Forrest S. Smith STN & TNS Director
3
new seed releases:
Rio
Grande Germplasm prairie acacia Hoverson Germplasm deer pea vetch South Texas Germplasm sideoats grama
Awnless bush sunflower • Preferred deer food plant • Exceptional insect plant • Produces seed eaten by quail • Easy to establish • Good livestock forage
Prostrate bundleflower • Good deer food plant • Produces seed eaten by quail • Easy to establish • Competitive with exotics/compatible with natives • None of the problems of BeeWild • Really is native to South Texas!
Commercial Production (PLS lbs) of Native Seed Releases made by STN and the E. "Kika" de la Garza Plant Materials Center 2006-2013* (*2012 estimates based on planted acreage as of September 25, 2012; 2013 based on production plans )
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2012 Seed production 2013 Seed production
Totals
Little bluestem
Rough tridens
Slim tridens
Awnless bush sunflower
Bundleflower
Zapata Germplasm Rio Grande clammyweed
Hoverson Germplasm deer pea vetch
STN-561 Germplasm Hookers plantain
STN-496 Germplasm redseed plantain
Rio Grande Germplasm prairie acacia
Oso Germplasm Halls panicum
Webb Germplasm whiplash pappusgrass
Falfurrias Germplasm big sacaton
Lavaca Germplasm Canada wildrye
Hidalgo Germplasm multiflowered false rhodesgrass South Texas Germplasm sideoats grama
Kinney Germplasm false rhodesgrass
Mariah Germplasm hooded windmillgrass
Welder Germplasm shortspike windmillgrass
Chaparral Germplasm hairy grama
KIKA 648 streambed bristlegrass
KIKA 677 streambed bristlegrass
KIKA 820 streambed bristlegrass
KIKA 819 plains bristlegrass
Atascosa Germplasm Texas grama
Dilley Germplasm slender grama
La Salle Germplasm Arizona cottontop
Maverick Germplasm pink pappusgrass
2012 & 2013 Commercial Seed Production Capacity of STN and E. "Kika" de la Garza Plant Materials Center Seed Releases
90000
80000
70000
60000
50000
40000
30000
20000
10000
0
Production
has quadrupled since 2011 Licenses with Douglass W. King Seed Co. responsible for much of the increase Large inventory of most seeds available now Is supply adequate? -We have no earthly idea TxDOT
not “in” the market yet (3 yr lag-time of spec. change) Eagle Ford just started? Majority of sales to date are from “unknown” consumers; many potential consumers are not buying 2/3
of sales are small “walk-in” orders & small landowners
Seed cost-why is seed so expensive?
2009, 2010, & 2011 production sold out at current prices, with demand to spare Even so, cost has decreased about 5% annually as production increased Cost-averse buyers haven’t shown to be a big market hindrance NRCS-cost share rates not close to market price in much of Texas (they plant buffelgrass on most south Texas projects) Small landowner sales Reclamation industry impact-seed is minor piece of their puzzle
Quality seed can’t be grown on the back 40
Currently grown on some of the best irrigated farmland in TX
$1,000/acre lease cost
Mixes of STN are median cost of the native seed market (and they work better than any others)
Restoration Exotic
Research
Grass Conversion (Tim will cover) Oil and Gas related restoration Rangeland Restoration
4
ongoing projects:
Pipeline
ROW reseeding-Dobie Ranch, George West Pipeline ROW reseeding-Hixon Ranch, Cotulla Eagle Ford seed mix planting method-STN Farm P&A pad sites-King Ranch & ExxonMobil
Reseeded w/STN Seeds
Seeded with maladapted seeds by pipeline co.
Seeded with maladapted seeds by pipeline co.
Reseeded w/STN Seeds
Do you need to reseed pipeline right of ways? Measured 6 months after install/reseeding: % of vegetation cover that was planted
% total cover
81 72
84 76
75
68
67
47
Pavelek clay loam
Choke silty clay loam
Rosenbrock clay
Average
% Cover
Plant density
100
2
90
1.8
80
1.6 1.4
70
1.2
60
1 50 0.8 40 0.6 30 0.4 20 0.2 10
0 Broadcast & pack
0 Hydroseed
Broadcast & pack
Drill
Drill
Hydroseed & mulch (woodfiber)
Hydroseed & mulch (FlexTerra)
No treatment • 3% vegetation cover • 3% ground cover • 1 plant species (tumbleweed)
Hydroseeded and mulched • 20% vegetation cover • 100% ground cover (mulch) • 18 plant species (11 planted)
Hydroseeded and mulched
No treatment
Grazed
Not Grazed
Grazed
Not Grazed
66%
5% 6/1/2012
5/1/2012
4/1/2012
3/1/2012
2/1/2012
2011 drought
1/1/2012
12/1/2011
5%
11/1/2011
10/1/2011
3%
9/1/2011
66%
8/1/2011
7/1/2011
6/1/2011
5/1/2011
2010 rains
4/1/2011
Seeded native
3/1/2011
2/1/2011
1/1/2011
6%
12/1/2010
11/1/2010
10/1/2010
9/1/2010
3%
8/1/2010
66%
7/1/2010
6/1/2010
drought
5/1/2010
95%
4/1/2010
3/1/2010
2/1/2010
1/1/2010
0%
12/1/2009
11/1/2009
10/1/2009
9/1/2009
8/1/2009
7/1/2009
Basal cover by plant group 2009-2012, Maverick Co., TX Demonstration Plot Buffelgrass
2012 rains
79% 69%
58%
40%
12% 2%
Basal cover by plant group 2008-2012, Webb Co., TX Demonstration Plot Seeded native
Rainy
2009 drought
Buffelgrass
2010 rains
2011-2012 drought
80%
66% 61%
60%
47% 39% 34% 28% 25%
25% 16% 10%
25%
23%
16% 11%
10% 5%
0%
6%
8% 4%
>700
seed collections 2011-2012 4 evaluation/selection projects underway: White
tridens Purple threeawn Texas wintergrass Little barley
Seeking
contract extension from TxDOT Collections still our primary focus First releases possible by 2013-2014