Eastern Bottlebrush Grass Yield, Persistence, and Nutritive Value in the Northeastern USA

Abstract

Jensen, 1996). Virginia wildrye (Elymus virginicus L.) has been evaluated in the northeastern USA in terms Introduced (nonnative) species account for nearly all of the forage of yield, persistence, and nutritive value (Sanderson et grassesusedinnortheasternUSAforagesystems.Weevaluatedaccesal., 2004a, 2004b). Virginia wildrye performed better on sions of the native cool-season species, Eastern bottlebrush grass (Elymus hystrix var. hystrix L.), from the northeastern USA for yield, a deep soil in New York compared with shallow or persistence, plant morphological traits, and nutritive value. Thirteen sandy soils in Pennsylvania and Maryland, respectively. accessions and one commercial ecotype of bottlebrush grass were The nutritive value of Virginia wildrye was comparable transplanted into single-row field plots in late summer of 2000 at to that of orchardgrass; however, orchardgrass was much Beltsville, MD, Rock Springs, PA, and Big Flats, NY. Two orchardgrass more productive and persistent. (Dactylis glomerata L.) cultivars were included for reference. Yield, There is a need for more information on the usepersistence, morphology (leaf width, length, mass, area, and tillers fulness of locally adapted native grasses in production, per plant), and nutritive value data were collected during 2001 and conservation, and other plantings in the northeastern 2002. Bottlebrush grass was eliminated by the bluegrass billbug (SpheUSA. Therefore, we evaluated several northeastern colnophorus parvulus Gyllenhal) at Rock Springs in spring of 2001. At lections of bottlebrush grass for dry matter yield, persisBig Flats and Beltsville, the bottlebrush grass accessions produced as much dry matter per plant as the commercial ecotype. Orchardgrass tence, morphological characteristics, and nutritive value yielded four times as much dry matter as the mean of all bottlebrush at three locations. grass entries(102 g vs.26 g per plantaveraged for yearsand locations). The low productivity of bottlebrush grass resulted from reduced tillerMATERIALS AND METHODS ing especially during regrowth. There was very little regrowth of The experiment was conducted at the USDA-NRCS Plant bottlebrush grass during late summer in all environments. Survival Materials Center in Big Flats, NY (42N, 7654W, elevation of bottlebrush grass was 36% during 3 yr vs. 84% for orchardgrass. 290 m), the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center Differences in nutritive value among accessions were due mainly to at Rock Springs, PA (4048N, 7752W, elevation 365 m), differences in leaf-to-stem mass ratio. Eastern bottlebrush grass has and the USDA-NRCS National Plant Materials Center in limited potential for use as a forage grass in the northeastern USA. Beltsville, MD (3902N, 7656W, elevation 36 m) from 2000 to 2002. Soil types were Unadilla silt loam (coarse-silty, mixed, active, mesic Typic Dystrudepts) at Big Flats, Hagerstown silt