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SOCR 320 > Species Flashcards > Flashcards

Species Flashcards

1
Q

Alfalfa

Medicago sativa

The #1 forage crop

A
  • Also called Lucerne
  • Known as the “Queen of the Forages”
  • One of the most important forage crops in U.S.
    • High nutrition, high yield, and adaptability
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2
Q

Alfalfa

A
  • Cool-season legume
  • Long-lived perennial (treated as a moderately long-lived perennial)
  • Most grow with a deep taproot (reason for drought tolerance)
  • Can reach heights of 2-3 feet
  • Fixes large amounts of nitrogen (it’s a legume)
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3
Q

Growth characteristics

Alfalfa

A
  • Grows in a large range of soil types, does best in deep well-drained soils with a loamy teture
  • Not tolerant of flooded or waterlogged soils
  • Soil pH of 6.2 to 7.5
  • Not tolerant of salty soils
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4
Q

Uses of Alfalfa

Alfalfa

A
  • Used for hay, grazing (causes bloat), haylage, and greenchop, oten pelleted or cubed
  • Excellent food source for antelope, deer, elk, Canada geese, and sage and sharptail grouse (wildlife)
  • Protein/mineral supplement for humans
  • Used to produce enzymes (Lignin peroxidase, alpha-amylase, cellulose, and phytase)
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5
Q

Pros vs Cons

Alfalfa

A

PROS:
* High yield
* Widely adapted, easy to grow
* Very palatabel
* Quick regrowth
* Important rotation crop (adds nitrogen to soil)

CONS:
* High bloat potential when grazed by ruminants
* Susceptible to pests
* High water use
* Sensitive to poorly drained, salty, and acidic soils
* Removes a large amount of nutrients from the soil

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6
Q

Orchard Grass

Dactylis glomerata

A
  • Grows in bunches, known as a bunch grass
  • Unique because all seeds are tightly packed into a single clump on one side of the stem
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7
Q

Orcahard Grass

A
  • One of the most common hay and pasture grasses grown in the U.S.
  • Shade tolerant species, good producer
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8
Q

Growth characteristics

Orchard Grass

A
  • Cool-season, moderate to long-lived, perennial (will grow during the heat of summer with adequate water0
  • Low tolerance to salty soils
  • pH range 5.8-7.5 (slightly acidic)
  • Not tolerant of wet soils or prolonged flooding
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9
Q

Identification

Orchard Grass

A
  • Blue-green color
  • Leves are folded, v-shaped
  • Slightly succulent, rubbery texture
  • Flattened stems/tillers
  • Seeds clustered on one side of branch
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10
Q

Uses

Orchard Grass

A
  • ** Maintain 4 inch stubble (should be grazed rotationally) **
  • Primarily used for hay and pasture
  • Commonly mixed with other cool season grasses and legumes
  • High palatability
  • Deer and elk reaadily prefer this grass
  • Used to stabilize soils after burns, logging, and mining
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11
Q

Pros vs. Cons

Orchard Grass

A

Pros
* Consistent growth throughout season, good mid-summer growth if irrigated
* Rapid regrowth (allows for multiple cuttings, long grazing seasons, pairs well with alfalfa)
* Leafy and highly palatable to most livestock
* Adapted to shade and low light areas

Cons
* Will often winterkill during dry,
cold, open winters – needs snow
cover and/or moist soils
* Susceptible to overgrazing and
close mowing – need to maintain
4-inch stubble height
* Requires high levels of nitrogen
to maximize yields
* Will not tolerate flooding/wet
soil for long periods – needs
drainage

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12
Q

Smooth Brome

Bromus inermis

A
  • More prominent in the northern U.S. due to its inability to withstand humid southern summers (diseases)
  • Considered an invasive species in some areas
  • One of the most widely used cool-season grasses in NA
  • Not as high yield potential as orchard grass
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13
Q

Growth Characteristics

Smooth Brome

A
  • Cool season perennial
  • Long lived
  • Rhizomatous sod-former: Can become sod bound, fire tolerant, regrows from rhizomes
  • Stems grow 2 to 4 ft high
  • “W” or “M” on leaf used for identification on big, wide flat blade
  • Likes well-drainded clay loam
  • Resistant to drought and temperature extremes
  • Flood tolerant –> due to extensive but shallow root system
  • Some tolerance to alkaline soils: best performance in soils pH 6.0-7.5
  • Needs >14 inches annual precipitation or irrigation
  • High nitrogen requirement
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14
Q

Uses

Smooth Brome

A
  • Used for hay, pasture, and silage: highly palatable, high in protein, relatively low fiber content
    *
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15
Q

Pros vs. Cons

Smooth Brome

A

Pros
* Very palatable and nutritious for livestock and many wild ungulates
* Early growth, high spring hay yields
* Great for erosion control
* Quickly fills in bare spots in pastures, mixes well with bunchgrasses such as meadow brome and orchardgrass
* Drought tolerant: Grows well under dryland or irrigation

Cons
* Very aggressive due to spreading rhizomes, can become invasive
* Suffers from summer slump - slow regrowth and uneven yield distribution
* Can become sod bound
* Requires high levels of nitrogen: Maintain productivity and quality, reduce potential for sod binding
* Not very tolerant of humidity –> Promotes diseases

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16
Q

Medow Brome

Bromus biebersteinii

A
  • Presence of awns, hairy leaves and stems, and non-
    aggressive rhizomes distinguishes meadow brome from
    smooth brome
  • Grown primarily in the northern US and southern Canada
17
Q

Growth Characteristics

Medow Brome

A
  • Cool season, long-lived perennial
  • Contains short rhizomes, but grows as a bunchgrass
  • Very winter hardy
  • Can reach 2-6 ft in height when irrigated
  • Has very dense network of roots that prevent soil erosion
  • Capable of rapid re-growth after grazing or mowing, even
    during hot periods
  • Performs well in gravely to medium textured, well to
    moderately well drained, and moderately acidic to weakly
    saline and alkaline soils
  • Sensitive to flooding (Dies after 10 days of inundation)
  • Good drought tolderance
18
Q

Uses

Medow Brome

A
  • Used primarily for irrigated pasture and hay
  • Highly palatable to all classes of livestock and wildlife
  • Erosion control (dense fibrous root system)
19
Q

Tall Fescue

Festuca arundinacea

A
  • Grows best in the eastern part of the U.S.
  • Likes acidic soils
  • Often used as a turf grass for lawns
20
Q

Growth Characteristics

Tall Fescue

A
  • Cool-season, deep rooted, perennial
  • Long-lived bunchgrass, 3 to 4 ft tall
  • Can grow in slightly more acidic soils, but yield is reduced: Optimum pH 5.5 to 7 (extremes of 4.7 to 9.5)
  • Moderately drought tolerant
  • Moderate flood tolerance
21
Q

Uses

Tall Fescue

A
  • Primarily used for pasture and hay but can also be ensiled
  • Not as palatable as other cool-seasoned grasses: best to grow as a monoculture or with one of the clovers when used for pasture
  • Very winter hardy –> Long growing season: leaves stay green long into the winter, on of the best grasses for use as stockpiled forage
  • Very grazing tolerant: resistant to trampling, works well in horse pastures
  • Turf grass
22
Q

Endophyte Toxicity Concerns

Tall Fescue

A
  • Endophyte is a fungus that lives inside the plant and produces ergot alkaloids
  • Ergot alkaloids are toxic to ruminants and horses
  • Cattle:Results in lower fertility rates, reduced weight gain and/or loss of weight as well as a possibility of fescue foot and gangrene of extremities
  • Horses: Results in reproductive issues, difficulty rebreeding, and poor milk production
  • Toxin contributes to plants drought tolerance, insect/disease resistance, and persistence
23
Q

Intermediate/Pubescent Wheat Grass

Thinopyrum intermedium

A
  • Very important in the West for production of highly nutritious, early season forage
  • Sod-former
24
Q

Growth Characteristics

Intermediate/Pubescent Wheat Grass

A
  • Cool-season, long-lived perennial
  • Has short rhizomes
  • Grows to 3-4 feet tall
  • Deep root system: Well adapted to stabilization of disturbed soils
  • Adapted to areas with 12-14 inches of annual rainfall but responds very well to limited irrigation (Pubescent a little more drought tolerant than intermediate)
  • Prefers well-drained loamy to clay textured soils
  • Will tolerate slightly acidic to mildly saline conditions, pH of 5.4-8.6
25
Q

Uses

Intermediate/Pubescent Wheat Grass

A
  • Primarily used for pasture and hay
  • Best adapted to single-crop haying situations: High first cutting yields, slow regrowth (summer slump)
  • Palatable to all classes of livestock and wildlife: Preferred feed for cattle, sheep, horses, deer, antelope, and elk in spring, early summer, and fall
    *
26
Q

Pros vs. Cons

Intermediate/Pubescent Wheat Grass

A

Pros
* High yield
* High quality and palatability
* Drought tolerant: Works well under limited irrigation, Pubescent form more drought and winterhardy, therefore more persistent
* Does well on alkaline soils with mild to moderate salinity
* Easy establishment - Seeds germinate rapidly and have good vigor
* Pubescent form competes well with weeds
* Erosion control

Cons
* Slow to regrow – limits use in summer
* Short stand longevity under grazing: Must be carefully managed to ensure stand maintenance and high production
* Low tolerance of wet soil conditions
* Susceptible to Banks grass mite

27
Q

Wheat Grasses

A
  • Have some drought tolerance
  • Salinity tolerant
28
Q

General Info

Perennial Ryegrass

Loiium perene

A
  • Short-lived, cool-season perennial bunchgrass
  • Primarily used as a pasture grass, highly digestible (high sugar content)
  • Lower yields than other species talked about: Depends on level of management, especially N additions
29
Q

Growth Characteristics

Perennial Ryegrass

A
  • Best adapted to mild-temperate climates –> does not withstand hot/dry weather or severe winters
  • Grows best on fertile, well-drained soils
30
Q

Identifying Characteristics

Perennial Ryegrass

A
  • Blades tend to be dark green and ridged on the upper surface
  • Lower surfaces (underside) are smooth and glossy
  • Auricles at the collar
  • Spikelets oriented edgewise to the stem
31
Q

Uses

Perennial Ryegrass

A
  • Premier-quality pasture grass
  • Can be used for hay or silage (usually only the first cutting)
  • Erosion control
  • Can be used as feed for wildlife
  • Common turfgrass species
32
Q

Pros vs Cons

Perennial Ryegrass

A

Pros
* Excellent pasture grass: grazing tolerant, quick regrowth, high quality (CP and digestibility), and very palatable
* Quick establishment; one of the few grasses that can be easily established by broadcasting the seed
* Good for erosion control because of quick establishment
* Excellent turfgrass species

Cons
* Not as winter hardy as most cool season grasses; prone to winterkill; does not persist in CO or much of the US
* Not drought tolerant, can’t withstand high temperatures and dry soils
* Livestock will selectively graze, so it shouldn’t generally be mixed with other cool-season grasses
* Can cause ryegrass staggers and facial eczema, both due to distinct fungi that live in or on the plant

33
Q

Growth Characteristics

Festulolium

Festulolium braunii

A
  • Cool season perennial bunchgrass
  • Adapted for cool, humid climates, can grow in warmer, less humid climates if irrigated
  • Not very tolerant of poorly drained or poor fertility soils
  • Inflorescence depends on parent species used, but commonly is unbranched with spikelets, similar to ryegrass
34
Q

Uses

Festulolium

A
  • Mainly used for grazing/stockpiling
  • Often mixed with legumes like white clover or birdsfoot trefoil and grasses like orchardgrass and meadow brome

SOCR 320 (9 decks)

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