FORAGE AND RANGE RESEARCH LABORATORY
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Research Service
Forage and Range Research Laboratory
Seed Increase Needs for Three
North American Rangeland
Legumes: Basalt Milkvetch,
Western Prairie Clover, and
Searls Prairie Clover
Doug Johnson
Shaun Bushman
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
FORAGE AND RANGE RESEARCH LABORATORY
USDA-ARS Forage and Range Research Lab (FRRL)
Logan, Utah
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
Our Mission:
Provide an array of plant
materials and management
alternatives for sustainable
stewardship of rangelands
rangelands and pastures in
the western U.S.
Scientists:
Genetics/Plant Breeding (6)
Molecular Biology (4)
Physiology/Ecology (2)
FORAGE AND RANGE RESEARCH LABORATORY
Background
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
• Thousands of acres burn each year in the Great
Basin.
• Many land managers prefer a mix of diverse
plant species for rangeland revegetation.
• Very few North American legumes are available
for rangeland revegetation in the Great Basin.
• Identifying regional seed sources is beneficial
for commercial seed production.
FORAGE AND RANGE RESEARCH LABORATORY
Need for Native Legume Species
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
Important for:
• Nitrogen fixation
• Diversification of seedings
• Wildlife habitat and grazing
• Weed suppression
• Conservation
• Highway ROW
• Xeriscaping
Targeted three legume species native
to western North America.
FORAGE AND RANGE RESEARCH LABORATORY
Basalt Milkvetch - Astragalus filipes
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
• Wide spread
• Upright habit
• Creamy, showy flower
• Good seed production
• No reports of toxicity
FORAGE AND RANGE RESEARCH LABORATORY
Western Prairie Clover (Dalea ornata)
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
• Northern GB
• Upright habit
• Purple, showy flower
• Good seed production
• No reports of toxicity
FORAGE AND RANGE RESEARCH LABORATORY
Searls’ Prairie Clover (Dalea searlsiae)
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
• Southern GB
• Upright habit
• Purple, showy flower
• Good seed production
• No reports of toxicity
FORAGE AND RANGE RESEARCH LABORATORY
Objectives
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
• Make diverse seed collections of three North
American legume species
• Conduct common-garden and molecular genetics
studies to identify populations for release to the
commercial seed trade
FORAGE AND RANGE RESEARCH LABORATORY
For Each Legume Species
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
• Collected seed, soil, and plant toxicity
samples for the three legume species
• Recorded site and plant information
for each collection
No detectable levels or extremely low
levels of toxic compounds.
FORAGE AND RANGE RESEARCH LABORATORY
Basalt Milkvetch Collections (2003-2005)
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
85 sites
FORAGE AND RANGE RESEARCH LABORATORY
Western Prairie Clover Collections (2004-05)
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
25 sites
FORAGE AND RANGE RESEARCH LABORATORY
Searls’ Prairie Clover Collections (2005)
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
25 sites
FORAGE AND RANGE RESEARCH LABORATORY
Common-Garden Field Data
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
Two Common Gardens
for Plant Evaluations
• Flowering date
• June biomass
• Plant height
• Plant vigor score
• Seed yield
• Fall regrowth
Two years of data
collection
• Forage quality
FORAGE AND RANGE RESEARCH LABORATORY
Laboratory Studies
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
• We used molecular genetics
procedures to determine the
genetic diversity structure for
each of the three legumes.
• These data allowed us to
group collections with similar
genetic background.
FORAGE AND RANGE RESEARCH LABORATORY
Release Strategy for Basalt Milkvetch
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
British Columbia
NBR-1 for Great Basin
Southern Nevada
FORAGE AND RANGE RESEARCH LABORATORY
Release Strategy for Western Prairie Clover
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
Deschutes River
Watershed
Intermountain
FORAGE AND RANGE RESEARCH LABORATORY
Release Strategy for Searls Prairie Clover
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
Northwestern Utah
Nevada
Southern Utah
FORAGE AND RANGE RESEARCH LABORATORY
Combining Ecological/Genetic and Performance Considerations
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
Performance:
• High seed production
• Vigorous seedlings
• Competitive ability
Ecological/Genetic:
• Adapted to site
• Genetic background
• Species compatibility
Plants that:
• Establish, compete, and persist
• Stabilize the site
• Have affordable, available seed
FORAGE AND RANGE RESEARCH LABORATORY
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
Interested in Partnering with Growers to Make Seed
Available of Three Legume Species
1. Basalt Milkvetch
(Astragalus filipes)
2. Western prairie clover
(Dalea ornata)
3. Searls prairie clover
(Dalea searlsiae)
Greenhouse transplants available to growers.
FORAGE AND RANGE RESEARCH LABORATORY
Associated Studies
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
Pollination
Seed Predation
Jim Cane, Logan, UT
Herbicide Effects
Corey Ransom, Logan, UT
Clint Shock, Ontario, OR
FORAGE AND RANGE RESEARCH LABORATORY
Future Studies
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
• Evaluate possible seed treatments to
improve germination
• Compare fall and seeding and
establishment
• Provide technical bulletin and planting
guide
FORAGE AND RANGE RESEARCH LABORATORY
Acknowledgements
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
Great Basin Native Plant Selection and Increase Project
FORAGE AND RANGE RESEARCH LABORATORY
PLANTS FOR THE WEST
U.S. Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Research Service
Forage and Range Research Laboratory
Doug Johnson
Phone: (435) 797-3067
Email:
doug.johnson@ars.usda.gov
PLANTS FOR THE WEST