Grass Varieties For North Dakota
R-794 (Revised), May 2001
Kevin K. Sedivec, Extension Rangeland Management
Specialist, NDSU, Fargo
Dwight A. Tober, Plant Materials Specialist, USDA-NRCS, Bismarck
John Berdahl, cientist, USDA-ARS, Northern Great Plains Research Laboratory,
Mandan
Selection of the proper species
and variety is one important step in making a grass seeding successful. Grass
species and varieties differ in growth habit, productivity, forage quality,
drought resistance, tolerance to grazing, winter hardiness, seedling vigor,
salinity tolerance and many other characteristics. Therefore, selection should
be based on the climate, soils, intended use, and the management planned. Planting
the proper selection can also provide long-term benefits and affect future productivity
of the stand.
This publication is designed to help producers and land
managers in North Dakota select perennial grass species and varieties for rangeland
and pasture seeding and conservation planting. A description of each species
and variety is included. Variety origin and date released is also given for
additional reference.
A guide is provided to aid in selection of grass species
for droughty soils, arid environments, and saline or alkaline areas. This guide
is intended to assist in the selection process and should help in reclamation
of disturbed areas or seeding of pastures and rangeland. Before selecting the
plant species used, several factors should be considered including 1) a soil
test, 2) identification of the type of vegetation that previously grew on the
location before it was disturbed, 3) weather patterns (precipitation and temperature
factors), 4) planting methods recommended for each plant species (refer to circulars
R-563, Forage Establishment; R-917, Grass Seed Production in North Dakota; and
R-790, Planting Tips), and 5) erosion potential.
Introduced Grasses
Introduced grass species (also referred to as "tame
grass") and varieties can be planted for pastureland, hayland, waterways,
conservation cover, filter strips and wildlife habitat. Some species require
a high level of management and fertility to provide long-term protection of
the soil and high herbage performance.
Use certified seed to assure varietal identity and
genetic purity. An alternative is to use common seed of adapted varieties harvested
in the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Montana, Wyoming
and provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Bromegrass
Meadow
Varieties Date Released
--------------------------
Fleet* 1987
Paddock* 1987
Regar 1966
*Fleet and Paddock are Canadian varieties
with higher seed yields.
Meadow bromegrass is a long-lived, cool-season, perennial
bunchgrass. It has good seedling vigor and is easy to establish. Forage quality
is excellent. It has strong regrowth potential following grazing. Leaves are
dominantly basal. Under favorable moisture, leaves remain green and continue
to grow after the seed crop is mature. Meadow bromegrass is winter hardy but
provides less forage than smooth bromegrass under drought stress. It is suggested
for use with alfalfa for hay and pasture on good moisture sites. Meadow bromegrass
has excellent regrowth potential when moisture is adequate
Smooth (17KB
b&w illustration)
Types Varieties Date Released
-----------------------------------------
Northern Carlton 1961
Intermediate Signal 1983
Magna 1968
Manchar 1943
Southern Badger 1990
Radisson 1989
Rebound 1978
Beacon 1976
Barton 1973
Baylor 1962
Saratoga 1955
Lincoln 1942
Smooth bromegrass is a long-lived, cool-season, sod-forming
perennial grass used extensively for hay, pasture and soil conservation. Northern
and intermediate types develop less aggressive sod and may maintain the alfalfa
component of a mixture longer. Southern types are earlier in maturity. It
is an excellent hay and pasture grass for the eastern two-thirds of North
Dakota and on better soils westward. Close grazing in the spring delays regrowth
from crown buds. Stands become unproductive in three to four years if not
fertilized. It is used extensively for grassed waterways and other soil and
water conservation practices. Rebound was selected for rapid recovery after
haying or grazing.
Fescue
Hard
Varieties Date Released
-------------------------
Discovery 1996
Aurora 1985
Reliant 1981
Durar 1949
Hard fescue is a special purpose, semi-erect, densely
tufted, drought tolerant, perennial, cool-season bunchgrass. It is highly
competitive, durable and shade tolerant with an extensive root system. Primary
use is for revegetation of disturbed areas, roadsides, ditch banks, conservation
planting and for turf around farmyards, airports and other heavy use areas.
Reliant and Aurora are newer varieties that are shorter than Durar and are
well suited for low maintenance turf. Shallow planting is critical. Seedlings
develop slowly the first year.
Foxtail
Creeping
(9KB b&w illustration)
Varieties Date Released
-------------------------
Retain 1979
Garrison* 1963
*North Dakota release
Creeping foxtail is a very early maturing, highly palatable,
cool-season, perennial, sod-forming grass that grows best on wet or imperfectly
drained soils. It tolerates long periods of flooding in early spring. A uniformly
moist soil, exceeding 50 percent of field capacity, is beneficial during seedling
emergence for successful establishment. The light fluffy seed tends to clog
in grain drills. For seed production, the variety Retain has less seed loss
due to shattering. Garrison tends to have high forage yield. Primary use is
for hay, pasture and conservation planting on wet or imperfectly drained soils.
This species can be invasive on wet sites as the seed is very light and easily
transported to other wet sites.
Wheatgrass
Bluebunch-Quackgrass hybrid
Varieties Date Released
-------------------------
NewHy 1993
NewHy wheatgrass is a long-lived perennial grass with
a moderate amount of vegetative spread developed as a hybrid between quackgrass
and bluebunch wheatgrass. It has demonstrated a relatively high level of tolerance
to salinity. NewHy is more saline-tolerant than crested and intermediate wheatgrass
and nearly as tolerant as tall wheatgrass.
Crested (9KB
b&w illustration)
Types Varieties Date Released
----------------------------------
Standard Nordan* 1953
RoadCrest 1998
Summit 1953
Fairway Ephraim 1983
Ruff 1972
Parkway 1969
Fairway 1927
Hybrid CD-II 1996
Kirk 1987
HyCrest 1984
*North Dakota release
Crested wheatgrass is an early, long-lived, cool-season,
drought tolerant, perennial bunchgrass with excellent seedling vigor and ease
of establishment. It is used primarily for hay and early spring pasture in
mixtures with alfalfa. The fairway types are shorter, leafier and have less
tendency to form large clumps with age. The variety Fairway is frequently
used in dryland lawns. Ephraim has lower forage yields but was selected for
its slowly developing sod-forming characteristic, which is useful as a low-maintenance
ground cover. RoadCrest has a short stature and finer leaves and is moderately
rhizomatous, which is desirable for roadsides and other low-maintenance applications.
HyCrest, Kirk, and CD-II are varieties of hybrid crested wheatgrass obtained
by crossing standard and fairway types.
Intermediate (12KB
b&w illustration)
Types Varieties Date Released
Intermediate Reliant* 1991
Clarke 1980
Slate 1969
Chief 1961
Oahe 1961
Pubescent Manska* 1992
Greenleaf 1966
Mandan 759* Informal
*North Dakota release
Intermediate wheatgrass is a vigorous, fast-growing,
cool-season, perennial, sod-forming grass. Varieties differ in the amount
of pubescence on seed head and leaves. The pubescent varieties are reported
to be more drought tolerant and form a sod more rapidly than intermediate
varieties. Forage yield is similar among all varieties and types, with the
exception of Reliant, Oahe, Chief, and Manska, which tend to be higher producing.
Both types of intermediate wheatgrass are often included in seed mixtures
for hay and pasture due to their ease of establishment and fast growth. To
maintain productivity, do not closely graze in the spring and do not graze
past August 1. Intermediate wheatgrass is often used in seed mixtures for
wildlife habitat. Reliant is more of a bunch type, developed to be less competitive
with alfalfa in hayland planting. Manska, reselected from Mandan 759, has
shown significantly higher forage quality and improved animal daily gain in
grazing tests in Nebraska.
Siberian
Varieties Date Released
-------------------------
Vavilov 1994
P-27 1953
Similar to crested wheatgrass in appearance, Siberian
wheatgrass has awnless seed heads more numerous than crested. It is drought
resistant and well adapted to light, droughty soils; however, Siberian wheatgrass
appears to be a shorter lived plant that may not be very persistent in a grass
stand.
Tall (15KB
b&w illustration)
Varieties Date Released
------------------------
Orbit 1966
Platte 1966
Jose 1965
Alkar 1951
Tall wheatgrass is a tall, coarse, late-maturing, cool-season,
perennial bunch grass. It is a special purpose grass used to revegetate saline-alkali
soils with high water tables. The plant normally becomes coarse and unpalatable
to livestock as it matures. Jose is finer-leaved and rated higher in forage
quality. Palatability of hay is fair to good if cut prior to or just after
heading. A 6-inch stubble height should be left. Tall wheatgrass is used in
narrow, uniformly spaced barriers for soil erosion control and to manage snow
for moisture conservation on cropland. It is often seeded in a mixture with
intermediate wheatgrass, alfalfa and sweetclover for wildlife habitat.
Wildrye
Altai
(11KB b&w illustration)
Varieties Date Released
------------------------
Pearl 1989
Eejay 1989
Prairieland 1976
Altai wildrye is a long-lived, cool-season, drought
tolerant, winter-hardy, perennial bunchgrass with coarse, erect leaves. It
is a special purpose grass used to extend the grazing season into the late
fall and winter. Upright and erect stature and leaf retention after snowfall
permits late fall/early winter grazing. It is adapted to loam and clay soils.
Seedlings develop slowly, and stand establishment is more difficult than many
other grass species. The root system is extensive and penetrates to depths
of 10 feet. It possesses moderately high tolerance to saline-alkali soils,
but less than tall wheatgrass and the bluebunch wheatgrass-quackgrass hybrid
"NewHy". Forage nutritional value is retained into late fall and
winter for grazing. Seed supply is limited due to its low seed yield. Aftermath
growth must be removed by clipping or grazing to maintain maximum seed yield.
Recommended as a single-species stand for grazing.
Dahurian
Varieties Date Released
------------------------
Arthur 1989
James 1989
Dahurian wildrye is a short-lived perennial bunchgrass
that is easy to establish, with excellent seedling vigor, good forage production,
and quick recovery after haying. Dahurian is recommended for hay or pasture
in situations where stands persist past two or three years. It has been seeded
in alternate or perpendicular rows with longer-lived but slower establishing
grasses to enhance early production. Authur and James are Canadian varieties.
Mammoth
Varieties Date Released
------------------------
Volga 1949
Mammoth wildrye is a tall, coarse, perennial, cool-season
grass with stout rhizomes. It has poor forage quality but provides excellent
erosion control on sandy soils, including inland sand dunes and blowout areas.
It is often seeded with sand bluestem using a companion grass mixture.
Russian (11KB
b&w illustration)
Varieties Date Released
-----------------------------
Mankota* 1991
Tetracan 1988
Bozoisky Select 1983
Swift 1978
Vinall* 1960
*North Dakota release
Russian wildrye is an early, long-lived, cool-season,
drought tolerant, perennial bunchgrass with fine basal leaves. It is a special
purpose grass used primarily to extend the grazing season into late fall.
Protein content of the forage remains at relatively high levels when saved
for fall grazing. It is adapted to loam and clay soils and possesses a moderately
high tolerance to saline-alkali soils. Seedlings develop more slowly than
many other species, but once established, Russian wildrye is highly competitive
with other forage species, Russian wildrye is recommended for fall grazing
in separate pastures as a single species. Mankota is a new variety selected
for improved seedling vigor, resistance to leaf diseases and 15 to 20 percent
higher forage yields in good moisture sites or years.
Native Grasses
Many of the native grass species have specific traits
that adapt them for use in range, pasture, hayland, wildlife habitat or conservation
plantings.
Performance and adaptation of native grass varieties
differ by point of origin because of natural selection, which occurs due to
environmental conditions such as temperature, day length, growing season, etc.
Experience has shown that seed from a native harvest can be moved about 300
miles north or 200 miles south of its origin without serious adaptation difficulties.
Some cool-season grass species such as western wheatgrass and green needlegrass
have broad areas of adaptation. Movement east and west is influenced primarily
by precipitation and elevation. An increase of 1,000 feet in elevation is equivalent
to a move of about 175 miles north of its origin.
Use certified seed to assure varietal identity and
genetic purity. An alternative is to use common seed of adapted varieties harvested
in the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska, Montana, Wyoming
and provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Cool-Season Grasses
These grasses are most productive in spring and fall
during periods of cool temperatures and plentiful moisture.
Canarygrass
Reed
(13KB b&w illustration)
Varieties Origin Date Released
--------------------------------
Palaton IA 1985
Venture IA 1983
Vantage MN, IA 1972
Rise NE,Canada 1964
Reed canarygrass is a high-yielding, strongly rhizomatous,
sod-forming grass on wet or imperfectly drained soils and under irrigation.
Tolerance to saline-alkali soils is low. It can withstand long periods of
early spring flooding. High alkaloid content reduces palatability when grazed
but is not a problem in hay. Palaton and Venture are low alkaloid content
varieties and are recommended for grazing. Rise and Vantage have moderate
alkaloid levels compared to older varieties. This species can be invasive
on wet sites.
Needlegrass
Green
(13KB b&w illustration)
Varieties Origin Date Released
----------------------------------
Lodorm* ND 1969
*North Dakota release
Green needlegrass is a perennial, early drought-tolerant
bunchgrass adapted to a wide range of soils. Seed harvested from native stands
has a high level of dormancy. The variety Lodorm was released because of less
seed dormancy after harvest compared to native seed. It is a highly palatable
grass and is widely used in rangeland seeding.
Wheatgrass
Bluebunch
(14KB b&w illustration)
Varieties Origin Date Released
--------------------------------
Goldar ID 1989
Secar ID 1980
Bluebunch wheatgrass is a long-lived, drought tolerant,
highly palatable and nutritious bunchgrass. This species is sensitive to overgrazing.
It is best adapted to the droughty soils of western North Dakota.
Slender (16KB
b&w illustration)
Varieties Origin Date Released
-------------------------------------
Adanac Sask.,Canada 1990
Pryor MT 1988
Revenue Canada 1970
Primar MT, WA 1946
Slender wheatgrass is a short-lived cool-season, perennial
bunchgrass. It is primarily used in seed mixtures of introduced and native
grasses due to its excellent seedling vigor, ease of establishment and fast
growth. Plants lose vigor and decline in abundance within three to four years.
Presence in mixtures improves stand productivity, especially during the first
production year, until other grasses become better established. It possesses
a high tolerance to saline-alkali soils.
Thickspike/streambank
Varieties Origin Date Released
------------------------------------
Bannock OR, ID, WA 1995
Elbee Albe.,Canada 1980
Critana MT 1971
Sodar OR 1954
Thickspike wheatgrass is a strongly rhizomatous, perennial,
sod-forming grass found on rough, broken buttes and to a limited extent on
sagebrush flats in native grasslands. The variety Sodar has been used extensively
for revegetation of disturbed areas, roadsides, runways for small airplanes,
and other critical areas that receive little or no maintenance. Stem and leaf
rust may be a problem on some sites and in the eastern half of North Dakota.
Authorities currently recognize thickspike and streambank as the same species.
Western (11KB
b&w illustration)
Varieties Origin Date Released
------------------------------------
Rodan* ND 1983
Walsh Sask.,Canada 1983
Flintlock NE 1975
Rosana MT 1972
*North Dakota release
Western wheatgrass, North Dakota's state grass, is
a long-lived, drought-resistant, sod-forming grass found throughout the state,
especially on medium to fine textured soils. It has a high level of tolerance
to saline-alkali soils and can withstand periodic flooding. Stands are slow
to develop from seed. It is widely used in seed mixtures for rangeland seeding,
revegetation of saline-alkali areas and in critical area planting for erosion
control. Rodan is similar to the variety Rosana in area of adaptation but
is more productive on coarse-textured soils and areas of higher rainfall.
Walsh is adapted to fine-textured, moderately saline-alkaline soils.
Wildrye
Basin
(21KB b&w illustration)
Varieties Origin Date Released
-----------------------------------
Trailhead MT 1991
Magnar Sask,Canada 1979
Basin wildrye is a perennial bunchgrass native to much
of the western United States. It performs best on flood plains or areas receiving
additional moisture; however, basin wildrye performed well on sandy soils
in western North Dakota receiving average yearly precipitation of 12 to 18
inches during the years of field evaluation. Seedlings develop slowly, and
stand establishment is difficult. Basin wildrye is a tall grass that provides
excellent standing forage for livestock and nesting and escape cover for wildlife.
It can also be used as a grass windbreak for wind erosion protection or to
control blowing snow. Basin wildrye does not do well on coarse, shallow or
heavy clay soils. This grass is susceptible to leaf and stem rusts in the
eastern half of North Dakota.
Beardless
Varieties Origin Date Released
--------------------------------
Shoshone WY 1980
Beardless wildrye is a rhizomatous perennial grass
adapted to wet, saline-alkali soils. Its use is limited due to slow seed germination
and seedling development. Field tests on highly saline soils indicate that
Shoshone beardless wildrye is superior to Rosana western wheatgrass in providing
ground cover. Due to slow seedling development, proper seedbed preparation
is important to minimize competition from weeds. It is suggested for use on
saline-seep discharge areas. Plant in late fall as a dormant-season seeding
to improve seed germination.
Canada (14KB
b&w illustration)
Varieties Origin Date Released
--------------------------------
Mandan* ND 1946
*North Dakota release
Canada wildrye is a short-lived bunchgrass with large
coarse leaves, excellent seedling vigor and fair palatability if grazed or
hayed before heading. It has potential in mixtures on sandy soils and critical
areas for early establishment of cover until other species are established.
The awned seedheads of Canada wildrye are showy, and the grass is often used
for decorative planting near roadside rest areas and in parks.
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