ABOUT OUR GRASS SEED

Cache Meadow Brome is a perennial grass that is very drought tolerant yet produces more tonnage under irrigation than other brome grasses. Field trials in Utah showed that Cache Meadow Brome would out produce intermediate wheat grass at 13 inches of annual precipitation and was the highest producing grass in the irrigated plots.

Seeding and management of Cache is the same as with any other brome grass.

Paddock Brome is a perennial grass that is as, or more drought tolerant than rebound and produces better tonnage. As with any brome the leaves of Paddock are rather broad and heavy, but we have found that Paddock remains very palatable and with water and heat will continue to produce all summer. We have found that the more water Paddock gets, the more it produces but in a drought year it will still produce forage although not as much. Since brome grasses are sod formers it is a good idea to disk or rip the stands every few years after they start showing signs of becoming sodbound.

SEEDING & MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

Paddock Bromegrass is identical to other bromes as far as looks, size, and the way it is planted. It is best to have a prepared seed bed but it can be interseeded into unworked ground with the right drill. Since it is a large seed, many times it will have to be mixed with grain or ricehulls and run through the grain box on the drill. It does not work well to mix it with smaller grass seeds or alfalfa seed and try to run it through the grass or alfalfa boxes on the drill. It is best to maintain about 1/4 inch seeding depth but Paddock will handle depths up to 1/2 inch and better. We have found that if it is seeded in with alfalfa it is best to water right after planting and then again as soon as most of the alfalfa has germinated which is usually in about 5 to 7 days. This keeps the grass seed moist enough to survive. Paddock will take more nitrogen than some other grasses and as such will do much better if planted with alfalfa.

Profile orchardgrass is a new strain of drought tolerant orchardgrass, of which 92% of it's parentage is Paiute orchardgrass. Selections were taken from plants that survived in extreme cold conditions which produced a plant that is every bit as drought tolerant as the Paiute and is much more winter hardy. We see Profile eventually replacing Paiute.

Paiute Orchardgrass is a superior strain of orchardgrass developed primarily for semi-arid rangelands with precipitation levels of as little as 11 inches, but also able to perform in a superior manner under traditional orchardgrass uses. This cultivar was released in 1983 by the USDA SCS in conjunction with the Forest Service, Intermountain Forest and Range Experiment Station and the Utah State Division of Wildlife Resources. It is well adapted on well-drained basic and acidic soils and performs well on a variety of soils from clay to gravelly loam and on shallow to deep soils. Our own experience with Paiute is that once it is established it will hold in as little as 8 inches precipitation and that under irrigation it will produce a large statured, fine stemmed grass that out yields any other orchardgrass that we have used.

SEEDING & MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

A clean, firm, weed-free seedbed is recommended. Seed depth should not be more than one half inch. Range seeding should be in the very late fall or very early spring to take maximum advantage of available moisture. On prepared ground, a regular grass or grain drill will work but for range seeding a heavy doubledisk drill or range interseeder will be needed. Under irrigated conditions Paiute can be grazed in the spring of the second growing season. However, on dryland the planting should not be grazed until late summer or early fall of the second growing season. This plant responds well to a rotation deferred grazing system.

Because of the poor palatability, low protein, and toxin problems associated with fescue, many farmers and ranchers have been reluctant to plant them. Plant breeders from around the world have addressed the problems and a whole new generation of fescue have been developed that are highly palatable, very nutritious and endophytic and perloline alkaloid free. We have found in our pasture and hay situations that these fescue produce excellent forage - as good as many of the orchard grasses. Fescues come on later than orchard grass and when the two are combined, it increases the quality forage production time. These fescue are fine stemmed and leafy with an aggressive growth habit and they do well in hot weather although they do need at least 15 inches annual precipitation.

SEEDING & MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

A clean, firm, weed-free seedbed is recommended. Seeding depth should be between 1/4 and 1/2 inch in depth and seeding rate should 12 lb./acre when seeded by itself and anywhere from 2 lb./acre to 8 lb./acre when seeded in a mix. Fescue seed is a fairly fine seed, comparable to orchardgrass seed and can be drilled with a standard grass or grain drill. We have found that it is difficult to maintain an even rate of flow when it is mixed with large grass seed such as Bromegrass. When utilizing a mix involving large and small seed we have found that it is best to either broadcast the mix or separately drill the small variety and then the large variety. This is by far the most preferred method because it sets the seed at the proper depth and the ouble pass of the press wheels seems to enhance germination. This plant responds well to a rotation-deferred grazing system and works extremely well in a mix of other grasses and legumes.

Rush intermediate wheatgrass is a mildly sod-forming, late maturing wheatgrass release from University of Idaho; Aberdeen. It has heavier forage and is more palatable than other intermediate wheatgrasses and because it is later maturing it makes a good mixtuer with alfalfa for hay production. Rush should be harvested for hay when it is in the early seedboot stage. Another advantage to Rush is that it produces green forage late into the fall and early winter which extends grazing time. In a managed grazing system, mixing some crested wheat, grazing alfalfa, and Rush produces a range grazing situation that can be grazed very early, then cut for hay and then grazed again late. Rush can be planted in areas with as low as 12 inches annual precipitation but does very well under irrigation. The stems are strong and resist lodging and the plant is exceedingly hardy under grazing. It also has strong seedling vigor which makes it fairly easy to establish.  

SEEDING & MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

Rush can be seeded into a prepared seedbed or no-tilled into the range. It should not be buried more than 3.8 - 1/2 inch in a no-till situation it is best to pull the seed tubes out from between the disks and drop them behind so that the press wheels set the seed into the seed groove. By itself, it should be seeded at 8 lbs./acre with 20 lbs. available nitrogen followed by 40-60 lbs. available nitrogen annually. When seeded with alfalfa, use 8 lbs. Rush and 4-5 lbs. alfalfa with 20 lbs. available nitrogen the first year fro best results. For grazing, the grass and alfalfa should be mixed for seeding but for hay production, it can be alternate row seeded with the alfalfa.

If Rush is being used for grazing by itself or mixed with alfalfa it should be grazed late sprint until lack of water causes it to go dormant and then late into the fall. For a broader spectrum of grazing, Rush should be mixed with an early maturing grass. 

Bozoisky-Select was released by the Federal Forage Research station at Logan, Utah from selections of Russian Wildrye obtained from the Kazakh Grassland Research Institute at Alma ATA in Eastern Russia. It is much more palatable and has better seedling vigor than other older varieties of Russian Wildrye and does very well in areas with as little as 8 inches annual precipitation. University of Wyoming did some harvest tests in an area with 9 inches annual precipitation and recorded 2700 lb. of dry matter per acre from a planting of 6 lb. per acre at 48 inch row spacing. 36 inch to 48 inch row spacing allow the plants to put out a full root system which in turn allows the plant to grow to 4 or 5 feet in height. Bozoisky-Select will grow and tiller out pretty much all year which allows it to be used for year-round forage or for winter forage.  If left to grow during the summer months, it will be heavy and tall going into the winter which allows it to stick up above the snow enabling the cattle to find and forage it much easier than if they had to dig for food. However, since it doesn't have the best seedling vigor, it is best to not let the cattle forage it for 12 to 18 months after seeding. It is also best to have a prepared seed bed and not plant too much in the way of other grasses with it. When planting, seed depth should be anywhere from 1/8 inch to 1/2 inch and row spacing can be from 24 inches to 48 inches. the wider the row spacing, the taller the plant and the heavier the tonnage usually taken. Winter seeding usually provides the best germination. A seed bed should  be put in the fall and then the seed drilled on broadcast on in the winter and then rolled.

Siberian wheatgrass is a dry land grass comparable to crested wheat as far as soil type and moisturize levels go. It has a small, light seed that does best if planted into the top 1/4" of soil. Like crested wheats, it is a bunch grass, but much finer stems and more leaf matter. Tests have shown that it is higher quality and better producing than Cresteds such as Hydrest. Because it has a hard shell and is intended for areas of low moisture, it should be winter planted for a spring germination.

Forage Koshia is an old introduction from Eurasia that has been worked with extensively by researchers from the USDA, Forest Service and the B.L.M. Although it is distantly related to Annual Koshia which farmers and ranchers in the west consider to be almost a noxious weed, it is in fact a perennial, bushy, dryland, year-round forage that will produce palatable feed on as little as 4-5 inches annual precipitation. One drawback is that the seed doesn't hold its' viability very long so it has to be seeded within about 90 days of when it is harvested. This means that it should be back on the ground by the end of February - Middle of March. It may, however, be broadcast on bare ground or on the snow to start a stand. Since it is as palatable as crested/intermediate wheatgrass and runs anywhere from 8% protein in the winter to 15% protein in the summer, ranchers that have gotten past the word "Koshia" in the name have found that they really like it, because they can take waste ground that provides them with 300 lbs. to 500 lb. of dry matter per acre per year and produce 1000 lbs. to 1500 lb. of dry matter on the same ground with higher protein levels than are currently available. The problem that we have now with forage Koshia is producing enough seed to supply the current market.

Garrison is a true foxtail and should not be mistaken for foxtail wild barley which is an early annual that every rancher hates. Garrison is primarily a wetland grass or an irrigated grass that in real wet areas puts out a tremendous root system which crowds out weeds and is very beneficial along stream banks and around ponds. After three or four years it will build up enough root system so that cattle wont tear up the ground thus protecting the raparian areas. In meadows with streams cutting through them, a few pounds of Garrison mixed into the seed mix will allow the Garrison to take where it is wet enough over a period of years it will crowd the other grasses in the wet areas until a balance is reached. It makes a decent hay and is especially beneficial in fields that are prone to sprint flooding. Although it is not considered a dry land grass, if there is enough moisture to get it started in the desert it has shown the hardiness to hold in.

SEEDING & MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

 The seed of Garrison Creeping Foxtail is a small burr with about 500 tiny velcro type hooks. It sticks to everything and will lodge if run through a drill. One of several ways to applicate it is to get seed coated with clay (coated seed) and run it through a drill. For uncoated it either needs to be mixed with other varieties of grass seed so it will flow through a drill or it will have to be hand broadcast. Some of our customers have had good results hand broadcasting in the winter and feeding over the seed to let the cows pack it into the soil. This is the only way to seed areas that stay too wet in the summer to get out on with a tractor. Generally, not much forage is seen the first year and the cattle should be kept off if possible. By the third year the plant should be fully mature and will start spreading out from both seed and roots into any available space. By the second year Garrison can be hayed or grazed.

Annual Clovers such as BERSEEM and BALANSA clovers are high yielding, high nitrogen fixating annuals that can be used in a variety of situations. They can be planted with grain at 3-6 lb/acre to 70-100 lb/acre grain to achieve much better quality and higher tonnage than with straight grain. These clovers will produce up to 100lb nitrogen/acre which cuts cost and increases quality and yields. Protein levels will rise by 3% to 9% over straight grain. Annual clovers can be planted in early spring or in early fall. Planted into an early fall planting of fall triticale it can be utilized as winter grazing and the added nitrogen boosts hay production in the spring. Annual clovers should be planted the same as alfalfa, 1/8 to 1/4 in. deep and compacted. They will handle a wide range of soil PH from as low as 5.0 to as high as 8.0 and can be planted into soils ranging from clay to sandy loam. If the grain is planted late February to early March wait until April to plant the clover in as much as it needs the warmer soil to start. It makes a lot of sense to plant an annual clover especially in nitrogen depleted ground. You can add up to 100 lb/acre of nitrogen before rotating back into a crop that needs nitrogen and you can enhance the tonnage and quality of a hay/grain crop or annual pasture.

There are two types of Birds Foot Trefoil, one for hay and one for grazing. Both will work for either, but the type for hay stands up better. Trefoil is a legume that is non-bloating and does a good job of nitrogen fixating. It is not used nearly enough in the west although farmers in the midwest use it extensively. It doesn't come on very early in the spring but does stay green later into the summer after the grasses start to burn back. Although it is not terribly drought tolerant, Trefoil will hold through periods of drought after it is established.

Yellow Sweet Clover is a very drought tolerant, nitrogen fixating legume that can and should be added to more dryland mixes. It helps on the grass production and will make good hay when put up with grass. When it is young the cows will graze it but as it gets mature they tend to leave it. When young it resembles a broad leafed alfalfa but one has only to chew on the leaf to tell the difference. Whoever named it sweet clover had a warped sense of humor because it has terribly bitter leaves.

Ky-early Timothy is a true multiple-cutting timothy with the greatest tonnages being in May and October. It matures significantly earlier and is leafier than most other varieties. Trials in Kentucky showed it to our produce Climax Timothy by one to two tons in three cuttings depending on the weather. As the other timothy's Ky-Early thrives in cooler climates and subirrigated soils.