Location: Forage and Range Research
Project Number: 2080-21000-018-003-N
Project Type: Non-Funded Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: May 5, 2016
End Date: Apr 30, 2021
Objective:
The primary goal of the Study is to experiment with different vegetation types to determine if plants are compatible with Airport soils and, if so, if they may be used to reduce or eliminate rodent and insect populations that attract wildlife, such as birds and mammals, that may be hazardous directly or indirectly to aircraft.
Approach:
1. The site will have two (2.3 l ai ha-1) applications the summer before planting. Soil salinity levels at the Salt Lake City Int. Airport is above EC levels of 10 to 13.
2. Fall dormant seeding will take place during November 2016 using a Truax no-till drill and plot size will be 20 ft by 50 ft with four replications.
3. Tentative species to be included are crested wheatgrass (cv. Hycrest II, RoadCrest), wildrye hybrid (TC-germplasm), fine fescue (acc. 1574), Siberian wheatgrass (cv. Stabilizer), intermediate wheatgrass (cv. Rush), tall wheatgrass (cv. Alkar), Oats (forage-type), and Russian wildrye (cv. Bozoisky II).
4. To estimate variety establishment, seedling frequency will be determined by laying a 12 by 7 grid of 6.25- by 12.5- cm quadrats over the drilled rows. The grid covered four drilled rows (48 quadrats). This will be repeated three times over the plot for a total of 144 possible quadrats for a total length 7.1 ft per plot. Each square containing one or more live rooted plant material of the seeded entry will be scored as present (versus absent).
5. To estimate variety persistence, plant frequency will be determined by laying 12.5- by 12.5-cm for a total 72 quadrats per plot due to plant size. Frequency counts will be intiated the year after planting and taken each year thereafter for the duration of the study.
6. Superior species identified will then be used to establish larger fields to access rodent and insect populations.
