Report on the Workshop on New Grass Germplasms and Invasive Weed Control

Abstract

Abstract : A two-day workshop provided information on new introduced and native grass germplasms adapted to the western United States and presented methods for fighting invasive weeds. The intent of the workshop was to help land managers choose native herbaceous plants to rehabilitate sites, reduce soil erosion, and increase training opportunities. Western rangelands are typically dry, with annual precipitation from 4 to 12 inches. Participants presented the land-management problems they face on their installations. Military facilities, which must balance training mission needs with environmental concerns, are seeking natives that are resistant to training activities and can germinate quickly in a semi-arid environment. ERDC-CRREL and the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) in Logan, Utah, have developed new cultivars and germplasms of native and introduced grasses that establish rapidly, compete with invasive weeds, and are resistant to land disturbances caused by military training activities. These plants were developed by improving the native and introduced grasses already growing on military ranges in the western United States. The new germplasms are also appropriate for other federal, state, or local agencies, highway right-of-ways, mine spoils, and other disturbed areas, they also will help managers satisfy the Presidential Order on native plants. Three germplasms have been released to date and eight more will be available. Related establishment studies have shown that seed mixtures using the native grasses along with rapidly establishing introduced species can quickly form a grass cover that inhibits invasion of noxious weeds and prevents erosion, and that, over time, will develop into a stand of predominantly native grasses.