how grass grows
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How Grass GrowsHow Grass Grows
Developed by:Developed by:Wendy Williams, NRCS, Bozeman, MontanaWendy Williams, NRCS, Bozeman, Montana
UNCE, Reno, Nev.
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Topics to be covered:Topics to be covered: How plants make food Legumes and grasses How pasture plants grow Growth and reproduction Managing growing points Plant identification Determining forage yield
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How plants make food for growth
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What plants are growing in my What plants are growing in my pasture?pasture?
Legumes Grasses Weeds (we’ll talk
about them later)
UNCE, Reno, Nev.
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LegumesLegumes
Parts of a Parts of a legumelegume
taproot
leaflet
flower
stem
leaf
stolon
A. Miller
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How legumes growHow legumes grow Vegetative growth Bud stage Flowering
NCSU
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GrassesGrasses
NRCS, Bozeman, Mont.
Parts of a Parts of a grass plantgrass plant
Grasses consist of several Grasses consist of several growth segments growth segments
Each segment contains a: Leaf Node Internode Axillary bud or potential
bud – can produce a new stem or tiller
NRCS, Bozeman, Mont.
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OSUPenn State Univ.
2 tillers developing from the crown of the plant
A joint (node)
NRCS, Bozeman, Mont.
Growing PointsGrowing Points Location where cells
divide and produce new growth
Occur close to the ground early in the growing season
Become elevated above ground as the growing season progresses
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Stages of grass growthStages of grass growth Vegetative
Growth of leaves Elongation
Lengthening of stem internodes, also called jointing
Boot stage is the end of elongation Reproductive
Development of seedhead and seed
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Grass plants reproduce by forming seed heads
Some plants also reproduce by sending out spreading roots or shoots
Plant reproductionPlant reproduction
USDA NRCS
UNCE, Reno, Nev.
Long-shoot phase of growth (elongated internodes)
Short-shoot phase of growth
Growing points removed; must
regrow from basal buds
Regrowth
RegrowthGrowing
point level
Intact growing points
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Forage growth and Forage growth and managementmanagement
USDA NRCS
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Forage growth Forage growth patterns patterns
Growing points at ground level
Growing points on the stem
Growing points at the stem tips
Smooth brome
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Carbohydrate reserves (food)Carbohydrate reserves (food) Stored in roots,
rhizomes, stolons and base of stem
Used for first spring growth of dormant plants
Allow rapid regrowth from stubble
Kentucky bluegrass rhizomePenn State Univ.
Adapted from NRCS by A. Miller
Adapted from NRCS by A. Miller
Adapted from NRCS, Bozeman, Mont.
Adapted from NRCS, Bozeman, Mont. by A. Miller
Take half and leave half
UNCE, Reno, Nev.
Nutrient content by plant growth stageNutrient content by plant growth stage
A B CAdapted from www.ag.ndsu.edu by A. Miller
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Early to mid-season, maximum forage production can be obtained by keeping the plant in a vegetative state by preventing seed head production
Depending on the species, you may want to let the grass form a seed head at the end of the season
Managing for productivityManaging for productivity
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Identifying grassesIdentifying grasses
UNCE, Reno, Nev.
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Plant life cyclesPlant life cycles
Annual Biennial Perennial
OSU
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Cool-season plantsCool-season plants Optimum temperature range 65 to 75
degrees F Productive in spring and fall Reduced growth in summer Higher in crude protein Respond to nitrogen fertilizer Orchardgrass, fescues, perennial
ryegrass and bromes are examples
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Warm-season plantsWarm-season plants Better at using atmospheric nitrogen Grow best at high temperatures
(90 to 95 degrees F) Lower in protein but protein is more
efficiently used by animals Triggered by day lengths Examples are big and little bluestem,
switchgrass, Indiangrass, and sudangrass
Cool-season versus Cool-season versus warm-season grass productivitywarm-season grass productivity
A. Miller
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Cool-season bunchgrassesCool-season bunchgrasses Growth occurs in early spring or late
fall Grows in bunches or clumps Grass propagates by seed only More elevated leaves Grazing must be managed to optimize
productivity
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Tall Tall fescuefescue
www.aginfonet.com
www.agry.purdue.edu National Forage and Grass Curriculum
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OrchardgrassOrchardgrass
www.agry.purdue.edu
www.aginfonet.com
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Perennial ryegrassPerennial ryegrass
www.agry.purdue.edu
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Annual ryegrassAnnual ryegrass
www.forages.orst.edu
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TimothyTimothy
www.aginfonet.com
www.argy.purdue.edu
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Crested wheatgrassCrested wheatgrass
www.aginfonet.com
National Park Service
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Siberian wheatgrass Siberian wheatgrass
APMC, Idaho
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Tall wheatgrassTall wheatgrass
www.usask.ca
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Intermediate wheatgrass Intermediate wheatgrass
www.agric.gov.ab.ca
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Pubescent wheatgrass Pubescent wheatgrass
NRCS, Bozeman, Mont.
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Slender wheatgrassSlender wheatgrass
USDA Plant Gallery
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Basin wildryeBasin wildrye
plants.usda.gov
Aberdeen Plant Materials Center, Idaho.
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Russian wildryeRussian wildrye
www.inspection.ga.ca
prairiewild.com
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Cool-season sod-forming Cool-season sod-forming grassesgrasses
Growth occurs in early spring or late fall
Growth forms a mat of roots or sod Plants propagate from both seed and
rhizomes or stolons More tolerant of grazing
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Kentucky bluegrassKentucky bluegrass
www.agry.purdue.edu
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Brome, annual speciesBrome, annual species
Soft chess / Blando brome Japanese brome Red brome Undesirable species
Ripgut Cheatgrass
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Soft chess / Blando bromeSoft chess / Blando brome
elib.cs.berkeley.edu
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Japanese brome Japanese brome
incolor.inebraska.com
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Meadow bromeMeadow brome
www.agric.gov.ab.ca www.aginfonet.com
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Red bromeRed brome
Burke Museum of Natural History
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Smooth bromeSmooth brome
www.agry.purdue.edu
UNCE, Reno, Nev.
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Garrison Garrison creeping foxtailcreeping foxtail
www.aginfonet.com
agronomy.unl.edu
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Meadow foxtail Meadow foxtail
www.forages.css.orst.edu
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QuackgrassQuackgrass
www.ppws.vt.edu
www.ipm.ucdavis.edu
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Reed canarygrassReed canarygrass
www.agry.purdue.edu
www.aginfonet.com
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Streambank wheatgrass Streambank wheatgrass
www.aginfonet.com
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Thickspike wheatgrassThickspike wheatgrass
NRCS Plant Database
www.dnr.state.wi.us
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Western wheatgrassWestern wheatgrass
www.inspection.ga.ca
USDA Plant Gallery
Kansas Grasses
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Warm-season bunchgrassesWarm-season bunchgrasses
Growth occurs late spring to early summer
Growth occurs in clumps Plants propagate by seed only Grazing needs to be managed
correctly so that seed heads do not form too early
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Alkali sacatonAlkali sacaton
www.noble.org
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Big bluestemBig bluestem
www.noble.org
National Forage and Grasslands Curriculum
www.noble.org
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Little bluestemLittle bluestem
www.noble.org
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Sideoats gramaSideoats grama
www.noble.org
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Warm-season sod-forming Warm-season sod-forming grassesgrasses
Growth occurs in late spring to early summer
Growth forms a mat of roots or sod Plants propagate from both seed and
rhizomes or stolons More tolerant of grazing
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IndiangrassIndiangrass
www.noble.org
www.noble.org
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SwitchgrassSwitchgrass
www.noble.org
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SudangrassSudangrass
National Forage and Grasslands Curriculum
www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/forages
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Sorghum-Sudangrass hybridsSorghum-Sudangrass hybrids
www.agry.purdue.edu/ext/forages
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LegumesLegumes Plants that fix nitrogen from the
air Can reduce the need for nitrogen
fertilizers More growth in the hot summer
months than grasses Watch out for bloat Need to be inoculated
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BloatBloat
Laurie Ball-Gisch
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AlfalfaAlfalfa
www.agry.purdue.edu
www.aginfonet.com
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Birdsfoot trefoilBirdsfoot trefoil
www.agry.purdue.edu
UIUC
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Alsike cloverAlsike clover
www.agry.purdue.eduBurke Museum
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Red Red cloverclover
www.agry.purdue.edu
www.noble.org
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Strawberry cloverStrawberry clover
clay.agr.okstate.edu
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Subterranean cloversSubterranean clovers
elib.cs.berkeley.edu
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White cloverWhite clover
www.agry.purdue.edu
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Yellow and white sweetcloverYellow and white sweetclover
www.agry.purdue.edu
Living Living n n
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clay.agr.okstate.edu
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Cicer milkvetchCicer milkvetch
extension.agron.iastate.edu
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Common vetch Common vetch (also called spring vetch)(also called spring vetch)
www.noble.org
National Forage and Grasslands Curriculum
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Grass identification – Grass identification – it’s time to try your it’s time to try your
skills!skills!
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How much grass do I have?How much grass do I have?
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Determine forage yieldDetermine forage yield
Construct a clipping ring
using an eight foot long piece
of cable that has been
bolted together.
NRCS, Bozeman, Mont.
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General estimates for General estimates for determining forage yielddetermining forage yield
Usable forage in reasonably good condition pasture
= 35% of total forage
Usable forage in “native” pasture or rangeland
= 25% of total forage
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Forage yield examplesForage yield examplesIf the clipping weight is 200 grams,
multiply by 20 for a total available forage yield of
4000 pounds per acre
Usable forage – pasture4000 lbs x 35% (0.35) = 1400 lb/acre
Usable forage – “native” pasture4000 lbs x 25% (0.25) = 1000 lb/acre
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Forage availability Forage availability estimatesestimates
Check your pasturelands handout to match hay yield to forage availability.
Clip the grasses for more accurate forage production figures
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What are you going to do with What are you going to do with your forage?your forage?
Graze it! How long can you graze? Just long enough that you preserve
growing points and leaf area Then you must rest your pasture
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How long do you have to rest How long do you have to rest your pastures?your pastures?
Depends upon: Period in the growing season Availability of irrigation water Amount of active leaf area remaining
following the grazing period Cool-season grasses recover more
quickly in spring and autumn
Approximate grazing length and Approximate grazing length and regrowth periodsregrowth periods
Season Grazing length Regrowth period
Spring 4 – 5 days 10 – 14 days
Summer 9 – 10 days 21 – 30 days
Late summer 12 – 15 days 30 – 45 days
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Wait a minute! I don’t have Wait a minute! I don’t have grazing animals!grazing animals!
What are you trying to manage? What are your management goals?
Attract and maintain wildlife Discourage wildlife Defensible space Aesthetics Noxious weed management
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Methods for removing forageMethods for removing forage Mowing
Need equipment Need grass species that grow upright Be sure to maintain the growing points Fertilize or add legumes
Leasing to livestock managers for grazing Need to know your forage yield Don’t assume management will be good
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What about burning as a What about burning as a management tool?management tool?
Removes rank vegetation, duff, litter Release mineralized nutrients Manage some weeds Regeneration of certain species Control diseases and insects
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Problems with burningProblems with burning
Smoke managementSmoke management Unhappy neighborsUnhappy neighbors Requires a permitRequires a permit
UNCE, Reno, Nev.
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Problems with burningProblems with burning Liability issues –
wildfire, etc. Melts plastic fences Dust and ash issues Short-term water
quality issuesUNCE, Reno, Nev.
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Remember: love your grass as much as Remember: love your grass as much as your animals and you’ll all be happy!your animals and you’ll all be happy!
Identify what is growing in your pasture(s)
Determine which plant(s) to use as a “key species” for your pasture(s)
Determine the forage yield of your pasture(s)
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HomeworkHomework
Identify three of the most common grass and legume species in each of your pastures.
Select your key species. Calculate forage yields.
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