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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Burns, Oregon » Range and Meadow Forage Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #358771
Title: Improving seeding success of forage kochia in cheatgrass invaded sagebrush rangelands in the northern Great Basin

Author
item JOHNSON, DUSTIN - Oregon State University
item Davies, Kirk
item SCHROEDER, VANESSA - Oregon State University
item MILLER, TRAVIS - Bureau Of Land Management

Submitted to: Oregon Beef Producer
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/15/2018
Publication Date: 12/1/2018
Citation: Johnson, D., Davies, K.W., Schroeder, V., Miller, T. 2018. Improving seeding success of forage kochia in cheatgrass invaded sagebrush rangelands in the northern Great Basin. Oregon Beef Producer. Oregon Beef Producer.

Interpretive Summary: Forage kochia could hold promise as a revegetation species for improving the diversity, productivity, and later-season quality of exotic annual grass invaded sagebrush rangelands. However, efforts to establish forage kochia in the northern Great Basin have produced inconsistent results that may be related to seeding method (broadcast vs. drill seeding), timing (fall vs. late winter/spring), and/or quality degradation of stored seed. We evaluated two seeding methods, two timings of seeding, and the efficacy of using stored versus freshly harvested forage kochia seed. Shallow drill seeding forage kochia in the late winter was generally the most successful method for initial establishment. Our results did not suggest an establishment difference between year-old and freely harvested seed.

Technical Abstract: Forage kochia could hold promise as a revegetation species for improving the diversity, productivity, and later-season quality of exotic annual grass invaded sagebrush rangelands. However, efforts to establish forage kochia in the northern Great Basin have produced inconsistent results that may be related to seeding method (broadcast vs. drill seeding), timing (fall vs. late winter/spring), and/or quality degradation of stored seed. We evaluated two seeding methods, two timings of seeding, and the efficacy of using stored versus freshly harvested forage kochia seed. Shallow drill seeding forage kochia in the late winter was generally the most successful method for initial establishment. Our results did not suggest an establishment difference between year-old and freely harvested seed.