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Seeding Indian ricegrass in an arid environment in the Great Basin
Author
Young, J. A.
Blank, R. R.
Longland, W. S.
Palmquist, D. E.
Publisher
Society for Range Management
Publication Year
1994-01-01
Body

Indian ricegrass [Oryzopsis hymenoides (R. & S.) Rickerl is a valuable forage species adapted to arid rangelands in temperate deserts. The purpose of this study was to test the influence of seeding date, depth, and rate on Indian ricegrass emergence and seedling establishment of acid scarified and intact caryopses (seeds). The seeding experiments were conducted on a wind eroding sand sheet of Lahontan age in western Nevada. During the initial year of planting, seeds of the cultivars Nezpar and Paloma Indian ricegrass were successfully established without pretreatment by acid scarification. Acid scarified seeds did not result in the established seedling stands in the field. Initial seedings were done in a season with prolonged moisture events with total precipitation about twice the average. Seedling stands of crested wheatgrass [Agropyron desertorum (Fisch.) ex Link Schult] as well as other exotic and native herbaceous and woody species were established during the first year. During the next 4 years crested wheatgrass seedlings were never again established. Indian ricegrass seedlings were established in 3 of the 4 subsequent years of seeding trials using a seeding rate of 0.8 seeds/cm of row and a seeding depth of 1 cm. Indian ricegrass seedling emergence was increased by either increasing the planting depth to 5 cm or by reducing the seeding rate to 0.03 seeds/cm of row. The ultra-low seeding rate resulted in a significant saving in seed cost. This material was digitized as part of a cooperative project between the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. The Journal of Range Management archives are made available by the Society for Range Management and the University of Arizona Libraries. Contact lbry-journals@email.arizona.edu for further information. Migrated from OJS platform August 2020

Language
en
Resource Type
Text
Document Type
Journal Issue/Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
10.2307/4002831
Additional Information
Young, J. A., Blank, R. R., Longland, W. S., & Palmquist, D. E. (1994). Seeding Indian ricegrass in an arid environment in the Great Basin. Journal of Range Management, 47(1), 2-7.
ISSN
0022-409X
OAI Identifier
oai:repository.arizona.edu:10150/644462
Journal Volume
47
Journal Number
1
Journal Pages
2-7
Collection
Rangeland Ecology & Management (REM)
Journal Name
Journal of Range Management
Keywords
variety trials
desert soils
planting depth
planting date
Achnatherum hymenoides
scarification
arid zones
seedling emergence
sowing rates
establishment
Nevada