Evaluation of grass establishment, development and survival under sod-seeding conditions in the dry subhumid prairies / Suzanne M. Gobin

In order to increase the nesting potential of pastures and rangelands,increases in the proportion of high quality dense nesting cover (DNC)grasses in the sward are required. Sod-seeding is a system where seeds are placed into an undisturbed pasture or rangeland sod, and this system may be an effective way to establish DNC grasses, especially on fragile soils where pre-seeding tillage is not desirable. Different management practises will affect the degree of success achieved with sod-seeded grass stands. It is not known at the present time if all candidate DNC grass species respond similarly to sod-seeding. The objectives of this study were 1) to evaluate different sod-suppression techniques for the establishment of tall wheatgrass [Thinopyrum ponticum (Podp.) Barkw. &D.R. Dewey] under two types of resident vegetation and 2) to compare the relative response of switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), green needlegrass (Stipa viridula Trin.), tall wheatgrass, and northern wheatgrass [Elymu