Description
Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn (crested wheatgrass) is indigenous to central Asia including parts of the USSR, China, Afghanistan, Turkey and Iran (Bore, 1970). It is a perennial tufted grass which often grows naturally on stony slopes and calcareous soils. In very hot dry periods it tends to remain dormant but renews its growth as soon as its moisture supply returns to normal. It also survives the coldest temperature encountered in its area of adaptation (Rogler, 1960). The tolerance of Agropyron cristatum to heavy spring grazing results from early root activity, early accumulation of leaf tissue and significant accumulation of carbohydrates in the underground parts by the time the plants are six inches tall (Hyder and Sneve, 1963). Dewey and Asay (1975) reported at least four distinct types of Agropyron cristatum that occur in Iran. Wheather these taxa should be recognized as species, subspecies or varieties is not yet clear. Many methods have been suggested to quantify morphological and phenological characteristics to obtain indices for direct comparison. Leaf color and leaf texture of the forage species and their relation to palatability have long been studied by investigators. A satisfactory procedure could eliminate the necessity of long, tedious, and expensive digestion trials. Rauzi (1975) noted that amount and distribution of spring precipitation enhanced or retarted phenological development of crested wheatgrass. Mueggler (1972) in his study of range plants of Montana found that temperature was a dominant factor in control of flowering of species that bloom early or in midseason. Most authors agree that because of the extremes in annual precipitation on arid lands, great variation exists in annual production of the range species. The crude protein content of forages, as determined by the Kjeldahl method seems to be within limits an acceptable criterion of quality (Sullivan, 1962). High nutritive quality of the early growing herbage helps explain why crested wheatgrass makes excellent spring range. Samples collected in New Mexico, in May showed 19 percent of crude protein (Walkins, 1955). The major objective of this study was to obtain information on quality and quantity values of native ecotypes of crested wheatgrasses of Iran.
Citation
Peymani-Fard, B, "Overall Quality and Quantity Evaluations of Native Ecotypes of Crested Wheatgrasses of Iran" (2025). IGC Proceedings (1989-2023). 50.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/1989/session3/50
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Overall Quality and Quantity Evaluations of Native Ecotypes of Crested Wheatgrasses of Iran
Agropyron cristatum (L.) Gaertn (crested wheatgrass) is indigenous to central Asia including parts of the USSR, China, Afghanistan, Turkey and Iran (Bore, 1970). It is a perennial tufted grass which often grows naturally on stony slopes and calcareous soils. In very hot dry periods it tends to remain dormant but renews its growth as soon as its moisture supply returns to normal. It also survives the coldest temperature encountered in its area of adaptation (Rogler, 1960). The tolerance of Agropyron cristatum to heavy spring grazing results from early root activity, early accumulation of leaf tissue and significant accumulation of carbohydrates in the underground parts by the time the plants are six inches tall (Hyder and Sneve, 1963). Dewey and Asay (1975) reported at least four distinct types of Agropyron cristatum that occur in Iran. Wheather these taxa should be recognized as species, subspecies or varieties is not yet clear. Many methods have been suggested to quantify morphological and phenological characteristics to obtain indices for direct comparison. Leaf color and leaf texture of the forage species and their relation to palatability have long been studied by investigators. A satisfactory procedure could eliminate the necessity of long, tedious, and expensive digestion trials. Rauzi (1975) noted that amount and distribution of spring precipitation enhanced or retarted phenological development of crested wheatgrass. Mueggler (1972) in his study of range plants of Montana found that temperature was a dominant factor in control of flowering of species that bloom early or in midseason. Most authors agree that because of the extremes in annual precipitation on arid lands, great variation exists in annual production of the range species. The crude protein content of forages, as determined by the Kjeldahl method seems to be within limits an acceptable criterion of quality (Sullivan, 1962). High nutritive quality of the early growing herbage helps explain why crested wheatgrass makes excellent spring range. Samples collected in New Mexico, in May showed 19 percent of crude protein (Walkins, 1955). The major objective of this study was to obtain information on quality and quantity values of native ecotypes of crested wheatgrasses of Iran.
