be made through the foundation seed program, dr. Crested wheatgrass roots totaled 10,955 pounds per acre when growing with big sage brush and 15,2 pounds per acre on brushfree areas. Seed production of native stands of the grass is favoured by spring flooding of shallow lake beds. The fairway varieties are selected for their sodforming ability, and perform well for erosion control. Establishment seeds should be planted in a firm, weedfree seed. Freedom from weeds the field selected for slender wheatgrass seed production must be free of noxious grassy and. Two inspections are required annually for each pedigreed seed lot a field inspection and a seed. Wheatgrass, crested 23 wheatgrasses, intermediate and pubescent 24 wheatgrass, newhy 25 wheatgrass, tall 25 wheatgrass, thickspike 25 wheatgrass, western 26 wildrye, russian 26 27 alfalfa 27 clover, red 28 29 milkvetch, cicer 29 30 trefoil, birdsfoot 31 appendices 32 appendix b. Crested wheatgrass control and native plant establishment in utah. Due to historical successes at establishing large acres of crested wheatgrass, it has been used regularly in seed mixes.
Influence of row spacing on crested wheatgrass seed production. Some native shrubs, such as big sagebrush and rabbitbrush often invade crested wheatgrass stands if native seed sources are nearby. Importance of variations in forage yield, seed yield and seed weight to the improvement of crested wheatgrass. Seed production seed production of russian wildrye has been very successful under cultivated conditions. Seed and plant production seed production of siberian wheatgrass has been very successful under cultivated conditions. Introduction crested wheatgrass is composed of several cool season, perennial, bunchgrass species taxonomically identified as aaroovron cristatum, g. The seed is easy to harvest as it holds well and can be combined. Growth and seed production of nordan crested wheatgrass in a. Strategies to enhance plant structure and diversity in. Slender wheatgrass is well adapted to basic soils up to ph8.
Although crested wheatgrass is typically a bunchgrass, ephraim is a weakly rhizomatous grass under. Jul 01, 2010 because crested wheatgrass dominates communities both vegetation and seedbank for decades following establishment in mixedgrass prairies, henderson and naeth 2005 suggest that controlling crested wheatgrass and restoring mixedgrass prairie ideally will require suppression of crested wheatgrass seed production, eradication of crested. Description ephraim is a longlived, cool season, drought tolerant, introduced grass with an extensive root system. Some of the recommended varieties are presented below by intended use.
Atswiftcurrent,gains of yearlingsteersgrazingcrested wheatgrassand native range were recorded for 2 months in the spring. Precipitation was much above normal during the growing season of 1963 and rain fell during the summer. Evaluation of crested wheatgrass introductions for forage yield. Forb seed production arrowleaf balsamroot balsamorhiza sagittata, wyeths buckwheat eriogonum heracleoides, venus penstemon penstemon venustus, and shaggy fleabane daisy erigeron pumilis. Crested wheatgrass increases rangeland carrying capacity, readily establishes from seed, has excellent drought resistance and winterhardiness, provides high quality early spring and fall feed, and produces substantially more forage yield than native species 10,14. Factors affecting yield and nutritional quality of crested.
These strains were released primarily because of their seed and forage yields and their establishment capability. Breeder, foundation, and certified seed classes will be recognized. Very competitive for resources in early stages of growth. Goliath produced higher seed yields than kirk and the diploid cultivar fairway. Seed production on arid rangelands has been as high as 250 pounds per acre. Crested wheatgrass is well adapted to stabilization of disturbed soils and does well on shallow to deep, moderately course to fine textured, moderately well to well drained soils. Pedigree production of grass seed will be limited to the foundation and certified classes, for varieties. Pdf impact and management of crested wheatgrass agropyron. Jun 04, 2015 nels grew both intermediate and crested wheatgrass for the first 25 years, and then took on production of slender wheatgrass for the past 5 years. When crested wheatgrass was seeded with the mixture of all four native species, the 1977, 1978, 1979, and 1980 production of the native species represented 62. An overview on research and studies on diversifying.
Forage, seed yield, and crude protein concentration. Ephraim crested wheatgrass is a cultivar released in 1983. There is probably more known about crested wheatgrass than any other single western range forage species. Under dry conditions, seed head formation may be inadequate to justify harvest of the seed. Thickspike wheatgrass does better in areas receiving 12 to inches of moisture than will its closely related cousin, western wheatgrass. May 18, 2007 previously cultivated lands, revegetated rangeland, and along dry roadsides. Crested wheatgrass is also common to native prairie and other domestic grass plantings. Since that time, thousands of acres of nevada rangelands have been successfully seeded with crested wheatgrass. When crested wheatgrass is included in seed mixtures with native species, crested wheatgrass frequently becomes dominant heinrichs and bolton, 1950.
Crested wheatgrass crested wheatgrass is a bunchgrass native to russia and was introduced into the united states by plant scientists during the early 1900s. Seed production for crested wheatgrass ranged from 1,772 seeds per m2 in a wet year to 1,037 seeds per m 2 in a dry year. Some pastures are subirrigated when underground water is within reach of plant roots. Field guide for common california rangeland and pasture plants. The extensive literature covers a period of more than 40 years and is found in a wide variety of sources. Hycrest is a hybrid cross between standard crested wheatgrass and desert wheatgrass bred for higher yields. Crested wheatgrass control and native plant establishment. Crested wheatgrass is commonly recommended for forage production. Crested wheatgrass seed great basin seed agropyron cristatum. Mar 01, 2006 foundation seed for the production of certified seed is allotted through the foundation seed program, plant sciences department, montana state university. Plant guide for slender wheatgrass elymus trachycaulus. Restoring native plants to crested wheatgrass stands.
My own experience with crested wheatgrass dates back to my early boyhood days. Crested wheatgrass is a cool season, perennial grass that reproduces primarily through seed production but can also spread by short rhizomes. It is a primary component of our dryland pasture mix. Grazing and mowing are the most common means of controlling seed production.
1253 1244 1451 490 813 396 1164 1552 1514 160 388 263 14 704 1252 1494 68 165 968 1556 552 542 401 354 733 316 969 930 404 502 853