The sagebrush steppe is undergoing rapid ecological change and the loss of sagebrush rangelands contributes to more than 350 species of animals and plants being listed as species of conservation concern, as well as, a decrease in recreational activities, reduced forage production, degraded water resources and an increase in fire frequency. In the sagebrush steppe, success rates for seeding are notoriously low. Current seed strategies do not address the potential limiting factors inhibiting the progression from seed to mature plant. Isolating and understanding these variables will allow us to focus on enhancement strategies designed to specifically target the issue. We propose the idea to find and address these limiting agents through seed enhancement technologies. Seed enhancement technologies allow for the physical manipulation and application of materials to the seed that can influence germination, emergence, and/or early seedling growth. We will present on strategies for minimizing seed loss to pathogens using fungicides and techniques for controlling seed germination timing with hydrophobic coatings and abscisic acid. The potential outcomes of these strategies can have significant impact on future seeding attempts by increasing overall success rates, which in turn can reduce overall costs.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.