The Benefit of Commercially Produced Ecotypic na8ve seed material
Major differences • Gramas (Blue, Sideoats, and Black) – Size – Root growth – Growing period – Flowering date – Seed maturity
Sideoats grama
• Bouteloua cur+pendula var. caespitosa grows on loose, sandy or rocky, well drained limestone soils in the southwestern United States, Mexico, and South America • Bouteloua cur+pendula var. cur+pendula is the common variety of B. cur+pendula in most of the Flora region. It grows on rich, loamy, well-‐ drained prairie soils
• LiPle bluestem – Size – Growth period – Flowering date – Seed maturity
Gene8c diversity vs. Local adapta8on? • Gene8cally diverse – Able to adapt to a wide variety of condi8ons – Environment will fine tune – More Marketable – Gene8cally flood local popula8on – Mixed results – How far to include
Gene8c diversity vs. Local adapta8on? • Locally adapted – BePer adapted to local environment – Important for rare species – Limited market – Maintain local gene8cs – Large scale produc8on – How close do you need to be
Gene8cs overview for na8ve plants • High species level varia8on common (across area of adapta8on) • High within popula8on (local) varia8on common • Prairie acacia, 4 flower – Gene8cally different by region – OWen caused by distance, climate, or geographical barriers
• But not all species are gene8cally diverse – Cordgrass and dalea – >50% different between popula8ons – No difference between popula8ons
• 26 plan8ngs currently evalua8ng • 50% successful by NRCS standard
• 65 varie8es na8ve and non-‐na8ve • 7 na8ve & 2 non-‐na8ve ≥ 50% canopy cover 1 year aWer plan8ng
Why commercially produced seed? • • • • • • •
Seed available every year Increased seed quality Increased quan8ty Less poten8al for invasive introduc8on Regulated industry Lower cost Named varie8es with know origin and test performance are oWen available
Slim tridens 56 popula8ons-‐wild harvested 2001-‐2003 (wet years) 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 No germina8on
1-‐9%
10-‐19%
20-‐29%
30-‐39%
40-‐49%
50-‐59%
60%+
Slim tridens 56 popula8ons-‐ agronomically grown (2004 irrigated) 30
25
20
15
10
5
0 1-‐9%
10-‐19%
20-‐29%
30-‐39%
40-‐49%
50-‐59%
60-‐69%
70-‐79%
80-‐89%
90-‐100%
Seed Mixes Cost per acre Variety/Species
Cost per acre
Laredo ® Brand Buffelgrass
$36.00
Selec8on 75 Kleingrass
$25.50
Turner Seed Company pipeline mix
$25.00
Na8ve American Seed Western Rangeland $168 Grass Mix Na8ve American Seed Coastal Prairie Mix
$232.00
Douglass King Seed Company-‐ Kings Na8ve Rangeland Grass Mix
$150.00
Bamert Seed Company-‐ Quick Cover Blend $76.30 South Texas Na8ves Recommended Grass $100.00 Mixes STN/NRCS Mix for Western South Texas
$60.00
South Texas Na8ves released Seed Mixes • Cost $60-‐130/acre • Mixes are about ½ cost of comparable wild-‐ harvested seed mixes • Cost is about 2-‐3 8me cost of exo8c grass seed mixes
Cost Comparison To 1961 Species/variety
1961 cost
1961 cost with infla8on added for today
2011 cost
Buffelgrass
$1.25
$9.19
$9.00
Lehman Lovegrass
$3.40
$25.01
$9.50
Sideoats Grama
$1.00
$7.35
$9.50
Switchgrass
$13.80
$101.50
$16.00
Catarina Blend Bristlegrass
_
_
$26.00
• Today's cost are high due to early stage produc8on cost and investment into new species, prices are expected to drop as produc8on and sales increase • Paying more for what works saves money in the long run • Prices have already seen decreases in less than 2 years of commercial produc8on • However-‐demand is very high at today’s prices
Summary • • • • •
Regional Germplasm Best results More reliable product Cost effec8ve Regulated
• Important considera8ons for seed • Origin (not produc8on or sale loca8on) • Soil type • Ecoregion
• If you use wild-‐harvest seed: • Require a PLS value • Require a purity and noxious weed exam (beware other crops!) • Cer8fica8on program for source iden8fied exists but no one uses it
Acknowledgements STN Sponsors • • • • • • • • • • • •
Texas Department of Transporta8on Lee and Ramona Bass Founda8on Robert J. Kleberg and Helen C. Kleberg Founda8on Harvey Weil Sportsmen Conserva8onist Trust ExxonMobil ConocoPhillips Pioneer Natural Resources Caesar Kleberg Partners A.E. Leonard Family Giving Counsel Ewing Halsell Founda8on Numerous private landowners Will Harte
STN Cooperators • USDA NRCS E. “Kika” de la Garza Plant Materials Center • Texas AgriLife Research Uvalde • Rio Farms, Inc.