Successful germination and establishment of grass seedlings from surface-sown seeds requires a microsite which provides adequate soil water and temperature conditions, among other species-specific requirements. The microsite where these requirements are met has been termed a "safesite". Safesites may occur naturally as cracks and depressions in the soil surface, gravel, and plant litter, or be prepared by seedbed equipment and livestock trampling. A greenhouse study was conducted to determine the influence of seedbed microsite characteristics and soil water treatments on seedling emergence of 'Vaughn' sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula (Michx.) Torr.), 'A-130' blue panic (Panicum antidotale Retz.), and 'Cochise' Atherstone lovegrass (Eragrostis lehmanniana Nees X E. tricophera Coss and Dur.). Although there were several interactions, in general, emergence of all 3 species was highest from gravel, followed by litter, cracks, and finally the bare soil surface. Bare surface sites decreased in water content more quickly than the other sites. Cochise lovegrass had high emergence in gravel under all water treatments. Small-seeded species such as Cochise lovegrass broadcast on coarse-textured surface soils may establish with minimal seedbed preparation, provided summer precipitation is adequate. 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
Scholarly peer-reviewed articles published by the Society for Range Management. Access articles on a rolling-window basis from vol. 1, 1948 up to 5 years from the current year. Formerly Journal of Range Management (JRM). More recent content is available by subscription from SRM.