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Grasses and Forbes; Pseudoroegneria spicata s. spicata
| SPECIES | Pseudoroegneria spicata s. spicata |
| Common name and alpha code | bluebunch wheatgrass PSSPS (was Agropyron spicatum) |
| General Information |
Long-lived perennial cool season bunchgrass 61
Weak 161 to fair seedling vigor 134 Occurs from hot, dry slopes to warm, dry forest fringe; on shallow soil scablands where roots penetrate fissures in bedrock to tap moisture. 160 |
| TABLE: | SEED |
|
Seeds/Lb.
|
61,000 97 to 117,000 61 ; 60,000 to 70,000 54
140,000 155; 95,000 124; 120,000 to 140,000 134 In ref. #33: 117,000/lb (Vallentine, 1971); 142,640/lb (Plummer et al., 1968); 95,000/lb (Wheeler & Hill, 1957; Stefferud, 1948) |
| Germ % | In ref. #33: GERMINATIVE CAPACITY: 90% (Wheeler & Hill, 1957); 85-90% (Hull & Pearse, 1943a) |
| Germ Test Amt | |
| Germ Test Cost | |
| Purity % | |
| Purity Test Amt | |
| Purity Test Cost | |
|
Germination Pretreatment
Requirement
|
None 97
Seed size (weight) is correlated with percent emergence and mean shoot growth 161 In ref. #33: LABORATORY GERMINATION : TEMPERATURE: Fluctuating: 20-30°C, 15-30°C at 16-8 hours (Haferkamp & McSwain, 1951). MOISTURE: Lower Limit: 6.1 atm (Choudhuri 1968) LIGHT: Light required (Haferkamp & McSwain, 1951) |
| Seed Processing Needed e.g. awns | De-awn 97 |
|
Storage
Requirements |
Cool dry 209 |
|
Storage
Length (Years) |
In ref. #33: 5 years (Hull & Pearse, 1943a)
Intermediate seed longevity 124 |
| Maturity Date | In ref. #33: Jul 15-Sep 15 (Plummer et al., 1968); Mid Aug-Sep (Sampson, 1924) |
| Pollinators Seed Dispersal Mechanism | |
| Breeding: self; Cross; Asexual Reproduction | Cross pollinated. |
| Disease Problems | |
| Insect Predation | |
| Hand Collection Methods, Problems, and Cost/Lb. |
Seed production from native stands is erratic; depends on spring moisture and cool temps during bloom period. 124
Contract 1996: $30/lb 62; Contract 1997: $29/lb 128 Force Account 1996: $25/lb 85 |
| TABLE: | SEED INCREASE INFO |
|
Sow Rate for Seed Increase Plantation,
Lb./Acre |
6 to 12 124 |
| 1st Year Yield, Lb./acre | 55 to 100 54 |
| 2nd Year Yield, Lb./acre | 450 54 |
| 3rd Year Yield, Lb./acre | 219 to 285 (seed rough cleaned) 96 |
| Field Life Span: Years | 5 years or more 209 |
| Production Cost/Lb. | |
| Field Distance Requirements | |
| Sow Date | Fall; yield is lower if sown in spring 97 In cold wet areas, better stands are obtained with spring sowing 209 |
| Miscellaneous Increase Info. | |
| TABLE: | HABITAT |
| Plant Association Groups | |
| Drought Tolerance | Good 61, 124 |
| Soil: Texture, Chemicals | Best on medium to clayey textures 61 Not for coarse or acidic soils; marginal on fine and basic soils 34 ; In ref. #33: Silty-good, clayey-good, sandy-fair (Vallentine, 1971); Silt loam (Wheeler & Hill, 1957); Light sandy loam (Stewart & Walker, 1939); Sandy loam (Sampson, 1924) |
| Soil Depth | Shallow, gravelly and stony soils 61; thin nonproductive soils 34; also calcareous soils 155; not on moderate saline soils 134 |
| Ave. Precip. Needs | 8 75 to 24 in. 124 to 30 in. 134 In ref. #33: 5-9" annual (Lang et al. 1975); 11-16" annual (Jefferies&Cardwell, 1964) |
| Flooding or High Water Tolerance | Poor 61; not on high water tables or poor drainage 134 In ref. #33: Well drained (Wheeler & Hill, 1957; Plummer et al., 1955; Plummer et al., 1943; Robertson & Pearse, 1943; Stewart & Walker, 1939; Sampson, 1924) |
| Soil Stabilization | |
| Palatability and Attractiveness to Animals; Response to Grazing | Early spring growth 134 Renews growth in fall 34 High palatability; low tolerance to low grazing 61 Decreaser under cattle, increaser under sheep 75 Forage production is usually high and dependable. 124 Decreases under too early and too heavy grazing. 164 |
| Elevation Range | |
| Competitiveness | |
| Plasticity | |
| Root System: Rhizomes, Stolons, etc. | Roots fibrous 75 The inermis subspecies tends to be rhizomatous on more mesic sites and caespitose on more arid sites. 209 |
| Shade Tolerance |
Full sun to partial shade 23
In ref. #33: Slightly shade tolerant (Plummer et al., 1955) |
| TABLE: | CONSERVATION SOWING ON N.F. SITES |
| WCF Cost/Lb. (1997) | $177 73 |
| Sow Rate for. Sowing on National Forest Sites, Lb./Acre | 8 Lb./acre (mechanical drilling) 134 6 to 8 Lb./acre 34 |
| Sowing Method and Date |
Fall or spring 34
In ref. #33: PLANTING DEPTH: 1/4" (Plummer, 1943) PLANTING TIME: Spring, fall under semiarid conditions (Wheeler ~ Hill, 1957); Spring (Archer & Bunch, 1953); Early fall (Frischknecht, 1951) |
|
Miscellaneous
|
Grows during spring and summer months 164 Severe burns detrimental, while moderate to light burns enhance the community. 218 |