Get reliable rangeland science

Applying fertilizers at the time of planting may improve native plant establishment by increasing the ability of the seedlings to cope with environmental stresses. However, traditional fertilizer applications are often economically infeasible and may be counterproductive by encouraging weed invasion. Seed coating technology allows for the efficient application of fertilizers within the microsite of the seeded species. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of fertilizer as a seed coating treatment to improve seedling emergence and plant growth, and to determine the optimal rate of fertilizer to apply to the seed. We chose to use a phosphorus rich and nitrogen poor fertilizer (9-30-1) to promote root growth over shoot growth. Fertilizer was applied to bluebunch wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata (Pursh) �. L�ve) seeds in a rotary coater at rates of 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, and 32 g of fertilizer 100 g-1 of seed.� Seeds were planted in 13 x 13 cm acrylic boxes filled with fine sand. Seedling emergence was counted every couple days. At the conclusion of the study (90 days from sowing) seedlings were harvested and biomass of the roots and shoots were recorded. Results show an increase in biomass produced from seeds coated with 0.5, 1, 2, and 4 g of fertilizer 100 g-1 of seed and a decrease in biomass as rates exceeded 16 g of fertilizer 100 g-1 of seed. These preliminary results indicate that a fertilizer seed coating can be effective in improving seedling growth of bluebunch wheatgrass, which may improve seeding success in nutrient poor rangeland soils. Future work is merited for evaluating fertilizer seed coatings in the field.