Forage kochia (Bassia prostrata, synonym=Kochia prostrata), a perennial, semi-shrub adapted to the semiarid rangelands of the western USA, is one of few species that can establish on degraded rangelands, compete against annual weeds, and be used in greenstrips to stop wildfires. Forage kochia�s grazing potential primarily includes extending grazing into the fall by maintaining high CP (> 7%), and increased carrying capacity and improved cattle health. This presentation reviews recent research, further highlighting the potential of forage kochia to rehabilitate and improve Great Basin rangelands. First, �Snowstorm� forage kochia, was released by the USDA-ARS, and provides ranchers and land managers a new, taller, more productive, more nutritious cultivar capable of further increasing carrying capacity and nutritive value of rangelands, including where snow cover had limited forage kochia use in the past. Second, Gardner�s saltbush ecosystems are increasingly being invaded by halogeton (Halogeton glomeratus), an annual halophyte that increases soil surface salinity and reduces plant biodiversity. A study in the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area evaluated the potential for rehabilitating halogeton-dominated Gardner�s saltbush ecosystems with forage kochia. Forage kochia established, persisted, and reduced halogeton frequency by 52% within two years. Results indicate that forage kochia provides an opportunity for rehabilitation of halogeton-invaded, saline rangelands. Third, highly erodible farm acres coming out of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) contracts could remain in perennial species and be used for fall and winter grazing if wheatgrass monocultures could be interseeded with nutritious forage species. An on-farm study evaluated the success of interseeding forage kochia into established wheatgrass stands, and measured the effect on forage mass, forage nutritive value, and economic return. Forage kochia successfully established, improved nutritive value, and increased stocking rates for fall grazing, resulting in economic value that was greater than previous CRP contracts.
Oral presentation and poster titles, abstracts, and authors from the Society for Range Management (SRM) Annual Meetings and Tradeshows, from 2013 forward.