Effect of Seeding Date on Establishment of Four Native Grasses
Four monocultures and two mixtures of little bluestem, sideoats grama, Kalm's brome, and Canada wildrye were planted at 10 seeding dates for two years to determine the effect of seeding date on establishment. Results vary between species and year.
Climatic conditions, soil type and weed seedbank all appear to be important factors in establishment. This work has been accepted for publication in 2002 as Gaynor, V. and M. H. Meyer. Effect of Seeding Date on Establishment of Native Grasses. Native Plants Journal, University of Idaho.
Also published from this work was a key for field identification of native and weedy grass seedlings, see: Meyer, M.H. and V. Gaynor. 2000. A Field Guide and Key to Fifteen Grass Seedlings. Journal of Natural Resources and Life Science Education. 29:141-147. http://www.JNRLSE.org. For more information contact meyer023@umn.edu.
Minnesota Little Bluestem Evaluation
A collection of Schizachyrium scoparium, little bluestem, has been developed from 30 sources within Minnesota to begin a long term selection and evaluation program for stress tolerance and ornamental traits. Little bluestem is one of the predominant grasses of the tall and mixed grass prairie and has several attractive landscape characteristics, however, little work has been done to select for ornamental traits in this species. Little bluestem has been obtained from existing native stands, nurseries, seed production fields and from named seed collections. Plants are being grown in a uniform garden setting on the St Paul campus of the University of Minnesosta. Evaluations are being conducted for ornamental traits, such as early flowering, no lodging, fall and winter color, various heights etc. This is the beginning of a long term selection and breeding project for ornamental and stress tolerant plants. Another characteristic of little bluestem which may be studied is seedling age as related to cold temperature tolerance, which would affect field seeding and establishment dates.
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