Establishment of forage kochia in seeding mixtures with perennial grasses

Abstract

Forage kochia (Bassia prostrata L.) can persist in disturbed areas and provide high‐quality forage even during fall and winter months. However, information is needed on the effect of planting time and subsequent environmental conditions on forage kochia establishment. A field study was initiated in 2014 in Wyoming to determine the optimum planting time for successful forage kochia establishment and examine its performance in seeded mixtures with perennial cool‐season grasses in areas dominated by annual weeds. The experiment was carried out using split‐plot in a randomized complete block design with four replications. The main plots consisted of three planting times (late winter, early spring and summer), and subplots included eight seeding mixture treatments. Species included in mixtures were forage kochia, four native grasses and two nonnative grasses. The summer (May) planting failed completely, and early spring (April) planting resulted in greater plant density for forage kochia and grasses than late winter (March) planting. Although, forage kochia monoculture had greater forage kochia density than other treatments, forage kochia stands were satisfactory when seeded in mixtures with perennial grasses. By the year after planting, plant density of forage kochia and grasses was reduced to about one‐third of 2014 density. During initial establishment stage, it is thought that forage kochia and perennial grasses were affected by dense cover of annual weeds. However, greater plant density was observed for April compared to March plantings, and forage kochia monoculture had good stands despite dense stands of annual weeds, even in 2015. The results suggest that successful establishment of forage kochia is possible when it is planted in early spring under conditions of this study. However, monitoring stands the following years is needed to determine the persistence and forage production of different seeding mixtures of forage kochia and perennial grasses.

Genotype and Planting Date Influence on Establishment and Growth of Bassia prostrata (L) A.J. Scott in a Semiarid Subtropical Dry Winter Region

“…Hafercamp et al [6] and Creech et al [19] reported that late fall and winter seedings were more successful for establishment than early and late spring seedings in an area described as receiving 20 to 30 cm of precipitation annually, of which 60% fell between October and March, with frequent summer droughts. Aryal and Islam [10] to the north of the location of the present study and northeast of the studies by Hafercamp et al [6] and Creech et al [19] reported greater stand densities for April seedings than March seedings and seeding failure of May seedings. The location of Aryal and Islam [10] experiences dry winters and moist late springs and early summers consistent with the location of the present study, although, their study was not irrigated.…”

“…Aryal and Islam [10] to the north of the location of the present study and northeast of the studies by Hafercamp et al [6] and Creech et al [19] reported greater stand densities for April seedings than March seedings and seeding failure of May seedings. The location of Aryal and Islam [10] experiences dry winters and moist late springs and early summers consistent with the location of the present study, although, their study was not irrigated. Hafercamp et al [6] observed deterioration that reduced germination which occurred during the winter when conditions were not satisfactory for germination.…”

“…These all became established in areas not occupied by B. prostrata plants. Several researchers have reported that B. prostrata became established despite a dense stand of weeds [8,10,20]. Harrison et al [11] stated that B. prostrata did not typically grow as a monoculture in its area of origin.…”

“…Sand dropseed, a warm-season perennial bunchgrass that is adapted to the area of this study and easily established [24], could also be compatible with forage kochia while providing competition against the weedy species observed in the plots. Nonetheless, Aryal and Islam [10] reported a reduction in B. prostrata plant density when it was sown with various perennial grasses.…”

“…Bassia prostrata is a long-lived semishrub (nonwoody stems) that is native to arid and semiarid areas from the Mediterranean Basin to Siberia which was introduced to North America in the 1960s [2,4,5]. It has demonstrated potential as forage for multiple classes of livestock and wildlife [2,3,5], as well as for soil stabilization and reclamation on western rangelands [6,7] due to drought tolerance [8], being more salt tolerant than alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) and tall wheatgrass (Thinypyrum ponticum L.) [9], and being competitive against many annual weeds [10]. B. prostrata is different from its weedy annual relative, Kochia scoparia, because it is not invasive in perennial plant communities, spreading primarily by seed [3], and is not known to contain any compounds toxic to livestock [2,5].…”