Native Forb Cultivation: A Project

Overview

Climate Change and Invasive

Species

Increase in Wildland Fire

Great Basin Fires: 1870-2007

0.0

500,000.0

1,000,000.0

1,500,000.0

2,000,000.0

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1900

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1915

1919

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1928

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1936

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1960

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1968

1972

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Yearly

Acres B

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264,6614.0 Total Acres (0.2% of GB)264,6614.0 Acres

2,722,782.2 Acres 16,756,351.1 Total Acres (11.5% of GB)

War on Cheatgrass

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BLM CONSOLIDATED

SEED BUYS QUANITY

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1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

LB

S O

F S

EE

DNon-Native Seed

Native Seed

Why Are Natives Important?

Reduce weed

spread

Improve wildlife

and range habitat

Increase diversity

Goal:

Restore Degraded Ecosystems

Shrubs Grasses Forbs

Shrubs Can be Efficiently Collected

in Large Quantities From Wildland

Stands

Grasses

• Most Grass are not practical in a wildland

collection setting however there are

several species and accessions currently

in production.

* Support a greater variety of

organisms

* Provide cover and soil

stabilization

* Extend forage availability

* Improve esthetics

* Increase forage quality

* Supply critical nutrients

and succulence

* Forb fruits, seeds, and leaves

are frequently important

foods of upland game birds

What Do Forbs Add to the Mix?

Market Demand for

ForbsLupines

Beeplant

Globemallows

Annual sunflower

Yarrow

Palmer penstemon

Flax

Sainfoin

Alfalfa

Small Burnet< $4 lb

$80+

100,000 lbs

10,000 lbs

1,000 lbs

Utilization Generalities

• High Seed Yields

• Low Cost Seed

• Wide Utilization

Establish well PersistDesirable

Cultivating Native Forbs

There are a plethora of plants on the

landscape, which are good

candidates for agronomic production?

Seed Is Increased Through

Agriculture and Sold to Seed

Vendors

Seed is Purchased by Federal and State Agencies

and Used in Restoration

of Degraded Areas or Post Fire Rehabilitation

Seed is Collected From Wildland Stands

For Research:

1.Develop Propagation Protocols

and Cultivation Methods

2. Screen Species for Practicality of Cultivation

Selecting New Species

A Different Approach

• Collecting - few (2-3) biotypes

• Propagation screening

• Observation plots

• Proof of concept

Desirable Attributes for Agronomic Production :

– Tall 1-6 ft. Upright growth habit– Determinate flowering– Good seed retention – Abundant seed set– Annually productive– Easily established from seed – Long lived– Disease resistant– Broad distribution

Genera in the Screening

ProcessGenus Common Name Genus Common Name

Agastache giant hyssop Helianthus sunflower

Amsinckia fiddleneck Hymenopappus hymenopappus

Argemone munita flatbud pricklypoppy Hymenoxys rubberweed

Aster aster Iris iris

Astragalus milkvetch Linum subteres sprucemont flax

Balsamorhiza hookeri Hooker's balsamroot Lithospermum stoneseed

Calochortus mariposa lilly Lomatium nudicaule barestem biscuitroot

Castilleja paintbrush Mentzelia blazingstar

Chaenactis pincushion Nicotiana attenuata coyote tobacco

Cleome serrulata

Rocky Mountain

beeplant Oenothera evening primrose

Cryptantha cryptantha Packera groundsel

Enceliopsis nudicaulis nakedstem sunray Penstemon beardtongue

Erigeron fleabane Phacelia crenulata

cleftleaf

wildheliotrope

Frasera albomarginata desert frasera Potentilla slender cinquefoil

Gaillardia blanketflower

Thelypodium

milleflorum

manyflower

thelypody

Helianthella one flower helianthella Species Screening

Species Screening

• Agoseris– heterophylla

– aurantiaca

– grandiflora

– glauca

• Traits

– 1-3 scapes

– Solitary heads

– Wind dispersed

– Flower can be extended with supplemental water

Agoseris glauca Agoseris aurantiaca

Agoseris heterophylla Agoseris grandiflora

Agoseris- heterophylla- grandiflora

Agoseris- glauca- aurantiaca

Agoseris grandifloraLucky Peak Nursery

Agoseris Production Categories

A. glauca

A. aurantiaca

A. grandiflora,

A. heterophylla

Western Yarrow

Needed: Collections from low precipitation areas.

Lewis Flax• Seed set controlled by irrigation practices

• Upright habit mechanically harvested

• 2nd year seed producer

• 3-5 years good seed production

• 500 pounds per acre ($13-24 per pound)

• some rust issues

• wide distribution (U.S. and Canada)

Sand or sharpleaf penstemon

•Determinate

•Upright Habit Collected

with Combine W/alfalfa

concave

•2 years to seed production

•Short-lived (4 years)

•250-300lbs. Per Acre (est.

$100+ Per Pound)

•No Disease issues reported,

it drops seed shortly after

ripening

•Distribution, NV, ID, OR,

WA, (Requires sandy soils)

Showy Goldeneye

• Indeterminate (some ability to control with irrigation)

• Upright growth habit (collected with combine)

• 1st year seed production

• 2 years of good seed production

• Seed per acre?

• $40-140 per pound

• Disease issues unknown

• Distribution, broad found across UT and in most counties of NV

Globemallow Species• Indeterminate

• Upright growth habit a lot of hand harvesting some mechanical (swath then combine method)

• 2nd year seed producer

• At least 5 years good seed production

• 250 pounds per acre

• $50-90 dollars per pound

• Susceptible to rust

• Broad distrabution in the west

Potential Yield

Globemallow Seed Production Per Acre at $35/lb

$0.00

$1,000.00

$2,000.00

$3,000.00

$4,000.00

$5,000.00

$6,000.00

$7,000.00

$8,000.00

$9,000.00

$10,000.00

36" X 18" 36" X 12" 22" X 18" 22" X 12"

Row and Plant Spacing

Globemallow Species Average Per Plant Seed

Production at 18" or 12" Plant Spacing

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SPCO2 SPGR SPPA SPPS

Species

Gra

ms s

eed

m

s

18"

12"

Rhonda Pace 5.1 Pounds of Seed

Produced in 2007 and 5.3 pounds

of seed in 2008 on 500 square feet

of land= 15,000 dollars per acre

(Box Elder County)

The Hawksbeard Species

• Determinate

• Upright habit

• 3 years to establish

• Persist for at least 5 years once established

• Seed per acre data in the works

• Disease issues, very prone to insect damage in the seedling stage of development

• Wide distribution

Arrowleaf Balsamroot• Determinate• Upright growth habit (facilitating

combine)

• 3-5 years to establish and produce seed

• Persist 20 to 30 years after established

• 75 to 125 pounds of seed per acre

• $33-120 per pound

• Disease issues none however seed predation by insects is a real issue

• Distribution, Broad distribution in the western US

Hooker's balsamroot

Fernleaf Biscuitroot• Determinate

• Very large, upright habit, Hand Harvest

• 3 to 4 years to establish

• Persist and produce seed for over 20 years

• 200-400 pounds of seed per acre

• No disease issues reported can be polinator limited

• Distribution western and northwestern U.S.

Gray’s biscuitroot

• Determinate

• Upright habit, usualy hand harvested mechanical harvest?

• 2nd year seed production

• Not known, tends to be between 15 and 20 years for other species of Lomatium

• Not known usually between 200-400 pounds per acre for other Lomatium Species

• No known disease issues

• Not widely distributed

Long time to establishment

• Don’t want to take up valuable field space

• Dense plantings in raised beds

Crop Lifter

Winter and summer senescent harvest at different ages.

What Species Will Work on My

Land?

• What equipment do I have for

cultivating/harvesting?

• How much space do I have?

• Am I dependent on the crop to sustain me the

first year?

• What is my water situation?

• What are my soils like?

• What is the climate like?

• What are my interests?

Shotgun Approach

• Plant several species

• Small quantities

• Keep isolation distances in mind! (you can

find this information from state agriculture

agency)

2008 Planting Information

Canaday Farm, Elko, NV.

Co

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longspur lupine Elko NV 0.06

hairy bigleaf lupine Juab UT 0.07

silvery lupine Elko NV 0.04

annual agoseris Humboldt NV 0.04

barestem biscuitroot Elko NV 0.06

yellow spiderflower Nye NV 0.58

Nevada goldeneye Lincoln NV 0.09

western stoneseed Elko NV 0.06

scarlet gilia VNS UT 0.06

flatbud pricklypoppy Juab UT 0.07

Blazingstar Juab UT 0.02

Menzies' fiddleneck Eureka NV 0.06

Menzies' fiddleneck Elko NV 0.03

desert frasera Iron UT 0.06

manyflower thelypody Eureka NV 0.06

silky lupine Juab UT 0.03

Slender cinquefoil Elko NV 0.06

scarlet globemallow Davis/Utah UT 0.62

gooseberryleaf globemallow NV 0.58

sulphur-flower buckwheat ID/OR/NV 0.14

sharpleaf penstemon ID/OR/NV 1.29

sharpleaf penstemon ID/OR 0.97

fernleaf biscuitroot Gooding ID 0.21

limestone hawksbeard Elko NV 0.37

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pe

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ftSeedling Establishment

Canaday FarmMay 12, 2009

N-sulate Uncovered

Cultural Practices

Seeding Rates for 1 Plant / Linear Foot.

Elko NV, 2008

N-sulate Uncovered

Additional Seed

Quantity

Rate Rate

Lot # Plants/ft PLS / ft lbs/acre Plants/ft PLS / ft lbs/acre

AMSIN-P4-2008 13.6 3.74 0.50 1.4 37.21 4.96 10.0 X

Amsin-P6-2008 6.1 2.83 0.35 0.0 ?

CRIN-U2-08 1 32.43 1.70 0.2 194.61 10.19 6.0 X

HEMUN-B4-2006 2.3 7.87 0.26 0.0 ?

LONU2-P1-2008 11.9 5.77 0.94 0.1 1030.15 167.81 178.5X

LUAR3-U5-2007 1.5 14.73 7.01 0.2 94.71 45.08 6.4X

LUARB6-P4-2008 3.2 5.42 3.68 0.0 ?

LUSE4-B28-2006 1.8 10.75 10.64 0.6 30.56 30.24 2.8X

POGR9-P1-2008 6.3 4.03 0.05 0.0 ?

Peac-Pooled

NBR13,19,20,35,36,43,53 10.4 11.01 0.20 0.0 ?

Peac-Pooled SRP12jha 1.5 49.15 0.90 0.9 78.99 1.45 1.6X

THMI5-P2-2008 9.5 7.64 0.05 0.0 ?

VNS - IPAG 3 2.36 0.08 0.0 ?

Cultural Practices

Native Forb Utilization

Categories

Niche Market Species

Special Use Species

Restoration Species

Limited competition

Difficult to produce

< 100 lbs

100-1000 lbs Moderate Cost

Least expensive

1000 + lbs