Theme 1: Grassland Ecology
Description
Extreme temperatures and long periods of drought observed with increasing frequency in the southeastern United States (U.S.) have demonstrated the need to develop more robust forage systems. Native warmseason grasses (NWSGs) are well adapted to fill this role, but their expanded use comes with several challenges, most notably, reliable establishment. The high cost of site preparation, high cost of seed, and slow initial growth of NWSG seedlings must be addressed to achieve increased adoption of NWSG in the eastern U.S. If these challenges are overcome, incorporating NWSG into grazing systems would benefit producers by filling the summer forage gap, mitigating drought risk, and extending the grazing season, while also enhancing native biodiversity.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.13023/g3d5-wv76
Citation
Swilling, K.; Bisangwa, E.; and Keyser, Pat D., "Back to the Future: How Do We Get There From Here? Making Restoration Work" (2023). IGC Proceedings (1993-2023). 74.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/igc/XXV_IGC_2023/Ecology/74
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Back to the Future: How Do We Get There From Here? Making Restoration Work
Extreme temperatures and long periods of drought observed with increasing frequency in the southeastern United States (U.S.) have demonstrated the need to develop more robust forage systems. Native warmseason grasses (NWSGs) are well adapted to fill this role, but their expanded use comes with several challenges, most notably, reliable establishment. The high cost of site preparation, high cost of seed, and slow initial growth of NWSG seedlings must be addressed to achieve increased adoption of NWSG in the eastern U.S. If these challenges are overcome, incorporating NWSG into grazing systems would benefit producers by filling the summer forage gap, mitigating drought risk, and extending the grazing season, while also enhancing native biodiversity.
