Wednesday, November 15, 2006
247-5
Winter Hardiness Evaluation in Orchardgrass and Meadow Bromegrass at High Elevations.
Kevin Jensen, USDA-ARS-FRRL, 695 N 1100 E, Logan, UT 84322-6300, Blair Waldron, USDA-ARS, For. & Rng. Res. Lab, Logan, UT 84322-6300, Kevin Heaton, Utah State UNiversity, Courthouse 55 South Main, Panguitch, UT 84759, Joseph Robins, Utah State Univ, USDA-ARS Forage and Range Research, 6300 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322-6300, and Michael Peel, Utah State Univ, USDA-ARS Forage & Range Research Lab, Logan, UT 84322-6300.
Lack of winter hardiness in orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) and meadow bromegrass (Bromus riparius Rehm.) frequently limits grass persistence and forage production of irrigated pastures on high mountain deserts in the Great Basin . It is hypothesized that plant materials collected from higher elevations are more adapted and would have less winter injury (death) than those collected from lower elevations. In 2003, orchardgrass was collected in southern Utah at elevations ranging from 1408 m to over 3319 m. These materials were established at Panguitch, UT (2154 m elevation) and Logan, UT (1358 m elevation). Winter injury was scored on a 1 to 9 basis with 1 being dead and 9 having no apparent injury. Combined over 2005 and 2006, plot winter injury in orchardgrass ranged from 3.9 to 6.6 and averaged 5.7. Check cultivars Potomac and Ambassador averaged 5.2 and 5.1, respectively. Based on two years data, there is no correlation between collection elevation and winter injury (r=-0.19). As expected, there was a significant correlation between winter injury and forage yield (r=0.86). Plot winter injury in meadow bromegrass ranged from 8.7 to 9.0 and averaged 8.9.