PRACTICE SPECIFICATION

Early Successional Habitat Development/Management

DISKING

1\. SCOPE

Grass and/or legume seedings that have been established for many years
can lose vigor, productivity, and species diversity. Such stands are
sometimes described as being "sod-bound" and usually have very little
open soil surface between plants. Plants may have low stature or produce
less than normal amounts of seed or leaf material and typically are
dominated by only a few, or even one, perennial species. Annual plants
are generally absent.

The use of this activity on native prairie sites is generally not
recommended. If used, methods to maintain the integrity of the site need
to be considered.

Ring-necked pheasant, gray (Hungarian) partridge, bobwhite quail,
mourning doves, and big game such as deer and pronghorn are popular
wildlife species that require or benefit from good quality early
successional habitat. Disking or similar "non-inversion" tillage
operations can be useful for establishing or releasing early
successional plants and providing habitat for these wildlife species.

2\. Site LImitations

Disking will generally not be prescribed for areas of concentrated flow
such as waterways, within 30 feet of streams and wetlands, sandy or bare
sites with very little surface residue or vegetative cover, sites with
slopes greater than 20%, or sites with an extremely high risk of
colonization by noxious weeds. Disking should not be conducted if poor
soil moisture conditions are likely to delay plant regrowth and seed
germination.

Disking on sloping ground will be done on the contour. Multiple
equipment passes are acceptable. To prevent excessive (greater than T)
water erosion, sites with slopes greater than 9% and areas within 100
feet of streams and wetlands will maintain a minimum of 30% of the
surface covered by residue after disking and disturbed areas will not be
wider than those prescribed in the following table. [Exceptions are
allowed if wider strips are justified and documented through the use of
current erosion prediction tools]{.underline}. The width of the
undisturbed area between disked strips will be 20 feet or greater.

> **[Max. Contour Strip]{.underline}** Width Slope%

  ----------------------------------------------- -----------------------
  200 feet                                        9 to 11

  150 feet                                        12 to 15

  100 feet                                        16 to 20
  ----------------------------------------------- -----------------------

3\. Disking Depth and Intensity

Disking depth (ground penetration) and intensity will be prescribed by
NRCS based on soil type, slope, existing cover, purpose of disking, and
producer's objectives.

Maximum depth for nonsandy sites dominated by smooth brome, switchgrass,
or reed canarygrass will be 6 inches if slopes are equal to or less than
9%. Maximum depth for all other sites will be 4 inches.

4\. Disking Dates

Disking may be done between July 15 and May 1 and will be prescribed at
the optimum time to achieve desired results. Disking between August 15
and September 15 appears optimal for aggressive, sod-forming grasses to
prevent immediate response (re-growth within exposed soils) under
optimum growing conditions. For sites where erosion is of concern, such
as sandy sites, or where specific, undesirable weeds may be problematic
such as downy brome, sandbur, etc., disturbance in early spring is
recommended.

5\. Desirable Early Successional Plants

Desirable early successional plants are those that:

-   Produce seeds that are consumed by birds and small mammals or;

-   Provide forage for insects preferred by birds and small mammals or;

-   Provide cover that hides young wildlife (especially upland game bird
    chicks) but that still has sufficiently low plant stem densities to
    allow easy chick movement.

Examples of desirable early successional plants are shown in Table 1.

6\. sEEDED FORBS AND LEGUMES

Most sites have a soil seed bank that contains sufficient kinds and
amounts viable seed. The existing seed bank can be supplemented by
drilling or broadcasting seed of desired species. In addition to the use
of crops suitable for use as wildlife food plots, the species listed in
Table 2 are some that can be used provided they are adapted to the site.
They can be seeded between August 15 and September 15 or between
November 1 and May 15. Refer to Pasture and Hayland Planting (512) and
FOTG Section II Pasture and Hayland Interpretations Table 2 to determine
the adaptability of additional species. **The use of two or more species
is recommended**. Legume seed of introduced species shall be inoculated
in accordance with the directions on the inoculant container. Use the
correct inoculant for each legume species.

7\. Operation and Maintenance

Reapply this practice periodically to set back succession and restore
the desired habitat conditions.

Monitor wildlife use to determine practice success and to better
prescribe future habitat management activities.

Control noxious and other undesirable plant species as needed.

## **Table 1. Desirable Early Successional Plants and Preferred Sites**

  ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------
  **[GENUS                **[COMMON               **[PREFERRED
  NAME]{.underline}**     NAME]{.underline}**     SITE]{.underline}**

  *Amaranthus*            Pigweeds                Uplands/Moist Sites

  *Ambrosia*              Ragweeds                Uplands/Moist Sites

  *Bidens*                Beggarticks             Wetlands

  *Brassica/Sisymbrium*   Mustards                Uplands

  *Cannabis*              Hemp                    Uplands/Moist Areas

  *Chenopodium*           Lambsquarters           Uplands

  *Cleome*                Rocky Mt. Beeplant      Uplands

  *Conyza*                Marestail               Uplands

  *Croton*                Texas Croton            Uplands

  *Digitaria*             Crabgrasses             Uplands

  *Echinocloa*            Barnyardgrass           Wetlands/Moist Sites

  *Galium*                Bedstraw                Moist Sites

  *Helianthus*            Annual Sunflowers       Uplands

  *Iva*                   Marshelder              Uplands/Moist Sites

  *Kochia*                Kochia                  Uplands

  *Lactuca*               Prickly Lettuce         Uplands

  *Malva*                 Common Mallow           Uplands

  *Medicago*              Black Medic             Uplands

  *Melilotus*             Sweetclover             Uplands

  *Oxalis*                Yellow Woodsorrel       Uplands

  *Panicum*               Witchgrass              Uplands

  *Plantago*              Plantains               Uplands/Moist Sites

  *Polygonum*             Smartweeds              Wetlands/Moist Sites

  *Rumex*                 Docks                   Uplands

  *Setaria*               Foxtails                Uplands

  *Stellaria*             Chickweeds              Uplands

  *Taraxacum*             Dandelion               Uplands

  *Thlaspi*               Pennycress              Uplands

  *Veronica*              Speedwells              Uplands
  ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------

**Table 2. Desirable Forbs and Legumes with Seeding Information**

***(See Pasture and Hayland Interpretations, Section II of FOTG for more
specific information.)***

+-------------------+-------------+----------------------+-------------+
| **[\              | **          | **[Site              | **[Single   |
| Speci             | [Vegetative | Adaptab              | Species]{.u |
| es]{.underline}** | Zone]{.u    | ility]{.underline}** | nderline}** |
|                   | nderline}** |                      |             |
|                   |             |                      | **[Seeding  |
|                   |             |                      | Rate]{.u    |
|                   |             |                      | nderline}** |
|                   |             |                      | [^1]        |
+-------------------+-------------+----------------------+-------------+
| Alfalfa           | Statewide   | All Except Wet Sites | 3.0 to 5.0  |
+-------------------+-------------+----------------------+-------------+
| Sweet Clover      | Statewide   | Adapted to Most      | 2.0 to 4.0  |
|                   |             | Sites                |             |
+-------------------+-------------+----------------------+-------------+
| Red Clover        | III, IV     | Loamy, Fertile Soils | 2.0 to 4.0  |
+-------------------+-------------+----------------------+-------------+
| White Clover      | II, III, IV | Avoid Dry, Sandy     | 0.5 to 1.0  |
| (Ladino)          |             | Soils                |             |
+-------------------+-------------+----------------------+-------------+
| Alsike Clover     | III, IV     | Moist and Wet Soils  | 0.5 to 1.5  |
+-------------------+-------------+----------------------+-------------+
| Strawberry Clover | I, II       | Moist, High pH Soils | 1.5 to 3.0  |
+-------------------+-------------+----------------------+-------------+
| Crownvetch        | III, IV     | Infertile Poor Soils | 4.0 to 8.0  |
+-------------------+-------------+----------------------+-------------+
| Hairy Vetch       | I, II, III  | Sandy Soils -        | 5.0 to 10.0 |
|                   |             | Aggressive           | **\***      |
+-------------------+-------------+----------------------+-------------+
| Cicer Milkvetch   | I, II, III  | High pH, Calcareous  | 3.5 to 7.0  |
|                   |             | Soils                |             |
+-------------------+-------------+----------------------+-------------+
| Sainfoin          | I, II       | Dry, Calcareous      | 10.0 to     |
|                   |             | Soils                | 20.0 **\*** |
+-------------------+-------------+----------------------+-------------+
| Birdsfoot Trefoil | IV          | Adaptable to Many    | 1.5 to 3.0  |
|                   |             | Sites                |             |
+-------------------+-------------+----------------------+-------------+
| Maximillian       | Statewide   | Native               | 1.0 to 2.0  |
| Sunflower         |             | Forb--Aggressive     | **\***      |
+-------------------+-------------+----------------------+-------------+
| Purple            | Statewide   | Native Legume        | 2.0 to 4.0  |
| Prairieclover     |             |                      |             |
+-------------------+-------------+----------------------+-------------+
| Canada Milkvetch  | Statewide   | Native Legume        | 2.0 to 4.0  |
+-------------------+-------------+----------------------+-------------+
| Illinois          | III, IV     | Native Legume-Moist  | 5.0 to 10.0 |
| Bundleflower      |             | Soils                | **\***      |
+-------------------+-------------+----------------------+-------------+
| Showy             | II, III, IV | Native               | 5.0 to 10.0 |
| Partridgepea      |             | Legume--Annual       | **\***      |
+-------------------+-------------+----------------------+-------------+

[^1]:
    > Rates provided are for pounds of pure live seed per acre drilled
    > as a single species.
    >
    > Reduce rates proportionately when using two or more species in a
    > mixture.
    >
    > Rates will be doubled if broadcast.
    >
    > **\*** Recommended seeding rates have been reduced from amounts
    > noted in Section II, FOTG -- Pasture and Hayland Interpretations,
    > Table 2. Pure Live Seeding Rates and MLRA Adaptation -- due to
    > aggressive nature and/or high cost of extensive seeding rates.