Forage Establishment for Saline Areas

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1 Forage Establishment for Saline Areas Seeding and Establishing Salt-Tolerant Plant Species Karin Lindquist, BSc Ag

2 Salt Tolerant Plants Salt Tolerance: Ability of plants to grow and withstand moderate to high salt concentrations on leaves, in water, or in soil within root-reach, without significant adverse effects. o Various species to consider Tame Legumes & Grasses Native Grasses o Where you can purchase seed o Forage establishment & seeding considerations Seed mixes & their options o Seed mix percent vs. plant establishment percent Management considerations Seeding forages

3 When Considering What Species? Salt-tolerance o Ranked from moderate, high and very high Tame or Native o Sod or bunch o Reclamation, tame pastures, or hay Longevity Rate of Establishment Persistence Winter hardiness Flood tolerance Drought tolerance Livestock palatability

4 Salt Tolerance Variability Munns & Tester (2008)

5 Weeds are Good Indicators Very High Saline areas: o Red Samphire (Salicornia europaea) o Sea Blight (Suaeda calceoformis) High Saline areas: o Foxtail Barley (Hordeum jubatum) o Kochia (Kochia scoparia) Sea Blight Red Samphire Kochia Foxtail Barley

cultivars: o Spredor 5 & Halo (CPS) o Assalt ST (Pickseed) o Barricade SLT (Brett Young) Spredor 5 ideal for both pasture and hay; Halo best for hay only o

6 Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) Majority of alfalfa cultivars/varieties, even those recommended for saline areas, are only moderately salt-tolerant. Alfalfa is not flood tolerant Soil ph can also negatively affect alfalfa stands o Lower ph (acidic) reduces yield and seed establishment Best recommended cultivars: o Spredor 5 & Halo (CPS) o Assalt ST (Pickseed) o Barricade SLT (Brett Young) Spredor 5 ideal for both pasture and hay; Halo best for hay only o Spredor 5 winter hardy, drought tolerant, persistent stands; creeping-rooted Halo less of any of these, except pest resistance Assalt ST and Barricade SLT adapted for saline and alkaline soils

7 Sweet Clover (Melilotus spp.) Moderate to possibly low salt-tolerance o Norgold Yellow Blossom Sweet Clover o Yellow Blossom Sweet Clover Both have great drought tolerance Grazing and Hay production recommended in moderation o Concerns with lowered palatability in mature stands Bitter-tasting plants Good palatability with immature plants (not yet flowering) o Moldy feed creating sweet clover poisoning via dicoumoral

Tame Grasses Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea) o Suitable for both pasture & hay. o Persistent, winter hardy, good flood & drought tolerant. Long-lived.

8 Tame Grasses Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea) o Suitable for both pasture & hay. o Persistent, winter hardy, good flood & drought tolerant. Long-lived. o Varieties: Barlox & hps (CPS) o Barlox with stronger salt tolerance Carnival (Pickseed) Riding Brand/Cowgirl (Brett Young) Tall Wheatgrass (Thinopyrum ponticum) o Moderately good for pasture and hay o Good drought & winter hardiness, persistent stands

9 Tame Grasses Russian & Dahurian Wildrye (Elymus junceus & dahuricus) o Pasture & hay; very slow to establish; bunch grasses. o Russian more winter hardy, drought tolerant, and persistent o Dahurian much better flood tolerance Considered an annual (not Russian) Altai Wildrye (Elymus angustus) o Very slow establishment, highly persistent once established, bunch grass. o As winter hardy & drought tolerant as RWR; moderate flood tolerance

10 Salt tolerance Sod or Bunch Native Grasses Establishm ent rate Longevity Flood tolerance Drought tolerance Winter hardiness Persistence Palatability Species Green Wheatgrass AC Saltlander (Thinopyrum intermedium) Slender wheatgrass (Elymus trachycaulus) Western Wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii) Northern Wheatgrass (Agropyron dasystachyum) Alkali Cord Grass (Spartina gracilis) Sand Dropseed (Sporobolus cryptandrus) high sod average long moderate high moderate high good moderate to high moderate to high moderate to high bunch very fast short moderate high moderate moderate fair sod fast long high high high high good sod fast long high high high high good high sod fast long moderate moderate moderate high low moderate bunch fast long low high moderate low low

11 Salt tolerance Sod or Bunch Establishm ent Rate Longevity Flood tolerance Drought tolerance Winter hardiness Persistence Palatability Native Grasses Species Nuttall s Alkali Grass (Puccinellia nuttalliana) Beardless Wildrye (Leymus triticoides) Saltgrass (Distichlis stricta) Blue Grama (Bouteloua gracilis) Narrow-leaved Reedgrass (Calamagrostis stricta) Mountain Brome (Bromus carnistus) Sloughgrass (Beckmannia syzigachne) very high sod average long moderate high moderate high good very high sod very slow long moderate high high high fair very high sod average long low high moderate high fair moderate sod average long low high moderate high good moderate sod fast long high low moderate moderate fair moderate sod average long low moderate moderate low good moderate sod average long moderate low moderate moderate low

Cautions With Purchasing Native Seed >>Do not buy any type of seed and expect it to do well in your area.<< Know what natural region your operation is in! o Aspen Parkland vs.

12 Cautions With Purchasing Native Seed >>Do not buy any type of seed and expect it to do well in your area.<< Know what natural region your operation is in! o Aspen Parkland vs. Dry Mixed Boreal o Foothills Fescue Grassland vs. Moist Mixedgrass Prairie Location on the landscape o North versus south side of the hill (for knob-and-kettle landscapes) o Dry or xeric areas or moist ( mesic to subhygric ) locations? Water table level, is area possibly prone to flooding or no? Soil quality/fertility/type o Dark Brown or Brown Chernozems, Grey-Wooded (Grey or Dark-Grey Luvisols), Black Chernozems? What is ph? Clay, sand, loam content? What about organic matter (SOM)?

13 Where to Look & Buy Crop Production Services (CPS) Canada Inc. o Torrington o Red Deer o Crossfield o Threehills o Delburne o Stettler o Trochu Pickseed o Products sold thru UFA o Head office in Edmonton Brett Young o Calmar/Leduc o Rycroft Northstar Seed Ltd. o Calgary Hannas Seeds o Lacombe SeCan o seed@secan.com o Ontario head office

14 Forage Mixes Various options to choose from o See your local seed supplier for information They will have recommended mixes in stock, or make custom mixes for you o Mixes based on what forages you want, how quickly they establish, how prolific and persistent they are, whether you are going to use them for hay or pasture, etc. o Percent mix in the bag has nothing to do with how many plants that will come up after seeding x % species variety only shows how much percent weight of seed is in the bag! Quiz Q: What percent plants will come up with a 80% Alfalfa 20% Timothy mix? o The Answer may surprise you!

15 % Seed Mix % Plant Emergence What percent plants will come up with a 80% Alfalfa 20% Timothy mix? o Hint: Look at # of seeds per pound! Alfalfa: 200,000 seeds/lb (!) Timothy: 1,230,000 seeds/lb (!!) o Rough calculations: 80% Alfalfa = 8 lb/acre seeded alfalfa o 8 lb/acre x 200,000 seeds/lb = 1,600,000 seeds/acre (1,600,000 seeds/acre)/ 43,560 ft/acre = 36.7 seeds/ft 2 20% Timothy = 2 lb/acre seeded o 2 lb/acre x 1,230,000 seeds/lb = 2,460,000 seeds/acre (2,460,000 seeds/acre)/ 43,560 ft/acre = 56.5 seeds/ft 2

16 % Plant Emergence Calculations Assuming 50% death loss o For Alfalfa: / 2 = = ~18 plants/ft 2 emerge Translated: / ( ) * 100 = 39.41% or 39% Alfalfa in the stand o For Timothy: / 2 = = ~28 plants/ft 2 emerge Translated: / ( ) * 100 = 60.59% or 61% Timothy in the stand More calculations to do for *higher* mixtures (more forage species) but, the concepts of % seed mix vs. % plant emergence is the same. o Take Home Message: NEVER expect the same percent of plants coming up in a stand as the percent advertised on the seed bag!

17 Management Considerations Use a mix with saline areas (highly recommended!) o Quite variable salinity levels; seeding down species with varying salinity tolerances and life spans advantageous Slender wheatgrass best sown with other species. Short lifespan = 2 or 3 yrs, will start to die out once other species have established. o Most mixes include alfalfa. Alfalfa may only establish at edges because of moderate salt tolerance o Other grasses like AC Saltlander, Tall Wheatgrass, Tall Fescue, Russian Wildrye, Saltgrass, etc. will take over centre of saline areas and choke out weeds (foxtail barley) o Must include flood-tolerant species.

18 Management Considerations The Dilemma: For Hay or Pasture? Or Both? o Mixes for hay: Utilize species that can be harvested easily. Dahurian Wildrye; Alfalfa; Tall Fescue; Tall, Green, Western Wheatgrasses Avoid low-growing or basal growing grasses (Northern Wheatgrass and Russian Wildrye) o Mixes for Pasture: More flexibility than hay. Can use tall-growing and low-growing forages, and those ideal for fall/winter grazing. Some degree of flood tolerance recommended o Most saline areas in Alberta are prone to water saturation come spring (low-lying depressions or seeps ) Deep-rooted plants advantageous o Draw down soil water levels Reduce upward movement of salts o Alfalfa and native grass species excellent choice for this

19 Management Considerations Salt content of soils can wreak havoc on seed viability! o Death loss can be much higher than predicted average 50% for non-saline areas Species with moderate or low salt tolerance seeded into high to very high saline areas will simply not grow (death loss = 100%). o Alfalfa; Barley; Timothy; Reed Canary Grass; Smooth Brome; o Salts in soil draws out water from the seed s endosperm Just like what happens when a non-salt tolerant plant is put into salt water. Salt-tolerant plants with compounds to offset unfavourable osmotic conditions will grow o Performance and vigour unhampered, especially with high to very high salt-tolerant species o **Must plant at twice the seeding rate in saline depressions as for nonsaline areas to increase chance of seed emergence**

20 Management Considerations Fertilizing: Yes, especially if your soil test results say so. o Typically saline areas are lacking in available nitrogen and phosphorus o Higher yields and greater competition with weeds go hand-in-hand with forages that get their fertilization requirements met. Take soil samples! o Several 15 to 20 0 to 6 inches (and 6 to 12 inches, if necessary) around saline area and to 200 ft out from salt line. Bag up immediately and keep in a cool place. Mix samples (keep 0-6 and 6-12 depths separate); Subsample (if necessary), Bag, & Label (farm name, which field, what depth, date), and Ship to soil lab: o Exova Canada Ltd. (Calgary & Edmonton) o Down to Earth Labs Inc. (Lethbridge) o IEH Services Canada (Brooks) Results should yield N, P, K, S (and other micronutrients) levels, EC (electrical conductivity), organic matter, soil type (amount of clay, sand & loam), and other potential issues.

When & Where to Seed? Seed down in fall (just before freeze-up) if fields are too wet in spring o Legumes *should* be seeded in spring or early summer only for successful winter survival, but.

21 When & Where to Seed? Seed down in fall (just before freeze-up) if fields are too wet in spring o Legumes *should* be seeded in spring or early summer only for successful winter survival, but... It s no use trying to seed in wet areas in springtime if you re going to get stuck!! o High moisture in spring pulls down salt levels in rooting zone, increasing germination and plant establishment success. When seeding around saline sloughs or depressional seeps, plant around the wetlands. o Cover both the visible salt line, and extend an additional 20 to 60 m (65 to ~200 ft) further out.

22 How to Prepare Seedbed? Suppress weeds with non-selective herbicide before and/or after seeding If after seeding, do so before seedling emergence (i.e., less than a week after seeding) May also spray the year before, at post-harvest or during the summer or late spring Spraying earlier may give the plants a chance to decompose Risk of weed re-emergence if sprayed too early In pasture or hay stand: Graze area as heavy & hard as you dare. Graze off 75% of stand. If necessary, treat with herbicide after animals are removed as well. Pack it down. o Forages require seeding depth no more than ¾ (1.9 cm). o Pack down so that you can only see your toe and heel, not the arch in between (work boots only, not with sneakers!) = ¼ (0.65 cm) Or, so that tractor tires can barely be seen (especially in existing sod or stubble fields) More difficulty packing sandy soils than clay. o But, you can seed a little deeper in sandy soils because plants don t have as much matter to push through to the surface.

23 How to Seed? Seed twice the recommended amount for non-saline areas. o If bag recommends seeding 13 lb per acre, seed at 26 lb/acre. o If custom mix of forages recommend various seeding rates for those forages, double those recommended rates for saline areas Need more seed and more bags of seed No-till recommended if sowing into existing forage stand or crop stubble o Disc or narrow knife openers with cutting coulters best. How openers simply tear up the surface. With packer following behind, in-row packing ensures slot is sealed and seeds covered with soil o Minimal loss of soil moisture as a result. Broadcast seeders may also be used o If seed drills cannot be used o Inaccuracy with equipment, especially if spreading mixes with unequal seed size

24 Seeding Considerations Legumes may need deeper seed depth than grasses o Smaller seeds should only be seeded at ¼ instead of ½ to ¾ deep. o With mixes, may need to reach a happy medium to provide an optimum depth for all mixes Suggest ½ at most if you have small seeded forages like Sand Dropseed or Calamagrostis (Reedgrass). Forages with arger seeds like with Wildrye and Wheatgrasses (have less seeds/lb than Calamagrostis or Dropseed), safe to go a little deeper. Row spacing: Remember, you are in competition with highly prolific weeds. o Greater spacing may, ideally, increase forage biomass, but o You can be asking for trouble too with allowing weeds to come in more readily between rows!! Kochia and foxtail barley are very prolific weeds that have great potential to out-compete newly seeded forages!! o About ~6 to 9 row spacing sufficient for establishing forages in saline areas.

25 Seedling Establishment Spray with Herbicides Post-seeding? o Not unless you sprayed with a pre-emergence herbicide o Herbicide treatment may target weeds, but May also hit forage species and kill them out too. Not good! Other post-seeding management options: o If weeds are getting out of hand, out-competing forages, mow them Mowing or swathing just above the forage seedling height opens canopy o Allows forage seedlings to take over and smother out weed stands Swath, and bale up ASAP, and remove bales as quickly. o Leaving swaths in the fields will smother the forage seedlings. o Bales? Feed them to your animals.

Dryland Grasses and Misc. Forages

Dryland Grasses and Misc. Forages Bluegrass, Canada This grass is used largely as a low-maintenance ground cover that can get up to 18 in moderately acidic soils. The optimal minimum rainfall requirement