Four legumes and 3 grasses in combination, and the 3 grasses alone were evaluated for forage yield and persistence for 9 years in north-central Colorado. Sicklepod milkvetch (Astragalus falcatus), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), sainfoin (Onobrychis viciifolia) or crownvetch (Coronilla varia) were planted in alternate rows with crested wheatgrass (Agropyron desertorum), Russian wildrye (Elymus junceus), or pubescent wheatgrass (A. trichophorum). Crownvetch failed to become established. Sainfoin, a short-lived species under Colorado range conditions, was gone within 5 years. Alfalfa persisted 7 years; it was killed by a combination of drought and pocket gophers. Sicklepod milkvetch persisted for the entire period. This site was too dry for pubescent wheatgrass and its stand declined rapidly. Crested wheatgrass with sicklepod milkvetch or alfalfa, and Russian wildrye with alfalfa produced the highest total yields. All grass-legume mixtures involving crested wheatgrass and Russian wildrye produced significantly more forage than the grasses grown alone in 30 cm row spacing. Crude protein content was higher for grass-legume mixtures than for the grass alone. 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.