It is estimated that more than four million hectares of crested wheatgrass (CWG) have been seeded in the North American West and it is recognized as an invaluable spring forage resource. A study was conducted evaluating the forage preferences of steers grazing (late boot to early heading stage) five different crested wheat grasses: Kirk, Fairway and Parkway [Agropyron  cristatum (L.) Gaertn], Hycrest (A. cristatum x A. desertorum) and Nordan (A. desertorum) in 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2003 at Swift Current, Saskatchewan. Objective of this study was to compare grazing behavioral differences among five CWG cultivars. Each CWG cultivar was randomly seeded in 1995 into a 13.6 m x 297 m strip (0.1 ha) and replicated four times for a total of 20 strips. Observations of animal distribution and grazing activity were recorded at 15-minute intervals during the first two days of each yearly grazing period (4-5 days). All CWG cultivars were grazed at the late boot to early head stage. Animal grazing frequencies for each CWG cultivar were converted to percentages (Grazing%) for each grazing time period [morning (sunrise-1200 h), afternoon (1215-1700 h) and evening (1715-sunset)].  Grazing% for the two tetraploid CWGs were similar with Nordan having higher (P<0.05) Grazing% compared to the hybrid and diploid CWGs. For forage qualities, significant Cultivar (P<0.01) and Year (P<0.0001) main effects were observed. Most of these effects can be attributed to precipitation and temperature differences associated with years. This study may have important implications in selecting a CWG that has better pasture utilization potential and animal production.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.