Great Basin Native Plant

Selection and Increase Projec

FY05 Progress Report

USDI Bureau of Land Management Great Basin Restoration Initiative

USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 

Shrub Sciences Laboratory, Provo, UT and Boise, ID

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Great Basin Research Center, Ephraim, UT

USDA Agricultural Research Service, Forage and Range Research Laboratory, Logan, UT

USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory, Logan, UT

Utah Crop Improvement Association, Logan, UT

Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies, Moline, IL

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service - Idaho, Utah, Nevada, 

and the Aberdeen Plant Materials Center, Aberdeen, ID

Brigham Young University, Provo, UT

USDA Forest Service, National Seed Laboratory, Dry Branch, GA

Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, Tri-River Area, Grand Junction, CO

USDA Agricultural Research Service, Western Regional Plant Introduction Station, Pullman, W

Oregon State University, Malheur Experiment Station, Ontario, OR

USDA Agricultural Research Service, Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center, Burns, OR
Great Basin Native Plant 

Selection and Increase Project 

FY05 Progress Report 

March 2006 

 

COOPERATORS

USDI Bureau of Land Management, Great Basin Restoration Initiative 

USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 

Shrub Sciences Laboratory, Provo, UT and Boise, ID 

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, Great Basin Research Center, Ephraim, UT 

USDA Agricultural Research Service, Forage and Range Research Laboratory, Logan, UT 

USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory, Logan, UT 

Utah Crop Improvement Association, Logan, UT 

Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies, Moline, IL 

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Idaho, Utah, Nevada, 

and Aberdeen Plant Materials Center, Aberdeen, ID 

Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 

USDA Forest Service, National Seed Laboratory, Dry Branch, GA 

Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, Tri-River Area, Grand Junction, CO 

USDA Agricultural Research Service, Western Regional Plant Introduction Station, 

Pullman, WA 

Oregon State University, Malheur Experiment Station, Ontario, OR 

USDA Agricultural Research Service, 

Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center, Burns, OR 

1
 Great Basin Native Plant Selection and Increase Project 

 FY05 Progress Report 

Introduction 

The use of native plants for rehabilitation after wildfires and restoration of disturbed wildlands is 

being encouraged by various BLM programs, initiatives, and policies. Examples include the 

2001-2006 Interior Appropriations Bills, the Great Basin Restoration Initiative, Departmental 

guidance (DOI Emergency Stabilization and Rehabilitation Manual), Executive Order 13112 

(Invasive Species – 2/99) and the BLM’s Standards for Rangeland Health. This project 

integrates several proposals to increase native plant production and use within the Great Basin, 

utilizing an applied science approach in a collaborative project. 

Original partners in this proposal include BLM (Utah, Idaho, and Nevada); USDA Forest 

Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, Shrub Sciences Laboratory, Provo, UT and Boise, 

ID; Utah Crop Improvement Association, Logan, UT; USDA Agricultural Research Service, 

Forage and Range Research Laboratory, Logan, UT; USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bee 

Biology and Systematics Laboratories, Logan, UT; and the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, 

Great Basin Research Center, Ephraim, UT. Additional cooperators have been included to 

address specific research issues as needed. 

This document provides a review of work completed in 2005. Appendix I summarizes ongoing 

research and the principal investigators for each species. 

Project Priorities 

The proposal covers selection of native plant materials, culture, seed increase, and use on 

degraded rangelands. Priorities are: 1) increase of native plant materials available for 

restoration; 2) management or re-establishment of seed sources and technology to improve the 

diversity of introduced species monocultures; 3) technology transfer; and 4) genetic research. 

The BLM representatives recommend that following identification of a funding level for this 

proposal, the BLM representatives, with input from the cooperators, will develop priorities, 

given the available funding. Studies and activities will focus on maximizing the increase in 

native plant materials available for rehabilitation and restoration of Great Basin rangelands and 

the seed, seed production and seeding technology required for using them. 

Funding Strategy 

This effort requires sustained funding over a long period to be successful. To meet this need, an 

Interagency Agreement will transfer the majority of the approved funds to the USDA Forest 

Services’ Rocky Mountain Research Station, Shrub Sciences Laboratory in Provo, Utah. Mike 

Pellant, Great Basin Restoration Initiative Coordinator, is the Contracting Officer’s 

i
Representative for this Interagency Agreement. The Shrub Sciences Laboratory will prepare or 

amend agreements with the other cooperators on this project and will distribute funding to these 

other entities per the Interagency Agreement and annual task orders. The Shrub Sciences 

Laboratory will assess a reasonable 12% indirect charge used internally to administer this 

assistance agreement with BLM for in-house funding. No indirect charge is assessed on passthrough funds to cooperators as of FY05 (12% was assessed from FY02-04). Additional funding 

for BLM coordination of this project will be needed starting in FY02 to assist in state level 

coordination on the project. An estimated 20 WM’s per year will be required from FY02-06 for 

BLM coordination in the states of Utah, Oregon and Nevada, however, BLM will pursue these 

needs outside of this agreement. 

Acknowledgments 

We thank our collaborators for their expertise and in kind contributions that have made it 

possible to address the many issues involved in plant materials development and use. A special 

thanks to Ann DeBolt, Danielle Scholten, and Jan Gurr for assistance in compiling this report. 

Nancy Shaw, Team Leader Mike Pellant, Coordinator 

Great Basin Native Plant Great Basin Restoration Initiative 

Selection and Increase Project 

ii
Table of Contents

Nancy Shaw Plant material development, seed technology and seed 

Ann DeBolt production of Great Basin forbs..........................................1 

Durant McArthur Forb and shrub genetics research........................................8 

Stewart Sanderson 

Scott Jensen Toward selected releases of Agoseris, Astragalus, Lupinus, 

Phlox, and Stipa...........................................................14 

Jason Vernon Native plant material development and seed and seeding 

Therese Meyer technology for native Great Basin forbs and grasses................20 

Alison Whittaker 

Val Jo Anderson Agronomic and cultural care of wildland plants.....................25 

Robert Johnson 

Bruce Roundy 

Clinton C. Shock Subsurface drip irrigation for native forb seed production..........29 

Erik B.G. Feibert 

Clinton C. Shock Identification of herbicides for use in native forb seed production 

Joey Ishida ..............................................................................32 

Corey Ransom 

Robert Karrfalt Development of germination protocols, seed weight, purity, 

Victor Vankus and seed conditioning/cleaning protocols for Great Basin grasses 

and forbs..................................................................36 

Douglas Johnson Native plant genetics, ecophysiology, plant materials 

Michael Peel development, and seed increase.........................................38 

Steve Larson 

Tom Monaco 

Tom Jones 

James H. Cane Pollinator and seed predator studies...................................42 

Robert Hammon Insect pests of selected grass and forb species in the 

James H. Cane Great Basin................................................................45 

R.C. Johnson Genetic diversity patterns of Allium acuminatum in the 

Barbara Hellier Great Basin...................................................................50 

iii
Loren St. John Establishment and maintenance of certified Generation 1 

Dan Ogle (G1) seed. Propagation of native forbs and native plant display 

nursey. Develop technology to improve the diversity of introduced 

grass stands...............................................................55 

Bruce A. Roundy Diversification of crested wheatgrass stands and seedling 

Val Anderson establishment modeling.................................................64 

Brad Jessop 

 

Jane Mangold Reestablishing native plant diversity in crested wheatgrass stands 

in the Great Basin.........................................................68 

Jim Truax Development of the Truax Rangeland Drill...........................76 

Harold Wiedemann Revegetation equipment catalog project..............................79 

David Pyke VegSpec seeding guide..................................................83 

Val Jo Anderson Manipulations to sustain seed yield in wild shrub stands...........84 

Robert Johnson 

Bruce Roundy 

Ann DeBolt The AOSCA Cooperative Native Seed Increase Program..........86 

Chet Boruff 

Stanford Young Establishment and maintenance of the Stock Seed Buy-back 

Michael Bouck Program for certified seed................................................89 

 

APPENDICES 

Appendix I. Great Basin Native Plant Selection and Increase Project: Status of 

Research Species..................................................................96 

iv
Project Title: Plant Material Development, Seed Technology and Seed 

 Production of Great Basin Forbs 

Project Location: USDA-FS-RMRS, Shrub Sciences Laboratory, Boise, ID 

Principal Investigators and Contact Information: 

Nancy Shaw, Research Botanist, USDA-FS-RMRS 

322 East Front Street, Suite 401, Boise, ID 83702 

208.373.4360, Fax 208.373.4391 

 nshaw@fs.fed.us 

Ann DeBolt, Botanist, USDA-FS-RMRS 

322 East Front Street, Suite 401, Boise, ID 83702 

208.373.4366, Fax 208.373.4391 

adebolt@fs.fed.us 

Project Description: 

Although forbs are components of most native communities, their use in revegetation has been 

limited. This work is being conducted to provide plant materials, seed supplies, and seed transfer 

guidelines for common forb species of the Great Basin. Seed production practices and seed and 

seeding technology, essential for the use of these species, are also being developed. Efforts in 

Boise focus on seven species in three families: Eriogonum umbellatum (Polygonaceae); 

Lomatium dissectum, L. grayi, and L. triternatum (Apiaceae); and Penstemon acuminatus, P. 

deustus, and P. speciosus (Scrophulariaceae). 

Project Status: 

Development of field locations: 

Lucky Peak Nursery. A 0.5 acre site was leased through an agreement with Lucky Peak 

Nursery. The site was prepared for planting in October 2005. 

Lucky Peak Shrub Garden. The rush skeletonweed (Chondrilla juncea) control project is being 

continued in this 16-ha enclosure administered by the Boise National Forest. Spot treatments of 

herbicide were applied as needed on sites previously treated and an additional 2 ha were given 

initial treatments in 2005. 

Orovada. A 2-ha area was sprayed with Round-up in spring 2005 in preparation for future 

common garden plantings. The existing 2-ha exclosure fence was reconstructed to ensure 

livestock exclusion. 

Seed collections. We collected 153 seed lots of 17 species in 2005. This included 140 

collections of Boise research species, six collections of Ephraim and Provo research species, and 

9 collections for the AOSCA project. We emphasized larger collections in 2005 for our research, 

for Oregon State University Malheur Field Station irrigation and herbicide studies, and for the 

NRCS Aberdeen Plant Materials Center for seed increase. 

1
Status of research species. 

Penstemon spp. 

In 2005, we made 23 field collections of P. acuminatus (5.5 kg seed), 19 of P. deustus (1.9 kg 

seed), and 21 of P. speciosus (2 kg seed).

Phenology, morphology, and growth data were collected from irrigated common gardens 

established in 2003 at Snavely’s (P. deustus, P. speciosus) and in 2004 at Boise State University 

(P. speciosus). Data were also collected at dryland common gardens established in 2004 at 

Niagra Springs (P. acuminatus), Orovada (P. speciosus), and the Orchard Research site (P. 

acuminatus, P. deustus). P. acuminatus, a species adapted to sandy soils, died out during the 

winter of 2004-2005 at two irrigated common garden sites (Geertson’s, Snavely’s), possibly 

because the soils were not well drained enough. The following table summarizes our Penstemon

common garden status.

Species Site Name Irrigated/Wildland 

(I or W) 

Planting Year(s) 

Penstemon acuminatus Geertson, Niagra, Orchard I, W, W 2003, 2004, 2004 

P. deustus Snavely, Orchard I, W 2003, 2004 

P. speciosus Snavely, BSU, Orovada, 

Orchard 

I, W, I, W 2003, 2004, 2004, 

2006 

A limited amount of insect sampling (diurnal and nocturnal) was conducted at common garden 

and wildland sites. Insects were sent to project cooperators Bob Hammon (Colorado State 

University Extension Office) and Jim Cane (ARS Bee Biology & Systematics Laboratory) for 

determination and an assessment of their potential effect (beneficial or adverse) on a given 

species. 

Container stock of P. speciosus is being grown at the Lucky Peak Nursery greenhouse in winter 

2005/2006 for a 2006 spring common garden planting at the Orchard Research Site. 

Lomatium spp. 

In 2005, we made 34 field collections of L. dissectum (30.7 kg seed), 14 of L. grayi (9.2 kg 

seed), and 15 field collections of L. triternatum (1.7 kg seed). 

Morphology and growth data were collected from irrigated common gardens established by 

direct sowing all 3 Lomatium species (L. dissectum, L. grayi, L. triternatum) in fall 2004 at 

growing fields managed by the Horticulture Program at Boise State University. No flowering 

occurred during the first growing season but most accessions appeared to establish and grow. 

Fall 2005 plantings: 

 Lucky Peak Nursery (irrigated): L. dissectum common garden, direct sown. 

 Lucky Peak Nursery (irrigated): L. dissectum direct sown for bare root seedling 

 production and transplanting to Orchard Research Site (dryland) in fall 2006. 

 Lucky Peak Nursery (irrigated): As a pilot project, 2 accessions each of L. grayi and L.

 triternatum were direct sown for bare root seedling production and transplanting to 

 Orchard Research Site in fall 2006. 

2
The following table summarizes our Lomatium common garden status.

Species Site Name Irrigated/Wildland 

(I or W) 

Planting Year(s) 

Lomatium dissectum BSU, Lucky Peak, Orchard I, I, W 2005, 2005, 2006 

L. grayi BSU, Lucky Peak I, I 2005, 2005 

L. triternatum BSU I 2005 

Lomatium Seed Physiology, Germination, and Seedling Establishment 

Melissa Scholten (RMRS), Marcelo Serpe (Boise State University), Nancy Shaw (RMRS) 

• Lomatium dissectum, L. grayi, L. triternatum prechilling requirements – studies 

completed. 

Ongoing: 

• Lomatium dissectum

• Development of surface sterlization procedure 

• Seed physiology – embryo development during prechilling, endosperm breakdown 

• Effects of afterripening, warm stratification, prechilling and combinations on seed 

germination 

• Environmental factors affecting germination and seedling establishment 

• Factors inducing secondary dormancy and seedbank development 

Eriogonum umbellatum.

In 2005, we made 14 field collections of E. umbellatum (1.7 kg seed). Container stock of E. 

umbellatum is being grown at the Lucky Peak Nursery greenhouse in winter 2005/2006 for a 

2006 spring common garden planting at Lucky Peak Nursery where it would be irrigated. 

Revegetation Equipment Catalog 

• Catalog completed by Harold Wiedemann (retired Texas A&M), edited by N. Shaw 

• Catalog is online (www.reveg-catalog.tamu.edu) and will be updated quarterly 

• 2006 emphasis will be on publicity for the website 

Collaborative Research Initiated: 

Crested Wheatgrass Diversification

Field studies in Utah and Oregon initiated 

Cooperators: 

• Brigham Young University (Bruce Roundy, Val Jo Anderson, Brad Jessup, Robert 

Anderson) 

• USDA ARS Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center (Jane Mangold, Clare 

Poulson) 

• USDA NRCS Aberdeen Plant Materials Center (Loren St. John, Brent Cornforth) 

• Truax Company (Jim Truax) 

• Field studies in Nevada will be initiated in 2006 by University of Nevada – Reno (Kent 

McAdoo) 

3
National Seed Laboratory

• Seed germination protocols 

Seed cleaning protocols (Chaenactis douglasii, Erigeron pumilus, Balsamorhiza 

 hookeri, Crepis occidentalis) 

• Long-term storage requirements for selected forbs 

• Seed harvesting equipment for selected forbs 

• Ex-situ germplasm conservation

USDA ARS LARRL

Competitive dynamics among crested wheatgrass and native forbs and grasses 

Publications: 

Burgess, L. M.; Hild, A. L.; Shaw, N. L. 2005. Capsule treatments to enhance seedling 

emergence of Gaura neomexicana ssp. coloradensis. Restoration Ecology 13: 8-14. 

Parkinson, H.; DeBolt, A. 2005. Eleven plant propagation protocols prepared for the UI Native 

Plants Network (http:/nativeplants.for.uidaho.edu.network). Species: Penstemon acuminatus, P. 

deustus, P. speciosus, Eriogonum umbellatum, E. microthecum, Lomatium dissectum, L. grayi, L. 

triternatum, Lithospermum ruderale, Machaeranthera canescens, Chaenactis douglasii.

Shaw, N. L.; Haferkamp, M. R.; Hurd, E. G. 2004. Grayia spinosa (Hook.) Moq. In: Francis, J. 

K., ed. Wildland shrubs of the United States and its territories: thamnic descriptions: vol.1. Gen. 

Tech. Rep. IITF-GTR-26. San Juan, PR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 

International Institute of Tropical Forestry, and Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Rocky Mountain Research Station: 361-362. 

Shaw, N. L.; Pendleton, R. L.; Hurd, E. G. 2004. Zuckia brandegei (Gray) Welsh & Stutz ex 

Welsh. In: Francis, J. K., ed. Wildland shrubs of the United States and its territories: thamnic 

descriptions: vol.1. Gen. Tech. Rep. IITF-GTR-26. San Juan, PR: U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Forest Service, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, and Fort Collins, CO: 

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Rocky Mountain Research Station: 806-807. 

Shaw, N. L.; DeBolt, A. M.; Rosentreter, R. 2005. Reseeding big sagebrush: techniques and 

issues. In: Shaw, N. L.; Monsen, S. B.; Pellant, M., comps. Sage-grouse habitat restoration 

symposium proceedings. Proc. RMRS-P-38. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, 

Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station: 99-108. 

Shaw, N. L., Lambert, S. M.; DeBolt, A. M.; Pellant, M. 2005. Increasing native forb seed 

supplies for the Great Basin. In: Dumroese, R. K.; Riley, L. E.; Landis, T. D., tech. coords. 

National proceedings: Forest and Conservation Nursery Associations – 2004. Proc. RMRS-P-35. 

Fort Collins, CO: U. S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research 

Station: 94-102. 

Shaw, N. L.; Monsen, S. B.; Pellant, M., comps. 2005. Sage-grouse habitat 

restoration symposium proceedings; Boise, ID. Proc. RMRS-P-38. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. 

Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 130 p. 

4
Shaw, N. L.; Monsen, S. B.; Pellant, M. 2005. Sage-grouse habitat improvement symposium. 

(Introduction). In: Shaw, N. L.; Monsen, S. B.; Pellant, M., comps. Sage-grouse habitat 

restoration symposium proceedings. Proc. RMRS-P-38. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department 

of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station: 1-2. 

 

Walker, S. C.; Shaw, N. L. 2005. Current and potential use of broadleaf herbs for re-establishing 

native communities. In: Shaw, N. L.; Monsen, S. B.; Pellant, M., comps. Sage-grouse habitat 

restoration symposium proceedings. Proc. RMRS-P-38. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station: 56-61. 

Wiedemann, H. 2005. Revegetation Equipment Catalog. Shaw, N. L., ed. Rangeland Technology 

and Equipment Council, BLM Great Basin Restoration Initiative and UDA-FS RMRS Great 

Basin Native Plant Selection and Increase Project. Online: http://reveg-catalog.tamu.edu 

Presentations: 

DeBolt, A. 2005. Landscaping with native plants. Boise State University Renaissance Institute, 

Extended Studies Office, Boise, ID. 

DeBolt, A. 2005. Landscaping with native plants. Southwest Idaho Birder’s Association, 

Nampa, ID. 

DeBolt, A.; Shaw, N. L. 2005. Great Basin native forbs: progress in the development of 

penstemons, biscuitroots, and buckwheat. Ecology and management of pinyon-juniper and 

sagebrush communities, Montrose, CO: Uncompaghre Plateau Project: 78. 

Rosentreter, R.; DeBolt, A. 2005. Restoring vegetation structure and diversity on rangelands. 

Department of Integrative Biology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT. 

Shaw, N. L. 2005. Developing native plant materials for the Great Basin and sagebrush steppe. 

In: 2005 Idaho Rare Plant Conference; Boise, ID. Boise, ID: Idaho Native Plant Society. 

Shaw, N. L. 2005. Invasive species and native plants. Workshop - managing the desert. Desert 

Studies Institute, Boise State University, Boise, ID. 

Shaw, N. L.; Lambert, S. M. 2005. Progress in the development and use of native species for 

community restoration in the interior West. In: Ecology and management of pinyon-juniper and 

sagebrush communities; Montrose, CO: Uncompaghre Plateau Project: 29. 

Workman, B.; Parkinson, H.; DeBolt, A. 2005. Native turf alternatives for Idaho homeowners. 

Idaho Earth Institute, Boise, ID. 

5
Technology Transfer 

Fact Sheets and Brochures

Fact Sheets (DeBolt): 

a. Shrubland Biology and Ecology - Boise 

b. Shrubland Biology and Ecology Publications - Boise 

c. Shrubland Biology and Ecology Publications – Boise & Provo 

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 2005. Great Basin Native Plant Selection and 

Increase Project. Boise, ID: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain 

Research Station. 2 leaves, revised. (brochure, DeBolt) 

 

Poster presentations

DeBolt, A.; Shaw, N. L. 2005. Native beardtongue, biscuitroot, and buckwheat for 

southern Idaho restoration. Presented at: 

a. Great Rift Science Symposium; Pocatello, ID. 

b. Inland Northwest Restoration Conference; Pullman, WA. 

Shaw, N. L.; McArthur, E. D.; Jensen, S.; DeBolt, A.; Meyer, T.; Vernon, J.; Walker, 

S.; Johnson, R.; Roundy, B; Anderson, V. J. 2005. Development of native forbs for the Great 

Basin. Presented at: 

a. Idaho Wildlife Society Annual Meeting, Boise, ID. 

b. USDA Forest Service Region 4 Integrated Resources Workshop: Working Together 

 Towards Healthy Forests, Ogden, UT. 

c. USDA Forest Service, Regional Training Academy, University of Montana; 

Missoula, MT. 

Shaw, N. L., Pellant, M. 2005. The Great Basin Native Plant Selection and Increase 

Project: A collaborative research effort. In: Ecology and management of pinyon-juniper and 

sagebrush communities; Montrose, CO: Uncompaghre Plateau Project: 79. Also presented at: 

a. Great Rift Science Symposium; Pocatello, ID 

b. Inland Northwest Restoration Conference; Pullman, WA.

Meetings, Committees and Field Tours - Planning and Participation 

DeBolt: Gave overview presentation on GBNPSIP and led tour of native forb study and 

production fields for Oregon State University, Malheur Experiment Station Field Day, Ontario, 

OR. 

DeBolt: Attended Western Regional AOSCA Annual Meeting; Las Cruces, NM. 

Shaw and DeBolt: Arranged tour (May 3-11) to visit field sites and GBNPSIP cooperators for 

Dr. Shen Xihuan, Beijing Forestry University; Dr. Zhuang Weiling, Jianxi Agricultural 

University, and Bob Karrfalt, USDA-FS State and Private Forestry. 

Shaw and DeBolt: Provided research updates at the Tri-state Interagency Plant Materials 

Committee annual meeting, Provo and Ephraim, Utah. 

6
Shaw: Planning committee for WERA21 meeting and field tour, Lucky Peak Nursery and 

Reynolds Creek Watershed.

Shaw and E. D. McArthur: Organized and conducted a half-day symposium “Development of 

Native Plant Materials for the Great Basin” for the Society for Range Management 58th Annual 

Meeting, Fort Worth, TX. Twelve papers were presented providing an update on activities of the 

Great Basin Native Plant Selection and Increase Project. 

Shaw: Attended National Seed Laboratory Advisory Group meeting, Macon, GA. 

Training sessions 

Shaw: Instructor for Class 1730-12 Selecting Native Plant Material to Meet Management Goals, 

Salt Lake City, UT, sponsored by BLM National Training Center. 

Website

DeBolt: Continued website development for Shrub Lab-Boise and Great Basin Native Plant 

Selection and Increase Project. 

7
Project Title: Forb and Shrub Genetics Research

Project Location: USDA Forest Service, Shrub Sciences Laboratory, Provo, UT 

Principal Investigators and Contact Information: 

 Durant McArthur, USDA-FS-RMRS Shrub Sciences Laboratory 

735 N. 500 E., Provo, UT 84606-1865 

801.356.5112, Fax 801.375.6968 

dmcarthur@fs.fed.us

Stewart Sanderson, USDA-FS-RMRS Shrub Sciences Laboratory 

735 N. 500 E., Provo, UT 84606-1865, 

801.356.5111, Fax 801.375.6968 

ssanderson@fs.fed.us 

Reporting for work funded, in part, by both the USDI Bureau of Land Management Native Plant 

Selection and Increase Project and USDA Forest Service National Fire Plan (Cooperators USDA 

Forest Service Rocky Mountain, Pacific Northwest, and Pacific Southwest Research Stations; 

Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, and Brigham Young University). 

Project Description: 

This work is designed to determine the levels of genetic variation of plant species used or with 

potential for use in rehabilitation and restoration of fire impacted and other disturbed sagebrush 

steppe and pinyon-juniper ecosystems. Additional genetics work is also underway in delimiting 

seed transfer zones for restoration plant materials. The genetic variation research is designed to 

explore both within and between population variation by using isozyme and molecular genetic 

markers. It also explores the possible genetic consequences of past revegetation plantings by 

comparing the genetic architecture of source populations, seeded populations, and indigenous 

populations adjacent to the seeded populations. Work to date suggests that genetic patterns need 

to be assessed on a species by species basis and take into account pollination systems and 

population size. We briefly summarize the initial results from isozymes, DNA-based molecular 

genetics, revegetation plantings, gene flow, and seed transfer zones. 

Project Status: 

Isozymes (Hipkins): Nineteen species have been examined so far, [Artemisia tridentata, 

Astragalus utahensis, Atriplex canescens, Balsamorhiza sagitatta, Bromus carinatus, 

Chrysothamnus nauseosus (Ericamreria nauseosa), Crepis acuminata, Erigeron pumilus, 

Eriogonum umbellatum, Lomatium dissectum, L. grayi, Lupinus argenteus, L. sericeus, 

Penstemon deustus, P. speciosus, Phlox longifolia, Stipa comata, Vicia americana, and Viguiera 

multiflora (Heliomeris multiflora)]. 

DNA-based molecular genetics (Cronn): The molecular genetic analysis is being performed on 

the same species that are being analyzed for isozymes. It appears that the two approaches are 

complementary. 

8
Revegetation plantings gene flow: Several species are being examined in this portion of the 

study. Preliminary results for Linum, Sphaeralcea, Penstemon, and Atriplex are available. 

Linum perenne in the form of ‘Appar’ blue flax has been seeded widely in revegetation 

plantings. 

The work of the above studies is progressing toward a summary status. The first significant 

output will be a Rocky Mountain Station General Technical Report summarizing all the 

collection and research information. From that summary more detailed publications will be 

developed and submitted to peer reviewed outlets. The methods were reported in previous 

annual reports. 

Development, culture, and characterization of selected native forbs for Intermountain 

Region National Forest System lands: This is a new complementary study funded by the 

National Forest Systems Native Plant Earmark program. Durant McArthur and Susan Meyer are 

the principal investigators. The species being studied are Potentilla gracilis, Castilleja miniata, 

Geranium richardsonii, Eriogonum heracleoides, Polemonium viscosissimum, Mertensia ciliata, 

Iliamna rivularis, Erigeron speciosus, Delphinium occidentale, and Chamerion angustifolium. 

Publications: 

Garcia, S.; Sanz, M.; Garnatje, T.; Kreitschitz, A.; McArthur, E. D.; Vallès, J. 2004. Variation of 

DNA amount in 47 populations of the subtribe Artemisiinae and related taxa (Asteraceae, 

Anthemideae): karyological, ecological, and systematic implications. Genome 47: 1004-1014. 

Mahalovich, M. F. and E. D. McArthur. 2004. Sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) seed transfer 

guidelines. Native Plant Journal 5:141-147. 

McArthur, E. D. 2005. Sagebrush, common and uncommon, palatable and unpalatable. 

Rangelands 27(4): 47-51. 

McArthur, E. D.; Monsen, S. B. 2004. Chenopod shrubs. p. 467-492 In S. B. Monsen, R. 

Stevens, and N. L. Shaw (compilers). Restoring western ranges and wildlands. General 

Technical Report RMRS-GTR-136-volume 2. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 

Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, CO. 

McArthur, E. D.; Stevens, R. 2004. Composite shrubs. p. 493-537 In S.B. Monsen, R. Stevens, 

and N. L. Shaw (compilers). Restoring western ranges and wildlands. General Technical Report 

RMRS-GTR-136-volume 2. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain 

Research Station, Fort Collins, CO. 

McArthur, E. D.; Taylor, J. R. 2004. Artemisia arbuscula Nutt. p. 47-49. In J. K. Francis (ed.). 

Wildland Shrubs of the United States and its territories: thamnic descriptions: volume 1. General 

Technical Report IITF-GTR-26. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, International 

Institute of Tropical Forestry, San Juan, PR and Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, 

CO. 

9
McArthur, E. D.; Taylor, J. R. 2004. Artemisia bigelovii Gray. p. 50-51. In J. K. Francis (ed.). 

Wildland Shrubs of the United States and its territories: thamnic descriptions: volume 1. General 

Technical Report IITF-GTR-26. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, International 

Institute of Tropical Forestry, San Juan, PR and Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, 

CO. 

McArthur, E. D.; Taylor, J. R. 2004. Artemisia cana Pursh. p. 57-59. In J. K. Francis (ed.). 

Wildland Shrubs of the United States and its territories: thamnic descriptions: volume 1. General 

Technical Report IITF-GTR-26. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, International 

Institute of Tropical Forestry, San Juan, PR and Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, 

CO. 

McArthur, E. D.; Taylor, J. R. 2004. Artemisia frigida Willd. p. 63-65. In J. K. Francis (ed.). 

Wildland Shrubs of the United States and its territories: thamnic descriptions: volume 1. General 

Technical Report IITF-GTR-26. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, International 

Institute of Tropical Forestry, San Juan, PR and Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, 

CO. 

McArthur, E. D.; Taylor, J. R. 2004. Artemisia filifolia Torr. p. 60-62. In J. K. Francis (ed.). 

Wildland Shrubs of the United States and its territories: thamnic descriptions: volume 1. General 

Technical Report IITF-GTR-26. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, International 

Institute of Tropical Forestry, San Juan, PR and Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, 

CO. 

McArthur, E. D.; Taylor, J. R. 2004. Artemisia longiloba (Osterhout) Beetle. p. 66-68. In J. K. 

Francis (ed.). Wildland Shrubs of the United States and its territories: thamnic descriptions: 

volume 1. General Technical Report IITF-GTR-26. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest 

Service, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, San Juan, PR and Rocky Mountain Research 

Station, Fort Collins, CO. 

McArthur, E. D.; Taylor, J. R. 2004. Artemisia nova A. Nels. p. 72-74. In J. K. Francis (ed.). 

Wildland Shrubs of the United States and its territories: thamnic descriptions: volume 1. General 

Technical Report IITF-GTR-26. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, International 

Institute of Tropical Forestry, San Juan, PR and Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, 

CO. 

McArthur, E. D.; Taylor, J. R. 2004. Artemisia pygmaea Gray. p. 75-76. In J. K. Francis (ed.). 

Wildland Shrubs of the United States and its territories: thamnic descriptions: volume 1. General 

Technical Report IITF-GTR-26. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, International 

Institute of Tropical Forestry, San Juan, PR and Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, 

CO. 

McArthur, E. D.; Taylor, J. R. 2004. Artemisia rigida (Nutt.) Gray. p. 77-78. In J. K. Francis 

(ed.). Wildland Shrubs of the United States and its territories: thamnic descriptions: volume 1. 

General Technical Report IITF-GTR-26. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 

10
International Institute of Tropical Forestry, San Juan, PR and Rocky Mountain Research Station, 

Fort Collins, CO. 

McArthur, E. D.; Taylor, J. R. 2004. Artemisia spinescens Eaton. p. 82-84. In J. K. Francis (ed.). 

Wildland Shrubs of the United States and its territories: thamnic descriptions: volume 1. General 

Technical Report IITF-GTR-26. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, International 

Institute of Tropical Forestry, San Juan, PR and Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, 

CO. 

McArthur, E. D.; Taylor, J. R. 2004. Artemisia tripartita Rydb. p. 88-90. In J. K. Francis (ed.). 

Wildland Shrubs of the United States and its territories: thamnic descriptions: volume 1. General 

Technical Report IITF-GTR-26. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, International 

Institute of Tropical Forestry, San Juan, PR and Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, 

CO. 

McArthur, E. D.; Sanderson, S. C.; Taylor, J. R. 2004. Atriplex canescens (Pursh) Nutt. p. 93-95. 

In J. K. Francis (ed.). Wildland Shrubs of the United States and its territories: thamnic 

descriptions: volume 1. General Technical Report IITF-GTR-26. U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Forest Service, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, San Juan, PR and Rocky 

Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, CO. 

McArthur, E. D.; Sanderson, S. C.; Taylor, J. R. 2004. Atriplex corrugata S. Wats. p. 99-100. In

J. K. Francis (ed.). Wildland Shrubs of the United States and its territories: thamnic descriptions: 

volume 1. General Technical Report IITF-GTR-26. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest 

Service, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, San Juan, PR and Rocky Mountain Research 

Station, Fort Collins, CO. 

McArthur, E. D.; Sanderson, S. C.; Taylor, J. R. 2004. Atriplex cuneata A. Nels. p. 101-102. In J. 

K. Francis (ed.). Wildland Shrubs of the United States and its territories: thamnic descriptions: 

volume 1. General Technical Report IITF-GTR-26. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest 

Service, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, San Juan, PR and Rocky Mountain Research 

Station, Fort Collins, CO. 

McArthur, E. D.; Taylor, J. R. Chrysothamnus parryi (Gray) Greene. p. 206-208. In J. K. Francis 

(ed.). Wildland Shrubs of the United States and its territories: thamnic descriptions: volume 1. 

General Technical Report IITF-GTR-26. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 

International Institute of Tropical Forestry, San Juan, PR and Rocky Mountain Research Station, 

Fort Collins, CO. 

McArthur, E. D.; Taylor, J. R. Chrysothamnus nauseosus (Pallas ex Pursh) Britt. p. 203-205. In

J. K. Francis (ed.). Wildland Shrubs of the United States and its territories: thamnic descriptions: 

volume 1. General Technical Report IITF-GTR-26. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest 

Service, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, San Juan, PR and Rocky Mountain Research 

Station, Fort Collins, CO. 

11
McArthur, E. D.; Taylor, J. R. Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus Nutt. p. 209-211. In J. K. Francis 

(ed.). Wildland Shrubs of the United States and its territories: thamnic descriptions: volume 1. 

General Technical Report IITF-GTR-26. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, 

International Institute of Tropical Forestry, San Juan, PR and Rocky Mountain Research Station, 

Fort Collins, CO. 

Miglia, K. J.; Freeman, D. C.; McArthur, E. D.; Smith, B. N. 2004. Importance of genotype, soil 

type, and location on the performance of parental and hybrid big sagebrush reciprocal transplants 

in the gardens of Salt Creek Canyon. p. 30-36. In A. L. Hild, N. L. Shaw, S. E. Meyer, D. T. 

Booth, and E. D. McArthur (compilers). Seed and soil dynamics in shrubland ecosystems. 

Proceedings RMRS-P-31. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain 

Research Station, Ogden, UT. 

Miglia, K. J.; McArthur, E. D.; Moore, W. S.; Wang, H.; Graham, J. H., Freeman, D. C. 2005. 

Nine-year reciprocal transplant experiment in the gardens of the basin and mountain big 

sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata: Asteraceae) hybrid zone of Salt Creek Canyon: the importance 

of multiple-year tracking of fitness. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 86: 213-225. 

Sanderson, S. C.; McArthur, E. D.; Taylor, J. R. 2004. Atriplex confertifolia (Torr. & Frém.) S. 

Wats. p. 96-98. In J. K. Francis (ed.). Wildland Shrubs of the United States and its territories: 

thamnic descriptions: volume 1. General Technical Report IITF-GTR-26. U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Forest Service, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, San Juan, PR and Rocky 

Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, CO. 

Taylor, J. R.; McArthur, E. D. 2004. Artemisia ludoviciana Nutt. p. 69-71. In J. K. Francis (ed.). 

Wildland Shrubs of the United States and its territories: thamnic descriptions: volume 1. General 

Technical Report IITF-GTR-26. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, International 

Institute of Tropical Forestry, San Juan, PR and Rocky Mountain Research Station, Fort Collins, 

CO. 

Presentations: 

Cronn, R., McArthur, E.D.; Hipkins, V. 2005. Patterns of nuclear and cytoplasmic differentiation 

in Intermountain restoration species: tales from two genomes. p. 31 in Abstracts (CD) Society for 

Range Management, Denver, CO. 123 p. (meeting held in Fort Worth, TX). 

Garcia, S.; Garnatje, T.; Sanderson, S. C.; McArthur, E. D.; Vallès, J. 2005. Genome size 

variation in the endemic sagebrushes and Thies halléis (Artemisia, Anthemideae, Asteraceae) of 

North America. Abstract P0644, p. 341 in Abstracts XVII International Botanical Congress, 

Vienna, Austria (meeting held in Vienna, Austria). 

McArthur, E. D. 2005. Identification and relationships of woody North American Artemisia 

species. Abstract 7, p. 16 in Program, ecology and management of pinyon-juniper and sagebrush 

communities. Uncompaghre Plateau Project, Montrose, CO. 86 p. (meeting held in Montrose, 

CO). 

12
Shaw, N.; McArthur, E. D. 2005. The Great Basin Native Plant Selection and Increase Project: 

Progress and recent initiatives. p. 55-56 in Abstracts (CD) Society for Range Management, 

Denver, CO. 123 p. (meeting held in Fort Worth, TX). 

13
Project Title: Toward Selected Releases of Agoseris, Astragalus, 

Lupinus, Phlox, and Stipa 

Project Location: USDA Forest Service, Shrub Sciences Laboratory, Provo, UT 

Principal Investigators and Contact Information:

Scott Jensen, USDA-FS-RMRS Shrub Sciences Laboratory 

735 N. 500 E., Provo, UT 84606-1865 

801.356.5128, Fax 801.375.6968 

sljensen@fs.fed.us 

Project Description: 

Annual wildland seed collections from the Great Basin region beginning in 2002 have amassed 

numerous accessions of the natives Agoseris glauca, Astragalus utahensis, Lupinus argenteus, L. 

sericeus, Phlox longifolia, and Hesperostipa comata. Each species poses a distinctive set of 

challenges in preparing it for commercial release. 

The RMRS staff at Boise, ID and Utah Division of Wildlife Resources staff at Ephraim, UT 

greatly assisted with site identification and seed collection for the species included in this portion 

of the project. 

Project Status: 

Equipment: At the initiation of the GBNPSIP, specialized planting and harvesting equipment 

was identified as crucial to the success of the project. Annually, funds were allocated to purchase 

essential equipment items. To date we have acquired several tractors, a Woodward Flail –Vac, a 

small plot combine, a hooded row sprayer and a precision cone seeder. Through a Joint Venture 

Agreement these items were purchased by the USDA Forest Service Shrub Sciences Laboratory 

and reside at the UDWR’S Great Basin Research Center, Ephraim, UT. For research purposes, 

these items facilitate wildland seed collection as well as establishment and seed harvest on 

ecotype evaluation and increase plots. Another primary reason these items were purchased was 

to assist private individuals in establishing and harvesting plant materials made available through 

the GBNPSIP. Most private growers specialize in typical agronomic crops and do not have 

access to equipment best suited to the species this project purports to release. To this end the 

following equipment items can be loaned to both project cooperators and private growers. Note 

that research uses receive scheduling priority and the equipment will generally be delivered by 

an operator who will oversee its use. 

Hooded Row Sprayer: This 5 head sprayer has 20” wide hoods covering the spray nozzles. The 

intended use of the sprayer is weed control between established rows. The sprayer is set for 36” 

row spacing. 

Hege 1000 Series Drill: This 4 cone seeder is adjustable for planting up to 4 rows on 18”or 

24”spacing or 3 rows at 36” spacing. Row length is adjustable from approximately 5 to over 100 

feet. The seeder is also equipped with 4 individual fluted feed boxes for planting longer rows or 

banding applications. 

14
Wintersteiger Classic Small Plot Combine: The combine is equipped with appropriate 

concaves and shakers for harvesting a variety of forbs and grasses and has a 5 ft wide header. 

Ag-Renewal Woodward Flail-Vac. The flail-vac is a relatively gentle harvester that removes 

ripened seed with minimal damage to the plant. This is of particular importance for 

indeterminate flowering crops where multiple harvests add value. This 6-foot model works best 

where seed height is relatively uniform. 

In 2005 the Shrub Lab’s aging 3 tractor fleet was replaced with two new Kubota models of 37 

and 45 HP. 

Plant Material Evaluation Test Sites: Beginning in 2004, as plant material collections began 

to approximate the Great Basin distribution of individual species, common gardens were planted 

to evaluate ecotypes. Prior to these plantings, and annually since, small scale seeding trials have 

been conducted to evaluate various planting methods and establish increase plots. The following 

summarizes those efforts. 

Fountain Green: 

Common Garden Establishment:

Astragalus utahensis – Planted 32 ecotypes from plugs 4/05. 

Hesperostipa comata – Planted 32 ecotypes from plugs 5/04. Direct seeded 59 ecotypes 11/05. 

Lupinus species- 

 argenteus –11 ecotypes direct seeded 11/05. 

 arbustus – 14 ecotypes direct seeded 11/05. 

 caudatus – 5 ecotypes direct seeded 11/05. 

 polyphyllus – 2 ecotypes direct seeded 11/05. 

 sericeus – 3 ecotypes direct seeded 11/05. 

Increase Plots- Project priority species:

Astragalus utahensis - Transplanted 04/05. 

Phlox longifolia – Transplanted 11/04 

Increase Plots- Opportunistic collections:

2005 Direct Seed- Enceliopsis nudicaulis, Penstemon pachyphyllus, Penstemon palmeri, Cleome 

 lutea.

2004 Direct Seed- Ipomopsis aggregata, Heliomeris multiflora, Penstemon palmeri, Packera 

 multilobata, Penstemon pachyphyllus, Crepis intermedia, Lupinus arbustus, Enceliopsis 

 nudicaulis, Oenothera elata. 

2004 Transplants- Ipomopsis aggregata, Enceliopsis nudicaulis, Oenothera elata.

Other studies:

Astragalus utahensis fungal study field trials planted in cooperation with Dr. Brad Geary of 

BYU. 

15
Nephi, UT: 

Common Garden Establishment:

Tragopogon dubius – 22 ecotypes transplanted 03/04. Seed production volume and ripening 

 phenology monitored. Plants harvested for biomass study. 

Hesperostipa comata – 34 ecotypes transplanted 12/04. Poor establishment – removed. 

 59 ecotypes direct seeded 11/05. 

Increase Plots- Project priority species:

2004 Broadcast and Rake-Tragopogon dubius, Agoseris aurantiaca, Lupinus arbustus.

 

Increase Plots- Opportunistic collections:

2004 Direct Seed- Ipomopsis aggregata, Packera multilobata, Penstemon palmeri, Heliomeris 

multiflora, Penstemon pachyphyllus, Crepis intermedia, Enceliopsis nudicaulis. 

2004 Broadcast and Rake - Heliomeris multiflora. 

Wells, NV: 

Common Garden Establishment:

Astragalus utahensis – 12 ecotypes transplanted 04/04 

Phlox longifolia – 7 ecotypes transplanted 10/04 

Hesperostipa comata – 40 ecotypes transplanted 10/04 

Tragopogon dubius – 22 ecotypes transplanted 03/04. Seed production volume and ripening 

 phenology monitored. Plants harvested for biomass study. 

The Wells site will be expanded in size by 5 acres in 2006. 

Orovada, NV: 

Common Garden Establishment:

Hesperostipa comata –17 ecotypes transplanted 03/05 

Tragopogon dubius – 22 ecotypes transplanted 03/04. Seed production volume and ripening 

 phenology monitored. Plants harvested for biomass study. 

This site is located in a fire tract dominated by annual weeds and grasses. Plant survival has been 

less than desirable for most species planted or transplanted here and weed control continues to be 

a difficult task. All unplanted areas were tilled and seeded with Sandberg bluegrass in the spring 

of 2005 in an effort to reclaim the site from weeds and reestablish a more diverse soil microflora. 

Future plots will be established by tilling appropriately sized parcels within the Sandberg 

bluegrass planting. 

Ely, NV: 

A new 10 acre test site will be established near the Hwy 6/318 Junction west of Ely, NV in 2006. 

The Ely BLM office is assisting with clearances and preparations. 

Container Propagation Protocols: This work is structured as a joint venture agreement

between the Shrub Sciences Lab (Susan Meyer, Scott Jensen) and Brigham Young University 

(Phil Allen, Brad Geary). Overall objectives were outlined in last year’s annual report. 

16
Progress has been made in each work area. In the spring-ephemeral perennials section, several 

Agoseris species were successfully reared to flowering in a greenhouse setting. In the native 

perennial legumes section, nodulation was achieved with Astragalus utahensis in pots using 

native soil as a carrier for rhizobium, and potting media are being screened for acceptance by 

Lupinus and Phlox. Other aspects of the study are ongoing. 

Individual Species Status: 

Agoseris glauca: 2005 efforts with this species were threefold - to increase the geographic 

representation of collected materials, initiate work on container propagation protocols, and 

increase several existing lots through plantings at Fountain Green and Nephi. 

A number of new sites and seed collections were added in 2005, particularly from western 

Nevada, helping to better represent the geographic distribution of the genus. Container trials 

were successful in rearing three Agoseris species to flowering in a greenhouse this spring. 

Broadcast seeded increase plots planted last fall at Fountain Green and Nephi, UT failed to 

establish. 

Efforts in 2006 will focus on locating additional sites, making more seed collections, additional 

trials and replication of container propagation protocol studies, and establishing increase plots 

with transplanted plugs. 

 

Astragalus utahensis: 2005 efforts with this species were to plant additional common gardens 

with transplanted stock, establish an increase/harvest plot as part of the container propagation 

protocols series of studies to evaluate seedling establishment and survival using rhizobium and 

mycorrhizal treatments, and to evaluate several species of fungi as germination accelerators. 

Survival of container grown stock permitted establishment of one additional common garden at 

Fountain Green, UT. The increase/harvest plot was eaten by deer and will be reestablished in 

2006. In the container propagation studies, nodulation was achieved using native soil as a source 

of rhizobium. Establishing this allows further work in this area. 

A brief outline of the fungal interaction work and early results are noted below: 

Increased germination of Astragalus utahensis with Aspergillus and Alternaria fungi. – 

Joint venture research between the Shrub Sciences Lab and Brigham Young University. 

Sean Eldredge, Brad Geary, Scott Jensen and John Gardner. 

The quick germination and establishment of some invasive plant species frequently hamper 

revegetation of burned areas by native species. Use of a natural promoter to accelerate 

germination of native plants would augment their competitive abilities against invasive species, 

allowing quicker growth and establishment in the post-fire ecosystem. The purposes of the 

studies undertaken were: 1) to delineate a germination response relationship manifest when seeds 

of Astragalus utahensis, a native Utah plant potentially useful in revegetation projects, are 

inoculated with two separate fungi isolated from A. utahensis seeds, and 2) to define the nature 

of this interaction by tracking the triggering mechanisms (chemical or physical) and their origins 

(fungal or seed). Fungi from the genera Alternaria and Aspergillus were cultured on artificial 

media and used to inoculate A. utahensis seeds after scarification in sulfuric acid. Germination, 

17
counted as radical emergence, was monitored in a sterile, wet environment and recorded. Both 

fungi accelerated germination percentages by at least 10% over the control seed. The majority of 

Aspergillus treatments accelerated germination by at least 19% and Alternaria by at least 60%. 

Preliminary light microscopy points to fungal penetration as the triggering mechanism for 

accelerated germination. Groundwork tests show that there is no chemical trigger involved. 

Efforts in 2006 will focus on additional common garden establishment through transplanting, 

continued work evaluating the effects of rhizobium and mycorrhizae, further fungal interaction 

work, and establishment of a harvest/increase plot to evaluate harvest methods. 

Lupinus: Seed of five Lupinus species; L. argenteus, L. arbustus, L. caudatus, L. polyphyllus

and L. sericeus have been collected throughout the Great Basin. 

Last year’s efforts were to locate and collect additional seed sources for all Lupinus species, 

develop methods to successfully rear lupines in containers, and experiment with direct seeding 

trials. 

Numerous additional collections were made and populations identified in 2005. Trials screening 

lupine tolerance to various potting media were conducted as were methods to scarify seed. 

Feeding damage by minute insects known as thrips is particularly problematic to young Lupinus

plants in a greenhouse setting. A single common garden of all Lupinus source material was 

direct seeded at Fountain Green, UT and plugs are being grown to establish a second common 

garden this spring. Ongoing container propagation work focuses on refinement of container 

rearing protocols and evaluating mycorrhizal and rhizobium benefits to establishment, survival 

and seed set of Lupinus spp. 

Phlox longifolia: 2005 objectives with this species focused on augmenting seed collections, 

establishing additional common gardens, and refining container propagation protocols. This was 

a poor year for progress on Phlox. While flowering was generally abundant, native populations 

throughout the region set little seed. A complete failure occurred with greenhouse grown 

transplant stock while trying a new technique. 

Work in 2006 will focus on successful rearing of container stock, additional collections, and 

establishment of increase plots should current attempts at production prove successful. 

Tragopogon dubius: End user interest in this species has waned so work has been arrested. 

Hesperostipa comata: A major emphasis was placed on collecting additional populations of this 

grass in 2005. A series of seed biology studies were completed and common gardens were both 

direct seeded and transplanted at several sites in 2005. 

In 2006 we expect to add more collections particularly from the southern and western portions of 

the Great Basin and evaluate materials at common garden sites. 

18
Presentations:

Jensen. S. L. 2005. Plant Materials in the Pipeline from the Great Basin Native Plant Selection 

and Increase Project. Southeast Idaho Environmental Network. Pocatello, ID. 

Technology Transfer: 

Jensen, S.L., V.J. Anderson. 2004. The Road to Release for Astragalus utahensis. Ecology and 

Management of Pinyon-Juniper and Sagebrush Communities, Montrose, CO. 

Jensen, S.L., T. Thompson, J. Vernon. Using Technology to Organize Plant Materials Collecting 

Tasks. Ecology and Management of Pinyon-Juniper and Sagebrush Communities, Montrose, CO. 

19
Project Title: Native Plant Material development and Seed and Seeding 

Technology for Native Great Basin Forbs and Grasses

Project Location: Great Basin Research Center, Ephraim, UT 

Principal Investigators and Contact Information:

Jason Vernon, Project Leader 

Great Basin Research Center 

494 West 100 South, Ephraim UT 84627 

435.283.4441, Fax 435.283.2034 

jasonvernon@utah.gov 

Therese Meyer, Wildlife Biologist 

Great Basin Research Center 

494 West 100 South, Ephraim UT 84627 

435.283.4441, Fax 435.283.2034 

theresemeyer@utah.gov 

Alison Whittaker, Wildlife Biologist 

Great Basin Research Center 

494 West 100 South, Ephraim UT 84627 

435.283.4441, Fax 435.283.2034 

 alisonwhittaker@utah.gov 

Project Description: 

Selection, testing and development of adapted plant species and/or ecotypes for improving 

wildlife habitat in Utah. 

Species: Arrowleaf balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata), Biscuitroot or yampah (Perideridia 

bolanderi), Stinking lomatium (Lomatium graveolens var. graveolens), Globemallows 

(Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia, S. parvifolia, and S. coccinea), Cushion buckwheat (Eriogonum 

ovalifolium), Tapertip hawksbeard (Crepis acuminata), Northern and Western Sweetvetch

(Hedysarum boreale, H. occidentale), Great Basin wildrye (Elymus cinereus), and Bluebunch 

wheatgrass (Pseudoroegneria spicata). 

Project status: 

Collection and Testing: We continued work on field identification, mapping, collection and 

testing of plant materials and native plant seed increases. GBRC staff made 83 wildland seed 

collections in 2005 of 24 species of forbs and grasses in Utah and Nevada, totaling 

approximately 3.2 kilograms of cleaned seed. The addition of a collector specifically targeting 

western Nevada (Roger Mongold) allowed GBRC staff to focus our collections in Utah and 

eastern Nevada. Our cooperators collected another 3 kilograms of our species. The goal was to 

take advantage of the good precipitation that occurred prior to the growing season in collecting 

as much seed of known accessions as possible, and to expand the collections to include new sites 

when appropriate. 

20
Seed cleaning, inventory, and database work was continued. The database now registers 850 

collections of 44 species of forbs and grasses. During this reporting cycle we transferred our 

database into Access, a software program with greater speed and capacity than the HanDBase 

system we had been using. 

In-house germination tests were completed on the following: C. acuminata --33 accessions; E. 

ovalifolium --19 accessions; B. sagittata —7 accessions; Apiaceae including P. bolanderi --12 

accessions; Sphaeralcea (S. grossulariifolia , S. parvifolia , S. coccinea )--32 accessions. These 

tests were conducted both to determine viability levels to guide seeding rates in plantings, and to 

experiment with dormancy-breaking treatments. Three lots of C. acuminata seed were sent to 

the State Seed Laboratory to test viability, purity, and weed seed content and to evaluate their 

suitability for the AOSCA program. 

Our studies have shown that these forbs require cold moist seed stratification in order to break 

seed dormancy (if not specified, treatment was incident light): 

 C. acuminata: 5 weeks 4°C dark moist chill; then 15° C light 

 B. sagittata: 8-19 weeks continuous 4°C moist chill 

 E. ovalifolium: 4-8 weeks in dark 4°C moist chill; then 15° C alt. 12 hr light, 12hr dark 

 Lomatium graveolens var. graveolens: 10-16 weeks continuous 4°C moist chill 

 P. bolanderi: 10-16 weeks continuous 4°C moist chill 

Our studies have shown that these species germinate without pretreatment: S. grossulariifolia, S. 

parvifolia, S. coccinea, H. boreale, H. occidentale. 

Our experience has also demonstrated that if B. sagittata and C. acuminata seedling plugs go 

into dormancy (lose leaves and fail to re-grow leaves) in the greenhouse, they require several 

weeks of ~5°C chilling to break root dormancy so that they begin to leaf out again. Dormant 

plugs (healthy roots; no leaves) planted in the field in early March or mid-May in Sanpete 

County, Utah, did not leaf out. Similar plugs placed into a ~5°C cold-room leafed out after 4 

weeks. 

Field trial common gardens: Greenhouse propagation for common gardens continued and 

several trials were planted: Plug seedlings were produced in the greenhouse for field trials of 

Sphaeralcea (32 accessions), Eriogonum (22 accessions), Balsamorhiza (18 accessions), Crepis 

(23 accessions), Lomatium and Perideridia (8 accessions). Seedlings were either generated from 

germination tests, or from stratification of seed in the laboratory, which were then planted into 

flats in the greenhouse, or seed was directly sown into flats. The plugs were planted in Ephraim 

at the Snow College field and in Fountain Green at the WMA from March to May, 2005. 

Accessions were planted in five random repeat blocks when sufficient plants were available. 

Plots were 21 ft. long on 2.5 ft centers and plugs were planted either 1 or 2 feet apart, depending 

on species. A deer exclosure fence was completed around 25 acres of the Fountain Green WMA 

to protect experimental plantings from predation. Both areas have sprinkler irrigation capability. 

We also planted several direct seeded common gardens in Fountain Green, and one small plot in 

the Wells, NV exclosure. Of six species groups planted, only Hedysarum germinated well in the 

first year and I was able to get some trait data from the trial. 

21
A large trial plot of bluebunch wheatgrass using plug transplants produced by the ARS was 

successfully established at the Wells, NV exclosure in March of 2005. 

Seeding Technology: As part of the work toward development of planting guidelines and 

equipment for establishment of selected species in wildland settings, we are studying 

germination, dormancy, and planting depth. The above-described dormancy-breaking studies 

fulfill part of this work. Direct-seeded trials also contribute to this aspect of our knowledge. 

At the Fountain Green experimental farm, we direct-seeded a large trial of all research forb 

accessions in early March of 2005 using the Hege 1000 precision planter. This trial had a design 

similar to the plug trial. There was not enough cold, wet weather after the planting to 

successfully stratify the seed, so, except for Hedysarum, there were very few germinants during 

the year. We attempted to repeat this planting in Wells, Nevada in March and April 2005, but 

between finding the ground frozen, and then a few weeks later finding the ground too dry, with 

little expectation of rain, we scaled this planting down to one row of each forb species. This 

Nevada trial also resulted in only Hedysarum germinating. These trials were maintained 

(weeded, irrigated) with the hope that some of the seed will germinate in the spring of 2006. The 

experiences with direct-seeding correlate well with my laboratory experiments on stratification 

requirements of the species as put forth above. 

Seed Increase and Cooperator Studies: Seed and/or seedlings/plugs were distributed to 

cooperators and other entities to be used for seed increase and research purposes: 

a) Janett Warner of Wildland Nursery in Joseph, UT, for research seed increase: 

Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia and Perideridia bolanderi seedlings/plugs and 

Crepis acuminata seed. She successfully stratified the CRAC seed and has 

seedling plugs growing in the lath house for field planting in the spring of 

2006. The SPGR and PEBO2 plugs were planted out in June 2005 but only a 

few plants survived. 

b) Stan Young of the Utah Crop Improvement Association in Logan, UT. We 

offered foundation seed to growers as part of the AOSCA seed grower 

program: CRAC accession U36-04 demonstrated a very high seed viability 

rate in State Seed Laboratory tests, and was offered to growers. No growers 

signed up for the seed lot. 

c) Lawrence L. Cook, Department of Biological Sciences, Idaho State 

University: 1000 seeds of CRAC accession B12-03 for a research study on 

Cesium uptake by native plants for bioremediation of nuclear research sites. 

22
d) Stephen L. Love, University of Idaho, Aberdeen Research & Extension 

Center: 19 accessions of Sphaeralcea for research on use of native plants in 

home landscaping. 

Other Cooperative Projects: About 2100 plants of Linum lewisii ‘Maple Grove’ were grown in 

our greenhouse for a seed increase field planting in the Fountain Green exclosure. Planted in 

mid-May 2005, these flowered and produced a small amount of seed during the first season. 

Presentations: 

January 3, 2006: T. Meyer gave Powerpoint presentation to Utah Native Plant Society in Salt 

Lake City about the GBNPSIP, including about A. Whittaker’s knapweed studies. 

Technology Transfer: 

February 2005: T. Meyer contributed text and images to a "Weeds of Utah 2006" calendar 

produced by Skyline Cooperative Weed Management Area and the Castleland Resource 

Conservation & Development Council, Inc. that is distributed statewide through the Soil 

Conservation Districts and other agencies. Great Basin Research Center is featured in December 

with photos of native seed field production and our new seed mixer and seed warehouse storage. 

May 4-5, 2005: J. Vernon, A. Whittaker and T. Meyer attended the Tri-State Interagency Plant 

Materials Committee meeting in Provo, UT, presented an update on our work, and led a tour of 

our facility and trial plantings in Ephraim. 

May 16-17, 2005: J. Vernon attended the Uncompaghre Project meeting in Montrose, CO; T. 

Meyer prepared two posters: “Response of Eriogonum to Light and Stratification Treatments” 

and “Elymus cinereus (Basin Wildrye) Planting Depth Study”. 

May 26, 2005: T. Meyer attended Utah Weed Awareness Group meeting in Richfield. Their 

goal is to develop an education campaign for the State of Utah to help curb the spread of noxious 

weeds. 

June 15, 2005: Elaine York of The Nature Conservancy and Janet Gorrell of Utah Division of 

Wildlife Resources visited our facility to learn what we do here and to explore project funding. 

July 20, 2005: Hosted Utah Weed Awareness Group in Ephraim. 

August 26, 2005: T. Meyer attended the Utah Weed Awareness Group in Salt Lake City. 

September 22, 2005: T. Meyer and A. Whittaker attended the Intermountain Native Plant 

Collectors and Growers meeting at Snow College organized by Stan Young of the Utah Crop 

Improvement Association. T. Meyer provided plant specimens from field trials to support 

Michael Piep’s presentation about Sphaeralcea identification. 

December 12, 2005: T. Meyer met with Panoramaland RC&D in Richfield and talked about 

growing native seeds as an alternative, high-value crop. Handouts on DWR native seed 

purchases and use in restoration were prepared and ditributed. 

January 10, 2006: T. Meyer prepared and emailed information packets about DWR native seed 

purchases and use in wildland restoration to Jan Anderson of Utah Farm Bureau and Utah 

Partners for Conservation, and to Elaine York of The Nature Conservancy. 

23
January 24, 2006: Perideridia bolanderi propagation protocol submitted to Native Plant Network 

database. 

February 22-23, 2006: T. Meyer will head a workshop session on growing native seed as a crop 

at the Third Annual Diversified Agriculture Conference in Cedar City organized by Utah State 

University Extension. 

24
Project Title: Agronomic and Cultural Care of Wildland Plants

Project Location: Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 

Principal Investigators and Contact Information: 

Val Jo Anderson 

Department of Integrative Biology 

Brigham Young University, 401 WIDB 

Provo, UT 84602 

801.422.3527, Fax 801.422.0090 

val_anderson@byu.edu 

Robert Johnson 

Department of Integrative Biology 

Brigham Young University, 401 WIDB 

Provo, UT 84602 

801.422.3311, Fax 801.422.0090 

robert_johnson@byu.edu 

Bruce Roundy 

Department of Integrative Biology

Brigham Young University, 401 WIDB 

Provo, UT 84602 

801.422.8137, Fax 801.422.0090 

bruce_roundy@byu.edu 

 

Project Description : There are four components to this study, designed to assist growers of 

native seed in field establishment and seed production. They include: A) herbicide tolerance 

evaluations, B) seeding depth studies, C) seeding rate studies, and D) spacing and production 

methodology development. 

A. Herbicide Tolerance: 

Project Status: This project is designed to evaluate the sensitivity of native plant species to a 

broad array of herbicides in order to determine which chemicals can be used for weed control 

and not damage the native species. In 2005, herbicide trials for Agoseris glauca, Astragalus 

utahensis, Crepis acuminata, Eriogonum ovalifolium, Phlox longifolia, Sphaeralcea coccinea, 

and Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia were conducted using the herbicides Axiom® (flufenacet + 

metribuzine), Poast® (Sethoxydim), Pursuit® (imazethayr), Raptor® (imazomox), and 

Pendulum® (pendimethalin). Herbicide trials included effects on germinating seeds and effects 

on seedlings at the second true leaf stage. This new array of chemicals was to augment those 

trialed in the previous year, namely BuctrilTM (bromoxynil), KarmexTM (diuron), OustTM 

(sulfometuron-methyl), PlateauTM (imazapic), ProwlTM (pendimethalin), PursuitTM 

(imazethapyr), and VelparTM (hexazinone). To date a total of 12 herbicides have been wholly or 

partially evaluated. 

25
Methods used were consistent with other years except for a change in application method. 

Previously, herbicide rates were differentially applied using a single concentration for the “low 

rate,” with repeated application to generate the required volume of active ingredient representing 

“medium” and “high” rates. In 2005, actual concentrations were prepared eliminating the 

requirement for repeated application to reach medium and high rates. Herbicide was applied to 

plant material at three life stages, namely, germinating seeds, seedlings at the second true leaf 

stages, and mature plants. Seed was prepared for germination by employing an appropriate 

treatment- either cold stratification or acid scarification in concentrated sulfuric acid. Seed was 

planted in native soil. Plant material was maintained for 1 month following herbicide application 

to measure mortality and effects on vigor. Experiments were replicated five times. Plans for 

2006 include finishing some herbicide application on mature plants, and filling any data gaps. 

B. Seeding Depth 

Project Status: This project is designed to identify optimum planting depths for an assortment 

of native plant species. Two different soils were used to account for differences in soil types 

expected at regional farmlands. All phases of this project were successfully repeated in 2005. 

The experimental phase of this project is finished and the results will be prepared for publication 

in 2006. 

C. Seeding Rate 

Project Status: This project will evaluate optimal seeding rates of the eight forb species being 

investigated through this project. Project Status: Seed will be planted for those species which we 

have available seed as soon as soil is workable late winter 2006. Other species are dependent 

upon seed availability. 

C. Spacing and Production Methodology 

Project Status: This project is designed to determine optimal plant spacing, mulching, and 

irrigation treatments for maximum seed yield. 2005 was the first year when data was collected 

on mature plants. Three species of Sphaeralcea (S. cocciea, S. grossulariifolia, S. munroana)

performed very well with abundant seed yield (fig. 1). The other forb species had poor 

performance with negligible seed yield. Both Astragalus utahensis, and Eriogonum ovalifolium

continue to suffer from high mortality, likely due to their inability to adapt to the clay soils which 

exist on the farm. Phlox longifolia had initial poor establishment, but surviving plants are 

persisting, though not experiencing vigorous growth or appreciable seed production. Results 

from initial analysis of the Sphaeralcea species indicate high yield potential under agricultural 

production for all treatments; however, 6-inch within-row spacing (30 in between-row spacing) 

produces the most seed per acre. Conversely, the largest plant spacing consistently produces the 

most seed per plant, but the space requirements cannot compensate in production per unit area 

over closer spacing. Also, the 6-inch spacing had the added benefit of shading out weed 

competition on bare soil. Mulch treatments were variable in their response depending upon 

species. 

26
Data will be collect again for all seed producing species in 2006. Plots will receive regular 

weeding and irrigation. 

Figure 1. 2005 results of Sphaeralcea seed production 

(SPCO=S. cocciiea; SPGR= S. grossulariifolia; SPMU= S. munroana) 

SPCO seed production/acre

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

plastic fabric none

mulch type

pounds per acre

6 inch

12 inch

SPGR seed production/acre

0

200

400

600

800

1000

paper plastic fabric none

mulch type

pounds per acre

6 inch

12 inch

18 inch

SPMU seed production/acre

0

500

1000

1500

paper plastic fabric none

mulch type

pounds per acre

6 inch

12 inch

18 inch

SPCO seed production/pant

6.0

7.7

4.9

7.8

12.4

10.7

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

14.0

plastic fabric none

mulch type

grams per plant

6 inch

12 inch

SPGR seed production/pant

7.5 8.1

10.3

7.1

9.6

11.3 11.5

9.8 10.8

15.6

13.6 12.3

0.0

2.0

4.0

6.0

8.0

10.0

12.0

14.0

16.0

18.0

paper plastic fabric none

mulch type

grams per plant

6 inch

12 inch

18 inch

SPMU seed production/pant

13.3

18.1

14.4 15.1

18.4

23.4 22.3 21.1 21.9

29.3 29.5 31.0

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.0

paper plastic fabric none

mulch type

grams per plant

6 inch

12 inch

18 inch

fig. 1 

27
Presentations: 

*Johnson, R.L., V.J. Anderson, J. Voss. 2005. Herbicide resistance of select forbs native to the 

Great Basin. BASF 2005 Technical Interchange, San Diego, CA. 

 

*Roberts, F.L., V.J. Anderson and R.L. Johnson. 2005. The effect of seven herbicides on eight 

native rangeland forbs in greenhouse trials. Society for Range Management Annual Meeting, 

Abstract # 287, Fort Worth, TX. 

*Johnson, R.L., V.J. Anderson and B.A. Roundy. 2005. Investigations into cultural practices to 

raise native forbs. Society for Range Management Annual Meeting, Abstract #182, Fort Worth, 

TX. 

 

Johnson, R.L. and V.J. Anderson. 2003. Herbicide Effect on Seed Germination, Seedlings, and 

Mature Plants on Select Native Species, and Affects of Soil Type and Seeding Depth on the 

Emergence of Select Native Species. Great Basin Native Plant Selection and Increase Project, 

Salt Lake City, UT. 

Taylor, B., R.L. Johnson, V.J. Anderson, B. Roundy. 2005. Cultural practices on seed 

production of three Sphaeralcea species. Utah Section of the Society for Range Management. 

2005 Annual Conference, Midway, UT. 

*Coleman, J.K., V.J. Anderson and R.L. Johnson. 2005. The effect of seeding depth and soil type 

on emergence and seedling vigor of 8 forbs. Society for Range Management Annual Meeting, 

Abstract # 60, Fort Worth, TX. 

*denotes published abstracts 

28
Project Title: Subsurface Drip Irrigation for Native Forb Seed 

Production 

Project Location: Oregon State University Malheur Experiment Station, Ontario, OR 

Principal Investigators and Contact Information: 

Clinton C. Shock 

Oregon State University, Malheur Experiment Station 

595 Onion Ave., Ontario, OR 97914 

541.889.2174, Fax 541.889.7831 

clinton.shock@oregonstate.edu 

Erik B.G. Feibert 

Oregon State University, Malheur Experiment Station 

595 Onion Ave., Ontario, OR 97914 

541.889.2174, Fax 541.889.7831 

erik.feibert@oregonstate.edu 

Project Description: 

Native forb seed is needed to restore rangelands of the Intermountain West. Commercial seed 

production is necessary to provide the quantity of seed needed for restoration efforts. A major 

limitation to economically viable commercial production of native forb seed is stable and 

consistent seed productivity over years. Variations in spring rainfall and soil moisture result in 

highly unpredictable water stress at seed set and development. Excessive water stress during 

seed set and development is known to compromise yield and quality of other seed crops. 

Native forbs are not competitive with crop weeds. Both sprinkler and furrow irrigation promote 

seed production, but risk the encouragement of weeds. Furthermore, sprinkler and furrow 

irrigation can lead to the loss of plant stand and seed production to fungal pathogens. This 

project tests buried drip tapes for timely irrigation to supply only limited amounts of water. By 

burying drip tapes at 30-cm (1-foot) depth, and avoiding wetting of the soil surface, we hope to 

assure flowering and seed set without encouraging weeds or opportunistic diseases. 

Materials and Methods: Seed of the seven forb species (Table 1) was received in late 

November in 2004 from the Rocky Mountain Research Station (Boise, ID). The plan was to 

plant the seed in the fall of 2004, but due to excessive rainfall in October, the completion of 

ground preparation and planting was postponed to 2005. To ensure germination in the spring of 

2005, the seed was submitted to a cold stratification treatment. The seed was soaked overnight in 

distilled water on January 26, 2004. After soaking, the water was drained and the seed soaked 

for 20 minutes in a 10% by volume solution of 13% bleach in distilled water. The water was 

drained and the seed placed in a thin layer in plastic containers. The plastic containers had lids 

with holes drilled to allow air movement. The seed containers were placed in a cooler set at 

approximately 34 0F. Every few days the seed was stirred and, if necessary, distilled water added 

29
to maintain moisture. In late February, seed of Lomatium grayi and L. triternatum had started 

sprouting. 

The field was bedded into 30-inch rows. In late February, 2005, drip tape (T-Tape TSX 515-16-

340) was buried at 0.3-m (12-inch) depth and spaced 1.52 m (5 feet) apart. The drip tape was 

buried on alternating inter-row spaces. The flow rate for the drip tape was 0.34 gal/min/100 ft at 

8 PSI with emitters spaced 0.4 m (16 inches) apart, resulting in a water application rate of 0.066 

inch/hour. Water was filtered through sand media filters and application durations were 

controlled automatically. Water applied was measured. 

On March 3, seed of all species (Table 1) was planted in 30-inch rows using a custom made plot 

grain drill with disk openers. Two rows of forbs were planted 0.38 m (15 inches) to each side of 

the drip tape. All seed was planted at 20-30 seeds per foot of row. The Eriogonum umbellatum

and Penstemon spp. were planted at 0.25 inch depth and the Lomatium spp. at 0.5 inch depth. 

The trial was irrigated with a minisprinkler system (R10 Turbo Rotator, Nelson Irrigation Corp., 

Walla Walla, WA) for even stand establishment from March 4 to April 29. The trial was 

irrigated on March 4 (5 hours), March 8 (3 hours), March 11 (2 hours), March 14 (2 hours), April 

12 (4 hours), April 15 (3 hours), April 26 (4 hours), April 29 (3 hours). Risers were spaced 25 ft 

apart along the flexible polyethylene hose laterals that were spaced 30 ft apart and the water 

application rate was 0.10 inch/hour. The drip irrigation system was used in June and July. 

Results and Discussion: Eriogonum umbellatum, Lomatium triternatum, and L. grayi started 

emerging on March 29. All other species, except L. dissectum, emerged by late April. Very few 

Lomatium dissectum ever emerged. 

Heavy weed populations emerged with the sprinkler irrigation and spring rains. Weeds were 

controlled by cultivation and hand weeding. Appropriate herbicides for weed control are 

urgently needed to reduce production costs. 

A total of 1.72 inches of water was applied with the minisprinkler system. Starting June 24, the 

field was irrigated using the drip system. A total of 3.73 inches of water was applied with the 

drip system from June 24 to July 7. Thereafter the field was not irrigated. Preliminary results 

indicate that relatively little irrigation water will be needed to sustain native forbs. 

Plant stands for Eriogonum umbellatum, Penstemon acuminatus, P. deustus, Lomatium 

triternatum, and L. grayi were acceptable but not perfect. In early October, 2005, more seed was 

received from the Rocky Mountain Research Station for replanting. The Eriogonum umbellatum

and Penstemon spp. plots had the blank lengths of row replanted by hand. The Lomatium spp. 

plots had the entire row lengths replanted using the planter. The seed was replanted on October 

26, 2005 for germination in the spring of 2006. 

Forbs established in 2005 will receive three irrigation treatments: 0 mm/yr, low (up to 100 

mm/yr, 4 inches/yr), or modest (up to 200 mm/yr, 8 inches/yr) supplemental irrigation in 2006. 

Water will be applied so that the soil surface is not appreciably moistened. Water will be applied 

in small increments during flowering and seed formation. Four replicates of each forb and each 

30
irrigation rate will be established. The first measurements of seed yield will occur in 2006. This 

research effort is expected to require at least two seed harvest years. The current work is funded 

through 2006. 

Table 1. Forb species planted in the irrigation trial at the Malheur Experiment Station, Ontario, 

Oregon, 2005. 

Species Common name Origin Collection

Year

Eriogonum umbellatum Sulfur buckwheat Shoofly Road 2004 

Penstemon acuminatus Sand penstemon Bliss Dam 2004 

Penstemon deustus Hotrock penstemon Black Cr. Rd. 2003 

Penstemon speciosus Sagebrush penstemon Leslie Gulch 2003 

Lomatium dissectum Fernleaf biscuitroot Mann Creek 2003 

Lomatium triternatum Nineleaf desert parsley Hwy 395 2004 

Lomatium grayi Gray’s lomatium Weiser R. Road 2004 

Technology Transfer: 

The concept of producing native forb seed as a crop and the initial planting described above was 

presented to growers and fieldmen at the Malheur Experiment Station Field Day, July 13, 2005. 

31
Project Title: Identification of Herbicides for Use in Native Forb Seed 

Production

Project Location: Oregon State University Malheur Experiment Station, Ontario, OR 

Principal Investigators and Contact Information: 

Clinton C. Shock 

Oregon State University, Malheur Experiment Station 

595 Onion Ave., Ontario, OR 97914 

541.889.2174, Fax 541.889.7831 

clinton.shock@oregonstate.edu 

Joey Ishida 

Oregon State University, Malheur Experiment Station 

595 Onion Ave., Ontario, OR 97914 

541. 889.2174, Fax 541.889.7831 

Corey Ransom

Department of Plants, Soils and Biometeorology 

Utah State University, 4820 Old Main Hill 

Logan, UT 84322 

435.797.2242, Fax 435.797.3376 

(formerly at OSU Malheur Experiment Station) 

corey.ransom@usu.edu. 

Project Description: 

Native forb seed is needed to restore the rangelands of the Intermountain West. Commercial seed 

production is necessary to provide the quantity of seed needed for restoration efforts. A major 

limitation to commercial production of native forb seed is the ability to control weeds within the 

seed crop. Weeds compete with crop plants reducing establishment, vigor, and seed production. 

In addition, some weed seeds can contaminate the seed crop, reducing its value or introducing 

weeds to reclamation areas. 

Selective weed control products are needed for reliable native forb seed production at reasonable 

cost. A three phase approach will be used to develop herbicide options for the production of native 

forb seed. Herbicides will be screened for plant tolerance, product rates will be tested, and field 

performance will be evaluated. The results from each phase will shape the design of the 

successive phases. 

Phase I. Initial Plant Tolerance to Herbicides. In the greenhouse, each forb species will be 

screened for tolerance to herbicides. Herbicides for screening will be selected based on their 

potential for selectivity determined through literature reviews and our understanding of different 

modes of action and principles of selectivity. Forbs will be evaluated for their tolerance to 

herbicides applied either pre-emergence or post-emergence. 

32
Phase II. Herbicide Rate Response Screen. Once herbicides have been identified that have 

selectivity on the different forb species, a more detailed experiment in the greenhouse will examine 

the level of tolerance by testing the herbicides at rates of 0, 1⁄2, 1, 2, and 4 times the standard use 

rate. This “dose response” is critical to identify the level of safety that a herbicide has on the 

species it is being used on. 

Phase III. Field Testing. Herbicides identified in greenhouse tests will be evaluated in the field to 

verify their safety to the forbs and their efficacy in controlling weeds under field conditions. 

Herbicides will be evaluated alone and when possible in combinations with each other to 

determine if weed control can be increased and crop safety maintained. The scale of field trials 

will depend on the number of candidate herbicides identified in the previous research phases and 

the availability of seed. 

Materials and Methods:

Two initial screening trials were initiated in 2005 at the Malheur Experiment Station, one in the 

greenhouse and one in the field. 

Greenhouse herbicide screening trial 

Sunshine all purpose potting soil was mixed with silt loam from field A-1 at the Malheur 

Experiment Station and was used to fill 224 half trays (0.28 m x 0.28 m). On October 13 and 14, 

seven native species were planted in 32 half trays at 50 seed per tray with planting depth dependent 

upon the species (Table 1). Seed were equally spaced at 5 x 5 locations with 2 seed per location. 

Table 1. Forb species planted in the greenhouse herbicide screening trial at the Malheur 

Experiment Station, Ontario, Oregon, 2005. 

Species Common name Depth, mm, 

(inches) 

Eriogonum umbellatum Sulfur buckwheat 3, (1/8) 

Penstemon acuminatum Sand penstemon 3, (1/8) 

Penstemon deustus Hotrock penstemon 3, (1/8) 

Penstemon speciosus Royal or Sagebrush penstemon 3, (1/8) 

Lomatium dissectum Fernleaf biscuitroot 12, (1⁄2) 

Lomatium triternatum Nine leaf desert parsley 12, (1⁄2) 

Lomatium grayi Gray’s lomatium 12, (1⁄2) 

The trays were saturated October 17 and drained. The next day the trays were moved into a cooler 

set at 1o C (34o F). The room was also humidified to reduce the need for frequent irrigation. The 

trays were saturated November 4 and returned to the cooler. 

On November 15 all trays were moved to the greenhouse head house for spraying. Four replicate 

trays of each of specie received 8 herbicide treatments (Table 2). Products were applied in a spray 

chamber at 19.2 gal/acre of water with an 8002E nozzle at 30 psi moving at 2 mph. The air 

temperature was 53o F and 50% RH. On November 16 each tray received 1/8 inch of water to 

incorporate the herbicide and the trays were returned to the cooler at 34o F. 

33
On November 21 Lomatium triternatum, Lomatium grayi, and Eriogonum umbellatum were 

moved to the greenhouse. On November 28, supplemental light was added to the greenhouse for 

10 hours per day. On December 12 the other forbs were moved to the greenhouse. Forbs were 

irrigated as needed and plant stands were counted twice a week. 

Field herbicide screening trial 

The field was prepared in October, 2005 and bedded into 30-inch rows. On October 23, drip tape 

(T-Tape TSX 515-16-340) was buried at 0.3-m (12-inch) depth and spaced 1.52 m (5 feet) apart. 

Two rows of forbs were planted 0.38 m (15 inches) to each side of the drip tape. Each species 

(Table 1) was planted in a single row for a length of over 400 feet. The drip tape was buried on 

alternating inter-row spaces. The flow rate for the drip tape was 0.34 gal/min/100 ft at 8 PSI with 

emitters spaced 0.4 m (16 inches) apart, resulting in a water application rate of 0.066 inch/hour. 

The drip tape will be supplied with water filtered through sand media filters. Application 

durations can be controlled automatically and soil water content and water applied can be 

measured. 

None of the species had emerged by January 5, 2006. The same herbicide products used in the 

greenhouse screening trial were applied at the same rates in the field on January 5. Five foot wide 

plots were assigned to the 8 treatments in Table 2, perpendicular to the direction of the plant rows, 

with 4 replicates. A spray boom with three 8002 E nozzles 20 inches apart covered the 5 foot plot 

width. Applications were based on 20 gpa, 30 psi, at 2.63 mph. The conditions were air 

temperature of 42o F, soil surface temperature 43o F, 10 percent cloud cover and wind at 2 mph 

from the east. 

Since the field was infested with blue mustard, common mallow, and wheat the field was sprayed 

with Roundup Ultra Max at 1.01 lb ai/ac on January 6. 

Table 2. Herbicides screened for forb tolerance at the Malheur Experiment Station, Ontario, 

Oregon, 2005-2006. 

Treatment Product rate Rate Plant stands, % 

lb ai/acre Lomatium 

grayi 

Dec. 12 

Eriogonum 

umbellatum

Jan 10 

Lomatium 

dissectum

Dec. 30 

Check none none 39.0 16.5 2.0 

Prefar 4.0 EC 5 qt/ac 5 41.0 13.5 6.0 

Kerb 50 WP 2 lb/ac 1 28.0 0.5 5.0 

Treflan HFP 0.75 pt/ac 3/8 31.5 14.5 3.5 

Prowl 3.8 SC 1.58 pt/ac 3/4 36.5 19.0 2.0 

Balan 60 DF 2 lb/ac 1.2 42.5 14.0 1.0 

Outlook 6.0 EC 14 fl oz/ac 2/3 27.5 10.5 4.0 

Lorox 50 DF 1 lb/ac 1 41.0 0.0 8.0 

LSD (0.05) 10.8 8.5 3.8 

34
Results and Discussion 

By late January reliable plant stands had been established for three species, Lomatium dissectum, 

Lomatium grayi, and Eriogonum umbellatum, from the greenhouse screening trial. These plant 

stands showed significant differences between herbicide treatments (Table 2). Lomatium 

triternatum emerged slowly. 

In this preliminary screening trial the forb species are tolerating different herbicides (Fig 1). 

Prefar, Balan and Lorox look promising for Lomatium grayi. Prowl has potential for Eriogonum 

umbellatum. Lorox, Prefar and Kerb look promising for Lomatium dissectum. These preliminary 

results should not be used as a basis for field treatments. 

Figure 1. Plant stand of three forb species treated with seven herbicides. 

Check Prefar Kerb Trefl an Prowl Bal an Outl ook Lorox

Product

0

10

20

30

40

50

Plant stand, %

LOGR* ERUM *** LODI*

* Treatment differences significant at P=0.05, *** Treatment differences significant at P=0.001. 

35
Project Title: Development of Germination Protocols, Seed Weight, 

 Purity and Seed Conditioning/Cleaning Protocols for Great 

 Basin Grasses and Forbs 

Principal Investigators and Contact Information: 

 Robert Karrfalt, USDA-FS National Seed Laboratory 

5675 Riggins Mill Road, Dry Branch, GA 31020 

478.751.3551 Fax 478.751.4135 

rkarrfalt@fs.fed.us 

 

Victor Vankus, USDA-FS National Seed Laboratory 

5675 Riggins Mill Road, Dry Branch, GA 31020 

478.751.3551, Fax 478.751.4135 

vvankus@fs.fed.us 

Project Description: 

The USDA Forest Service, National Seed Laboratory (NSL) is collaborating with other members 

of the Great Basin Native Plant Selection and Increase Project to develop seed cleaning and testing 

protocols for research species. Seed cleaning protocols involve using screens, aspirators, 

debearders and other equipment to separate seed from other material collected. Seed testing work 

includes determination of AOSA minimum purity weight recommendations and protocols for 

germination and purity determinations. The seed testing work is essential for eventual 

development of AOSA rules if seeds are going to be marketed. Seed test results are important to 

buyers and sellers for product labeling, to growers for plant production and to seed control officials 

for enforcement of state and federal seed laws. Seed testing rules for these species will be 

necessary as these seeds enter the market. 

Project Status: 

The NSL has received collections of five species for seed cleaning protocols, Balsamorhiza 

hookeri, Chaenactis douglasii, Crepis acuminata, Erigeron pumilis, and Penstemon deustus. 

Guidelines and recommendations for cleaning collections of these species have been developed 

and are posted on the NSL website, www.nsl.fs.fed.us/great_basin_native_plants.html, and at the 

Native Plant Program website, www.nativeplants.for.uidaho.edu/network. 

Species and number of collections received from cooperators for seed testing protocols include:

Agoseris gluaca 4, Astragalus filipes 30, Crepis acuminatas 3, Eriogonum umbellatum 18, 

Lomatium dissectum 23, Lomatium grayi 10, Lomatium triternatum 7, Penstemon acuminatus 36, 

Penstemon deustus 35, and Penstemon speciosus 20. All collections submitted for seed testing 

procedure development were received in 2004. 

Seed counts and recommended minimum purity test weights have been developed. Information is 

available on the NSL website and will be available at the Association of Official Seed Analysts 

(AOSA) website for Species without Seed Testing Procedures, www.aosaseed.com/reference.htm. 

36
The first round of germination trials for all collections has been completed. Seed was tested with 

and without prechill, with and without light, and using two sets of temperatures for germination, 

15o

-25o C and 20o-30o C, two temperature regimes commonly used at many seed laboratories. 

Results indicate that further trials are needed with varying lengths of prechill and with lower 

temperature regimes for germination. Results will be posted at the NSL website and preliminary 

germination information will also be available at the Association of Official Seed Analysts 

(AOSA) website for Species without Seed Testing Procedures. 

Seed weight and germination work will begin on seed collected in 2005 of the same species from 

the same and different locations and seed collections of additional species. 

As greater quantities of seed become available for a particular species, ring tests can be conducted 

between a few AOSA and research laboratories. Rule proposals developed and submitted to AOSA 

will be based on this ring test data. 

The NSL will continue to work with AOSA to promote the standardization of seed testing methods 

for native species. The NSL is a member of the AOSA Native Species Seed Task Force formed in 

2005 and will continue working with this group in 2006, participating in a Native Seed Workshop 

at Omaha, NE and at the AOSA annual conference at Indianapolis, IN. 

Products

Presentations: 

Germination data reported at the annual GBNPSIP coordination meeting along with the 

procedures used to clean the seeds. At least two members at the coordination meeting appeared be 

able to immediately use this cleaning information. 

Technology Transfer: 

Attended the Association of Official Seed Analysts (AOSA) annual meeting in June 2005. 

Discussions at the conference related to GBNPSIP work with other seed testing laboratories 

contributed to the establishment of a Native Species Seed Task Force to address the issue of 

standardization of seed testing and reporting procedures at seed testing laboratories 

Data as it becomes available is posted to the internet at 

www.nsl.fs.fed.us/great_basin_native_plants.html and www.nativeplants.for.uidaho.edu/network

37
Project Title: Native Plant Genetics, Ecophysiology, Plant Materials 

Development, and Seed Increase

Project Location: USDA-ARS Forage and Range Research Laboratory, Logan, UT 

Principal Investigators and Contact Information:

Doug Johnson, Research Plant Physiologist 

USDA-ARS, Forage and Range Research Laboratory 

 Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-6300 

 435.797.3067, Fax 435.797.3075 

 daj@cc.usu.edu 

 Mike Peel, Research Geneticist 

USDA-ARS, Forage and Range Research Laboratory 

 Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-6300 

 435.797.3288, Fax 435.797.3075 

 mpeel@cc.usu.edu 

 Steve Larson, Research Geneticist 

USDA-ARS, Forage and Range Research Laboratory 

 Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-6300 

 435.797.1703, Fax 435.797.3075 

 stlarson@cc.usu.edu 

 Tom Monaco, Research Ecologist 

USDA-ARS, Forage and Range Research Laboratory 

 Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-6300 

 435.797.7231, Fax 435.797.3075 

 tmonaco@cc.usu.edu 

 Tom Jones, 

USDA-ARS, Forage and Range Research Laboratory 

 Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-6300 

 435.797.3082, Fax 435.797.3075 

 tomjones@cc.usu.edu 

Project Description: 

Jones' funding was designated for seed increase of pending germplasm releases, germplasm 

development, and needle-and-thread germplasm collection. Johnson’s funding was designated 

for collection and evaluation of basalt milkvetch. Peel’s funding was designated for 

development of improved germplasms of globemallows, particularly Sphaeralcea 

grossulariifolia and S. munroana. Larson’s funding was designated for genetic (DNA) analysis 

of bluebunch wheatgrass, Leymus wildryes, squirreltail, Indian ricegrass, and Utah sweetvetch. 

These funds partially cover the research costs that are itemized in this report. Remaining costs, 

which are considerable, must be covered by in-house ARS funds. 

38
Project Status: 

North American Grasses 

• Selection work was completed on bottlebrush squirreltail Elymus elymoides ssp. 

elymoides material originating in Elmore Co., ID. Rattlesnake Germplasm was proposed 

for release. (Jones) 

• Seed of White River Germplasm Indian ricegrass was increased in 2005. It was approved 

for release and is awaiting signatures. (Jones) 

• A genetic identity problem with the Bonneville Indian ricegrass material was corrected to 

put this item back on track. Plans are to establish a seed-increase block in 2006. (Larson 

and Jones) 

• Forty-eight wildland seed collections were made in southern Idaho and just across the 

Oregon border, including bluebunch wheatgrass (19), Thurber’s needlegrass (9), 

bottlebrush squirreltail (4), needle-and-thread (4), Sandberg bluegrass (3), Columbia 

needlegrass (3), big squirreltail (2), Indian ricegrass (2), and big bluegrass (2). Of 

particular interest were a bottlebrush squirreltail ssp. californicus accession (Gooding 

Co., ID) and a bluebunch wheatgrass accession (Twin Falls Co., ID). Plans are to collect 

needle-and-thread in the Upper Snake River Plain in 2006. (Jones) 

• One cycle of selection for greater seedhead production was completed in the Atomic 

(INL, ID) bluebunch wheatgrass population. An evaluation/crossing block was 

established with nine accessions collected in the Owyhee Plateau of western 

Idaho/eastern Oregon. (Jones) 

• An evaluation of 36 accessions of bottlebrush squirreltail ssp. brevifolius race C from 

Idaho and Oregon was established. (Jones) 

• The Lahontan population of basin wildrye was synthesized from the eight best of 20 

accessions evaluated from the northern Great Basin. (Jones) 

• Data analysis of accessions of six squirreltail taxa evaluated under a precipitation 

gradient in a rain-out shelter has been completed, and a manuscript is being prepared. 

Data collection of a similar study for bluebunch wheatgrass was also completed. 

(Monaco, Jones, Johnson). 

Basalt Milkvetch (Astragalus filipes) 

• During the summer of 2005, seed collections of basalt milkvetch were made at 70 sites 

across Utah, Idaho, Nevada, California, Oregon, and Washington. These collections 

were undertaken to supplement existing collections from previous years that had minimal 

amounts of seed remaining. This brings the total seed collections for basalt milkvetch to 

84. (Johnson) 

• Six rhizobial strains isolated by the Nitragin Company were tested in the greenhouse for 

their effectiveness at nitrogen fixation with six different collections of basalt milkvetch. 

The six strains were compared with no-nitrogen and nitrogen treatments to identify the 

rhizobial strain resulting in the largest nitrogen pool. This strain will be used by Nitragin 

in producing a commercial inoculant for basalt milkvetch. (Johnson) 

• Plants previously established in common garden plots at Evans Farm and Millville sites 

were evaluated for their morphological characteristics, plant vigor, forage yield and 

quality, seed yield, and regrowth after defoliation during the summer of 2005. Data are 

currently being statistically analyzed. (Johnson) 

39
• Greenhouse-grown seedlings of each of the 2003-2004 collections of basalt milkvetch 

were transplanted in replicated common garden plots at Millville and North Park in 

northern Utah. Seedlings grown in Q-plugs exhibited the least transplanting shock and 

gave the best establishment results. (Johnson) 

• Seedlings of the top performing basalt milkvetch accessions (based on 2005 common 

garden results) will be established in the greenhouse for transplanting to two common 

garden sites in 2006. These elite experimental strains will allow the development of a 

selected class pre-variety germplasm of basalt milkvetch. (Johnson) 

• Collaborations are continuing with Jim Cane at the USDA-ARS Bee Biology and 

Systematics Lab at Logan to study pollination and seed predation in basalt milkvetch. 

Maps summarizing true weevil and beetle distributions in basalt milkvetch collections 

were prepared for publication and oral presentations. (Johnson) 

Globemallows (Sphaeralcea spp.)

• Thirty one families/collections were evaluated during the 2005 growing season which 

included both S. munroana and S. grossulariifolia. These were grown at nurseries 

located at the Utah State University’s Bluecreek and Evans research farms. (Peel) 

• Twenty six lines of S. coccinea were evaluated during 2005 in nurseries located at Utah 

State University’s Bluecreek and Evans research farms. (Peel) 

• All Sphaeralcea material was evaluated for growth habit, leaf type, persistence, vigor, 

and most importantly, seed production. Insufficient data on relative seed production were 

collected on the coccinea types to separate genotypes. Consequently, no selections were 

made from this material in 2005. A total of 23 selections were made from the munroana/ 

grossulariifolia types with extra emphasis towards good seed production. (Peel) 

• Selected material will be established in observation nurseries in the spring of 2006. In 

2007 after plants are established, seed from the best plants will be bulked for testing and 

eventual cultivar release. (Peel) 

• S. coccinea will be evaluated again in 2006, particularly for seed production, whereupon 

selections will be made. (Peel) 

Genetic Diversity Analyses 

• The DNA analysis of bluebunch wheatgrass and squirreltail has been effectively 

completed, published, and documented in previous project reports. (Larson) 

• Two research assistantships for Utah State Unversity graduate students were filled by 

Mae Culumber and Parminder Kaur, both working on projects related to natural genetic 

variation and breeding of North American Leymus wildryes. (Larson) 

• DNA samples from 768 Leymus wildrye plants (two plants from each of 384 accessions) 

were genotyped with three multilocus AFLP primer combinations. This data set 

encompasses nine North American species and 304 North American collection sites. 

Materials include 55 GBRC collections, four Berta Youtie collections, and 61 new FRRL 

wildland seed collections from 2004. The psbA-trnH chloroplast intergenic spacer DNA 

region was sequenced from one plant of each accession (384). Preliminary results will be 

reported at INPS IV in the spring of 2006. We will begin preparing a manuscript in 2006 

for submission to a peer-reviewed scientific journal. (Larson) 

40
• We evaluated growth habit in clonally replicated field evaluations, genotyped about 20 

AFLP markers and several gene sequences, and constructed linkage groups for dissecting 

previously described growth habit QTLs (quantitative trait loci = chromosome regions 

controlling quantitative traits) in five experimental populations (approximately 500 

segregating genotypes) derived from experimental hybrids of North American Leymus 

cinereus (basin wildyre) and L. triticoides (creeping wildyre). Our objective is to identify 

genes controlling growth habit (caespitose vs. rhizomatous) in perennial grasses using the 

caespitose basin wildyre and the rhizomatous creeping wildrye as a model system. This is 

a unique model system specifically developed for genetic research of functionally 

important traits in perennial range grasses. (Larson) 

• In cooperation with Mike Peel and Shaun Bushman, we analyzed DNA profiles and 

prepared a manuscript describing DNA variation within and between 21 Hedysarum 

boreale accessions (384 plants), including two accessions from the USFS Shrub Sciences 

Laboratory and 10 accessions from the UDWR Great Basin Research Center. (Larson) 

• We analyzed RAPD DNA profiles from 20 North American Indian ricegrass accessions 

and submitted a manuscript to Western North American Naturalist. Additional work is 

being planned for Indian ricegrass. (Larson and Jones) 

Products: 

Four M.S. and two Ph.D. students have been supported in part through these funds. 

Publications: 

Jones, T. A. 2005. Genetic principles for the use of native seeds. Native Plants Journal 5:14-24. 

Jones, T. A., D. C. Nielson, S. L. Caicco, G. A. Fenchel, and S. A. Young. 2005. Registration of 

Star Lake Indian ricegrass germplasm. Crop Science. 45:1666. 

Jones, T. A. 2005. Native seeds in commerce. Native Plants Journal. 6:286-293. 

Jones, T. A., and T. A. Monaco. A restoration practitioner's guide to the Restoration Gene Pool 

Concept. Ecological Restoration. (accepted 11/16/05) 

Jones, T. A., and S. R. Larson. Development of native western North American Triticeae 

germplasm in a restoration context. Cz. J. Genet. Plant Breed. 41. (accepted 11/28/05) 

Larson, S. R., X. Wu, T. A. Jones, K. B. Jensen, N. J. Chatterton, B. L. Waldron, J. G. Robins, S. 

B. Bushman, and A. J. Palazzo. Growth habit, height, and flowering QTLs reveal footprints of 

speciation between North American Leymus wildryes. Crop Science. (submitted) 

Jones, T. A., M. G. Redinbaugh, Y. Zhang, S. R. Larson, and B. D. Dow. Genetic variation and 

lineage of Indian ricegrass seed morphs. Western North American Naturalist. (submitted). 

Technology Transfer: 

Presentations were made by Doug Johnson and Tom Jones at the GBNPSIP symposium at the 

SRM meeting in February (Ft. Worth, TX). 

41
42

Project Title: Pollinator and Seed Predator Studies

Project Location: USDA-ARS Bee Biology and Systematics Lab, Logan, Utah 

Principal Investigator and Contact Information: 

 James H. Cane 

 USDA-ARS Bee Biology and Systematics Lab 

 Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5310 USA 

435.797.3879, Fax 435.797.0461 

jcane@biology.usu.edu 

Project Description: 

Native bees and/or honey bees are proving to be needed to pollinate most of the wildflower 

species considered for Great Basin rehabilitation. The pollinator faunas of many of these 

candidate plant genera include one or more bee genera with potentially manageable species. 

Pollinator needs are being evaluated by comparing fruit and seed sets at caged flowers, openly 

visited flowers, and manually pollinated flowers. When plant reproduction proves to be 

pollinator limited, native bee faunas are being surveyed and evaluated at managed and wild 

flowering populations. If bees are sufficiently abundant, then single-visit pollination efficiencies 

at previously caged flowers can directly evidence each bee species’ contribution to seed 

production. Concurrently, drilled wooden nesting blocks and nest sticks are being placed in 

these habitats to acquire captive populations of one or more promising cavity-nesting pollinators. 

Currently managed bee species (alfalfa leaf-cutting bees, blue orchard bees, alkali bees, honey 

bees) are being evaluated for their pollination prowess with each of the target plant species as 

well, using our own nursery plots or those of the collaborators on this proposal. Practical 

management protocols and materials are being developed to sustainably manage pollinators onfarm. 

Project Status: 

Preliminary systematic censuses of bees (as individuals per 100 flowering plants) were sampled 

at Dalea ornata, D. searlsiae, Cleome lutea, and Lomatium dissectum, with additional censuses 

at Balsamorhiza sagittata and Hedysarum boreale, in states not before sampled. A cold, wet 

spring prevented further bee sampling. 

We prepared raised, subirrigated seed beds for this year’s experimental plantings. We then 

seeded as well as transplanted seedlings and tubers of Lomatium dissectum for future breeding 

biology research. We also planted out our potted greenhouse populations of 2-yr-old Dalea 

ornata and 1-yr-old D. searlsiae for 2006 breeding biology studies. Additional H. boreale were 

also transplanted to the field for pollinator evaluations. 

Pollinators, particularly bees, will be needed for seed production at most of the native forbs 

chosen for this project from the Great Basin flora. In 2005, we focused our studies of breeding 

biologies on our 20' x 20' planted field arrays, using established 3-year-old plants of Penstemon 

speciosus and 2-year-old plants of Astragalus filipes. 
43

For Astragalus filipes, it was evident that some to many pods were seedless from our pollination 

experiments, so we partitioned the results of our pollination treatments in terms of pod set per 

flower pollinated, the proportion of seedless pods, and seed counts among those pods with seeds. 

For open-visit treatments, we also received pod samples for freely-visited wild plants by Ann 

DeBolt (ID) and Scott Jensen (NV), plus we had comparable pods from our plants visited solely 

by bumblebees. We could compare not only simple outcrossing but also wide outcrossing from 

replicated seed populations represented in the plot that had been acquired from Idaho, Oregon 

and Nevada by Doug Johnson. Broad biogeographic comparisons are exceedingly rare in 

breeding biology studies of native plants. Results for each treatment (250-370 pollinations each) 

ranged widely by treatment. Autopollination yielded dismal seed production (only 25% of 

flowers setting pods, 17% were seeded, averaging 0.4 seeds per pod). Outcrossing and wideoutcrossing were far more productive (60% of flowers setting pods, 47% seeded, averaging 1.5 

seeds per pod). The species is self-fertile, but outcrossing triples seed production. As always, 

bees outperformed us, further doubling the seed production. No comparable study exists for any 

other Astragalus species. Bumblebees found A. filipes attractive and were very proficient 

pollinators. 

For Penstemon speciosus, it must first be stated that 2nd year plants produced spectacular 

numbers of flowers and racemes. The count of seeds produced per capsule regresses nicely on 

capsule sizes; a set of many big capsules promises a lot of seed, although for large capsules, it is 

not an accurate predictor for the actual seed counts. Manual pollen transfer more than doubles 

the weight and count of seed per capsule compared with autopollination. Outcrossing yields 5x 

more seed than selfing, and bumblebee pollination enhances seed production a further 25%. 

Autopollination rarely yielded big, seedy capsules (and these may have resulted from our 

bumping them in the tight confines of our field cage), whereas open pollinated and outcrossed 

treatments rarely had any puny capsules. Hence, pollinators will be essential for commercial 

production, but for this plant, none are practical to manage. At L&H Seed, hived honeybees 

amid planted P. speciosus eschewed its bloom in favor of distant Dalea ornata, but wild 

bumblebees and ground-nesting solitary species were attracted from surrounding wildlands. 

We also complemented our painstaking manual pollinations of wee Dalea purpurea flowers with 

analyses of pollination service provided by a mix of honey bees, managed alfalfa leaf-cutting 

bees, and wild bees. This species, and presumably its Great Basin relatives, attracts more species 

of bees than any of the other target forbs. Further, it is avidly sought out by readily managed 

species, including the above-mentioned bees, a conclusion borne out by bee observations at our 

field plots as well as at a commercial planting of D. ornata at L&H Seed. Prodigious seed 

production is possible: our small plants averaged 110 racemes each, 200 seeds per raceme 

(n=10), so 22,000 seeds possible per young plant. 

We have begun evaluating the pollination needs of Lomatium dissectum, this year comparing 

seed production at paired umbels, one bagged, the other openly visited, on 50 wild plants. Open 

umbels averaged 32 mature seeds each, far in excess of the 1⁄2 seed averaged on umbels caged to 

exclude pollinators. This biscuitroot is incapable of autopollination. 

At Wind River Seed, bloom was nearly a month later than in 2004. As a result, we had to hold 

back the population of the blue orchard bee, Osmia lignaria, that we intended to release again. 
44

Such prolonged refrigeration sapped the vitality of the bees, resulting in terrible emergence. 

Meanwhile, our nesting blocks attracted a species of native bee that provisioned exclusively with 

Hedysarum pollen. It is Osmia sanrafaelae. We have the resultant progeny in hand, and will 

evaluate their pollination prowess with sweetvetch in our Logan caged field plots. 

Recognizing the need for practical, affordable nesting management systems for any cavitynesting bees used to pollinate these forbs on farms, I have designed and field tested and am now 

publishing about a nesting shelter and supporting bracket to be used for drilled blocks or other 

nesting substrates of cavity-nesting bees. The shelter is versatile and cheap ($14), made from the 

nesting plastic totes used by the US Post Office. The metal bracket system, which quickly 

attaches to a T-post, was designed with a California manufacturer of grape arbor equipment ($4). 

It is now available for sale. The entire unit costs under $25 each and has so far endured for 3 

years of field use with another Osmia that I am managing as a commercial raspberry pollinator. 

It is quick for a single person to deploy, and stores in stacks. For most of these target forbs, two 

shelters per acre should house sufficient bees to pollinate. 

Native herbivorous insects have the potential to become pests of seed production on many of 

the wildflower species studied to date. Seed weevils were found to attack green pods of the 

legumes, their larvae developing in the individual drying seeds. Now four species of seed weevil 

of the genus Acanthoscelides in the subfamily Bruchinae (Chrysomelidae) have been found 

attacking seeds of legumes studied in this project. Most are new host records. Seeds of A. filipes

sampled at 30 locations in 4 states are also host to two species of true weevil in the genus 

Tychius, which were present at many locations. Seed sampled from 12 populations of Dalea 

ornata commonly yielded another weevil relative, Apion amaurum, that was widespread and 

predominant in samples. These represent new state and host records for this Dalea specialist. In 

a few cases, the majority of seeds were infested. A manuscript with distribution maps is being 

prepared with Doug Johnson, Bob Hammon and taxonomists from Arizona, Alabama and 

Mexico. 

Publications: 

Cane, J.H. 2005. Pollination needs of arrowleaf balsamroot, Balsamorhiza sagittata

(Heliantheae: Asteraceae). Western North American Naturalist 65 (3): 359-364. 

Cane, J.H. in press. The Logan Beemail shelter: a practical, portable unit for managing cavitynesting agricultural pollinators. American Bee Journal. 

Cane, J.H. Pollination needs of purple prairie-clover, Dalea purpurea (Fabaceae: Amorpheae). 

American Midland Naturalist (submitted). 
45

Project Title: Insect Pests of Selected Grass and Forb Species in the 

Great Basin 

Project Location: Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, Tri-River Area, 

Grand Junction, CO 

Principal Investigators and Contact Information: 

Robert Hammon, Extension Agent 

Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, 

Tri-River Area, P.O. Box 20,000-5028 

Grand Junction CO 81502-5028 

970.244.1834, Fax: 970.244.1700 bob.hammon@mesacounty.us 

 James H. Cane, Research Entomologist 

 USDA-ARS Bee Biology and Systematics Lab 

Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-5310 USA 435.797.3879, 

Fax: 435.797.0461 

jcane@biology.usu.edu 

Project Description: 

Insects affecting seed production of native plants are relatively unknown. Insect identification 

and life history must be known before management techniques can be developed. Insect species 

vary considerably when a particular plant species is grown in different regions. This project is 

designed to identify and learn life histories of insects affecting field collected and field-grown 

seed for the Great Basin Project. Seed predators and other insects affecting plants species of 

interest are collected and reared from collection and increase sites throughout the Great Basin. 

Samples are photographed before storage for future reference and educational programs. 

Specimens are forwarded to taxonomic specialists for identification when necessary. Voucher 

specimens are currently stored at the Tri River Cooperative Extension Office in Grand Junction, 

CO, the USDA-ARS Bee Biology and Systematics Lab in Logan UT, or with the taxonomist 

responsible for identification of the particular taxa. Field research plots are now established in 

western Colorado for seed production research in cooperation with the Uncompahgre Plateau 

Project.

Project Status: 

A summary of insect pests collected from wildland sites and field plantings, as well as those 

mentioned in the scientific literature, is provided in Table 1. Two previously unknown insects 

were added to the pest list in 2005. A previously undescribed species of Acanthosceliedes was 

discovered feeding on Hedysarum boreale in Utah, and an unidentified tephritid fly was 

discovered feeding on Lupinus argenteus in Colorado. In addition, samples taken from small 

seed increases in southern Idaho have shown that Lygus bugs are a significant seed production 

pest on many species of forbs. A management strategy for these generalist feeders will have to 

be developed for each seed increase site. 

Seed increase fields of Hedysarum boreale, Linum lewisii, Sphaeralcea coccinea,

Bromus marginatus, Heterostipa comata, Elymus elymoides, Leymus cinerus, and Poa secunda 
46

were established during 2005 at the Western Colorado Research Center at Rogers Mesa, near 

Hotchkiss CO (Delta County) as part of the Uncompahgre Plateau Project. These fields will be 

utilized in the future for pest management research which will be utilized by seed growers 

associated by both projects. 
47

 Table 1. Insects and diseases found or reported on plant species of interest. References in bold 

were found in conjunction with Project seed collection. References in normal type are from the 

scientific literature. 

Plant species Pest Order:Family Attacks: Reference

Astragalus sp. Cleonidius trivittatus Coleoptera: Curculionidae Root/crown Pomerinke & Thompson 

1995 

Astragalus sp. Seed feeding caterpillar Lepidoptera: Tortricidae Seeds Youtie & Miller 1986 

Astragalus sp. Seed feeding caterpillar Lepidoptera: Pyralidae Seeds Youtie & Miller 1986 

Astragalus sp. Acanthoscelides aureolus Coleoptera: Bruchidae Seeds Owen 1993 

Astragalus sp. Tychius sp. Coleoptera: Curculionidae Flower/fruit Kaye 1999 

Astragalus filipes Acanthoscelides sp. Coleoptera: Bruchidae Seeds Cane & Johnson 2004 

Astragalus filipes Acanthoscelides pullus Coleoptera: Bruchidae Seeds Cane & Johnson 2004 

Astragalus filipes Acanthoscelides fraterculus Coleoptera: Bruchidae Seeds Cane & Johnson 2004 

Astragalus filipes Acanthoscelides aureolus Coleoptera: Bruchidae Seeds Cane & Johnson 2004 

Astragalus filipes Tychius tectus leConte Coleoptera: Curculionidae Seeds Cane 2004 

Astragalus filipes Tychius semisquamosus Coleoptera: Curculionidae Seeds Cane 2004 

Balsamorhiza sagitatta Trupanea jonesi Diptera: Tephritidae Head/seed Hammon 2004 

Balsamorhiza sagitatta receptacle feeding fly Diptera: Ceciomyiidae Receptacle Hammon 2004 

Crepis acuminata Rust Whole plant Hammon & Shaw 2004 

Crepis acuminata Seed feeding fly Diptera:Tephritidae Head/seed Hammon & Shaw 2004 

Dalea ornata Acanthoscelides oregonensis Coleoptera: Bruchidae Seeds Cane & Johnson 2004 

Dalea ornata Acanthoscelides daleae Coleoptera: Bruchidae Seeds Cane & Johnson 2004 

Dalea ornata Apion spp. Coleoptera: Brentidae Seeds Cane 2004 

Dalea ornata Lycaeides melissa Lepidoptera:Lycaenidae Flowers Cane 2004 

Dalea ornata Acanthosceliedes sp. Coleoptera: Bruchidae Seeds Cane & Johnson 2004 

Eriogonum umbellatum Seed feeding caterpillar Lepidoptera Seeds DeBolt 2004 

Hedysarum boreale Acanthoscelides fraterculus Coleoptera: Bruchidae Seeds Hammon, Johnson 1991

Hedysarum boreale Acanthoscelides sp. Coleoptera: Bruchidae Seeds Cane 2006 

Hedysarum boreale Filatima xanthuris Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae Foliage Cane & Lee 

Lomatium dissectum Smicronyx sp. Coleoptera: Curculionidae Seeds Cane 2004 

Lomatium dissectum Depressaria multifidae Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae Flowers Cane 2004 

Lomatium dissectum Depressaria leptotaeniae Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae Leaves Thompson 1983, 1998 

Lomatium dissectum Contarinia sp. Diptera: Cecidomyiidae Flowers Thompson 1998 

Lomatium dissectum Phytomyza sp. Diptera: Agromyzidae Leaves Thompson 1998 

Lomatium dissectum Puccinia Fungal rust Foliage Thompson 1998 

Lomatium dissectum Aphis heraclella Homoptera: Aphididae Heads Cane 2004 

Lomatium sp. Smicronyx (cinereus??) Coleoptera: Curculionidae Seeds Ellison & Thompson 1987

Lupinus argenteus Apion oedorhycum Coleoptera: Curculionidae Seeds Ellison & Thompson 1987

Lupinus argenteus Diptera: Thepritidae Seeds Hammon 2006 

Penstemon sp. Kushelinea barbarae Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae Foliage Hammon & DeBolt 2004

Penstemon sp. Hesperobaris ovulum Coleoptera: Curculionidae Stems/crown Hammon & O'Brien 

Penstemon sp. Penstemona sp. Lepidoptera: Sessidae Seems/crownHammon & Cane 

Leymus cinereus Seed fly Diptera: Ottididae Seeds Hammon & Young 

Leymus cinereus Crambus sp. Lepidoptera: Pyralidae Seeds Hammon 2004 

Bromus marginatus Diuraphis nodulus Homoptera: Aphididae Foliage Hammon & Peairs 1998 

Bromus marginatus Head smut Seeds Hammon 
48

Products

A. Publications: Web Page: Pesticides for Native Plant/Plant Materials Seed 

 Production: 

http://www.coopext.colostate.edu/TRA/SeedProduction.html

B. Presentations: Radio presentation, KVNF Paonia CO, March 11, 2005, Restoration 

of western wildlands 

Colorado State University, Bioagricultural Science and Pest 

Management Department Seminar Series, March 23, 2005, Insects 

Affecting The Production Of Native Plant Seed 

C. Technology Transfer: Poster Presentation: Insects Affecting the Production of Native Forb 

Seed. At: Ecology & Management Of Pinyon/Juniper Communities, 

Montrose CO, May 16-19, 2005. 

Native Plant Seed Production Literature: 

Center, T.D & C.D Johnson. 1974. Coevolution of some seed beetles (Coleoptera: Bruchidae) 

and their hosts. Ecology 55(5):1096-1103. 

Clark, W.E. 1977. The curculionid genus Tychius Germar: Natural history and coevolution with 

leguminous host plants. Southwest Entomol. 2(3):106-126. 

Clarke, J.F.G. 1933. Notes and new species of Microlepidoptera from Washington state. Can. 

Entomol. 84-93. 

Ellison, R.L. & J.N. Thompson. 1987. Variation in seed and seedling size: The effects of seed 

herbivores on Lomatium grayi (Umbelliferae). Oikos 49 (3):269-280. 

Foote, R.H., F.L. Blanc, & A.L. Norrbom. 1993. Handbook of the fruit flies (Diptera: 

Tephritidae) of America North of Mexico. Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithica, NY. 

571 p. 

Hammon, R.W. & F.B. Peairs. 1998. Natural history of Diuraphis (Homoptera: Aphididae) 

species occurring in western Colorado. In: Quisenberry, S.S. & F.B. Peairs. (eds). 

Response model for an introduced pest - The Russian wheat aphid. Thomas Say 

Publications, Entomological Society of America, Lanham, MD. pp 280-287. 

Johnson, C.D. 1990. Confirmation of Hedysarum boreale Nuttall (Leguminosae) as a host plant 

for Acanthoscelides fraterculus (Horn) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae). Pan-Pac. Entomol. 66 

(2):175-176. 

Kaye, T.N. 1999. From flowering to dispersal: reproductive ecology of an endemic plant, 

Astragalus australis var. olympicus (Fabaceae). Am. J. Bot. 86 (9):1248-1256. 

Kindler, S.D., & R.W. Hammon. 1996. Comparison of host suitability of western wheat aphid 

with the Russian wheat aphid. J. Econ. Entomol. 89 (6):1621-1630. 

Kissinger, D.G. 1988. New host and distribution records for Apionidae from North and Central 

America. Coleopterists Bulletin 42(3):302-304. 

Owen, W.R. 1991. New host for Acanthoscelides aureolus Horn (Coleoptera:Bruchidae). PanPacific Entomol. 67(1):73. 
49

Owen, W.R. 1993. Host plant preferences of Acanthoscelides aureolus (Horn) (Coleoptera: 

Bruchidae). Pan-Pac Entomol. 69 (1):41-50. 

Palmer, M.A. 1952. Aphids of the Rocky Mountain Region. Thomas Say Foundation Vol V. 

A.B. Hirschfeld Press, Denver CO. 452 p. 

Pomerinke, M.A. & D.C. Thompson. 1995. Cleonidius trivittatus feeds exclusively on woolly 

locoweed in northwestern New Mexico. Southwest. Entomol. 20 (1):107-110. 

Pomerinke, M.A., D.C. Thompson, & D.L. Clason.1995. Bionomics of Cleonidius trivittatus

(Coleoptera: Curculionidae): Native biological control of purple locoweed (Rosales: 

Fabaceae). Environ. Entomol. 24 (6):1696-1702. 

Quist, J.A. 1978. A revised list of the aphids of the Rocky Mountain region. Colo. St. Univ. 

Agric. Exp. Sta. Bull 567S. 77p. 

Schwegman, J.E. 1998. Some aspects of the life history and population dynamics of Astragalus 

tenesseensis. Castanea 63 (1):63-67. 

Stoetzel, M.B. & R.W. Hammon. 1992. New collections of sexuales of Diuraphis (Homoptera: 

Aphididae) in North America. Proc. Entomol. Soc. Wash. 94 (4):598-599. 

Thompson, J.N. 1983. The use of ephemeral plant parts on small host plants: How Depressaria 

leptotaenia (Lepidoptera: Oecophoridae) feeds on Lomatium dissectum (Umbelliferae). J. 

Anim. Ecol. 52 (1):281-291. 

Thompson, J.N. 1998. Coping with multiple enemies: 10 years of attack on Lomatium dissectum

plants. Ecology 79:2550-2554. 

Youtie, B.A., & R.F. Miller. 1986. Insect predation on Astragalus filipes and A. purshii seeds. 

Northwest Sci. 60 (1): 42-46.

Publications: 

Hammon, R. & J. Cane. 2005. Managing insects affecting production of native legume seed in 

the Great Basin. Abstract 150, pg 69. Society of Range Management, 58th Annual Meeting, Fort 

Worth, TX. 
Project Title: Genetic Diversity Patterns of Allium acuminatum 

in the Great Basin

Project Location: Western Regional Plant Introduction Station, Pullman, WA 

Principal Investigators and Contact Information: 

R.C. Johnson, Research Agronomist 

USDA-ARS, Western Regional Plant Introduction Station 

Box 646402, Washington State University, Pullman WA 99164 

509.335.3771, Fax 509.335.6654 

rcjohnson@wsu.edu 

Barbara Hellier, Horticulture Crops Curator 

USDA-ARS, Western Regional Plant Introduction Station 

Box 646402, Washington State University, Pullman WA 99164 

509.335.3763, Fax 509.335.6654 

bhellier@mail.wsu.edu 

Project Description: 

The conservation and utilization of native plant resources in the western United States is 

becoming increasingly important ecologically and economically. Yet genetic information to 

identify seed collection sites used for restoration and reclamation is generally lacking. An 

understanding of the geographic and ecological distance that plant material should be transferred 

from original source populations is critically needed. Studies using molecular (SRAP) and 

morphological attributes will be conducted to determine the extent and structure of genetic 

variation of Allium acuminatum, an important forb native to the Great Basin. Genetic resource 

management strategies based on biological conservation principals will be developed leading to 

identification of candidate in-situ reserves (sites on federal lands where key populations are 

located). Populations maintained in-situ would provide conservation of genetic variation 

representing eco-geographic areas in the Great Basin. In addition, ex-situ conservation will be 

carried out at the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service gene bank at Washington State 

University, Pullman, WA. Gene bank conservation will provide 1) readily available, sourceidentified genetic resources for research and increase and 2) security back-up of in-situ sites. 

Overall, this project will provide information to federal agency policy makers, Plant Material 

Centers, and commercial collectors/producers to improve genetic quality and production 

efficiency of this species.

Objectives: 

1. Collect and maintain native A. acuminatum (Taper-tip onion) for use in restoration and 

reclamation on western public lands. 

2. Link ecological-geographic variation with genetic variation of A. acuminatum to identify 

key populations for conservation and to delineate seed transfer zones. 

3. Identify candidate in-situ sites for the conservation of A. acuminatum genetic variation 

representing eco-geographic areas in the Great Basin. 

50
Project Status: 

This project was funded in the summer of 2004. Preliminary collections and molecular analyses 

were completed in 2004. In 2005 we hired a support technician, Robert Adair, who collected 

bulbs throughout eastern Oregon, southern Idaho and northeastern Nevada, recorded bulb 

characteristics from the collected material, planted the bulbs in the greenhouse for tissue 

collection and future use in common garden studies, and established a molecular marker system 

for identifying genetic diversity. 

Collections: Allium acuminatum bulbs were collected from 55 populations throughout eastern 

Oregon, southern Idaho and northeastern Nevada (Figure 1). Potential population locations were 

gathered from herbaria data and US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management personnel. 

This information was organized into a spreadsheet for field use and entered into a GIS-based 

map to aid in collection planning. We had two collecting teams of two persons each, one 

focused on Oregon and Idaho, the other team collected in Nevada. Each team followed the same 

collection protocol. First the population size and area were estimated. Then 40 to 50 bulbs per 

population were collected from across the given population. We only collected from populations 

with 250 or more individuals. Collections were made from June 17 to July 2, 2005. The 

collection area spanned 1430 m (4692 ft) of elevation and covered approximately 620 km (385 

mi.) east-west and 445 km (277 mi.) north-south, between N 39° to 44° latitude and W 114o to 

119o longitude. A. acuminatum was collected in 20 of the Level IV Omernick Ecoregions (Table 

1) for the Great Basin. 

Bulb characteristics: The bulbs from the 55 collection sites were counted, measured 

(diameter), and assigned a shape description. They were then stored at the Western Regional 

Plant Introduction Station in a temperature-controlled room at 15 °C. A total of 3,107 A. 

acuminatum bulbs were sampled. Average bulb diameter was 1.0 cm with a standard deviation 

of 0.2 cm for the entire collection. The maximum bulb diameter was 2.1 cm and minimum 

diameter was 0.3 cm, and the maximum and minimum site means were 1.2 and 0.9 cm, 

respectively. Of the bulbs collected, 91.1% were single bulbs, 8.7% were cloved bulbs, and 

0.2% were 3-cloved bulbs. Most of the bulbs were globed shaped (90.3%), 6.8% were classified 

as flat-globe, and 1.9% high-globe (Figure 2). 

Greenhouse planting: All the collected A. acuminatum bulbs were planted in rootrainers into a 

media mix of 75% Sunshine Mix #4 and 25% perlite. The bulbs were planted October 1 to 3, 

2005 and kept in the greenhouse for 4 weeks. They were then moved to a walk-in growth 

chamber for vernalization at 4oC. 

Molecular marker work: Initially we thought that AFLP’s would be the most efficient marker 

system, but the AFLP’s produced so many markers in preliminary work they were cluttered and 

difficult to score. We have subsequently developed Sequence Related Amplified 

Polymorphisms (SRAP) as a marker system for A. acuminatum. Using DNA from plant material 

collected in 2004, we have optimized the protocol for SRAP’s. So far we have identified five 

primer pairs producing 61 reproducible and easily scored markers. 

Future plans: In 2006 DNA will be extracted from leaf tissue of plants from the 55 populations 

collected in 2005. Data on molecular variation within and among populations will be collected 

51
using SRAP markers. We will also establish common garden plots in contrasting environments, 

one at the Central Ferry, WA Research Station and one at Pullman, WA. Data will be collected 

for leaf, scape, flower and umbel characteristics. Phenotypic variation within and among 

populations will be determined and compared with molecular variation using multivariate 

statistics. This will show if and to what extent molecular and phenotypic evaluation data 

correlate. The phenotypic data will be analyzed to understand patterns of variation across the 

Great Basin in relation to climatic and ecological factors. This information will be used to guide 

conservation and revegetation decisions for A. acuminatum in the Great Basin. 

Figure 1. Distribution of A. acuminatum collection sites across the Great Basin. 

52
Table 1. Number of A. acuminatum populations collected within Level IV Omernick Ecoregions 

(Omernick 1987). 

Level 4 Ecoregion Collection sites 

Semiarid Hills and Low Mountains 1 

Southern Forested Mtns/Dry Partly Wooded Mtns 1 

Mountain Home Uplands 1 

Southern Forested Mountains 1 

Pluvial Lake Basins 1 

High Desert Wetlands 1 

Continental Zone Foothills 1 

Unwooded Alkaline Foothills 1 

Semiarid Foothills 1 

High Glacial Drift-Filled Valleys 1 

Central Nevada Mid-Slope Woodland and Brushland 1 

Central Nevada High Valleys 1 

Carbonate Woodland Zone 2 

Carbonate Sagebrush Valleys 2 

Mid-Elevation Ruby Mountains 3 

Semiarid Uplands 4 

High Lava Plains 5 

Upper Humboldt Plains 6 

Owyhee Uplands and Canyons 8 

Dissected High Lava Plateau 13 

Figure 2. Bulb morphology. Single globed (A), cloved (B), 3-cloved(C), high-globed (D), flatglobed (E). 

53
Acknowledgment: Special thanks to Robert Adair for his excellent and thoughtful technical 

assistance. 

Publications: 

Adair, R., R.C. Johnson, B.C. Hellier, W. J. Kaiser. Collecting taper- tip Onion (Allium 

acuminatum Hook.) in the Great Basin using traditional and GIS methods. Native Plant Journal 

(submitted). 

54
Project Title: Establishment and Maintenance of Certified 

 Generation 1 (G1) Seed 

 Propagation of Native Forbs and Native Plant 

 Display Nursery 

 Develop Technology to Improve the Diversity of 

 Introduced Grass Stands 

Project Location: NRCS, Plant Materials Center, Aberdeen, ID 

Principal Investigators and Contact Information: 

Loren St. John, Center Manager

USDA-NRCS, Aberdeen Plant Materials Center 

P.O. Box 296, Aberdeen, ID 83210 

208.397.4133, Fax 208.397.3104 

Loren.Stjohn@id.usda.gov 

Dan Ogle, Plant Materials Specialist 

USDA-NRCS, Idaho State Office 

9173 West Barnes Drive, Suite C, Boise, ID 83709 

208.685.6987, Fax 208.378.5735 

Dan.Ogle@id.usda.gov 

 

Project Description: 

Production of Certified Generation 1 (G1) seed of Maple Grove Germplasm Lewis flax, Anatone 

Germplasm bluebunch wheatgrass, Snake River Plains Germplasm fourwing saltbush and 

Northern Cold Desert Germplasm winterfat to facilitate commercial seed production. 

Propagation of native forbs for evaluation and seed increase. Evaluation of display nursery near 

Boise, ID. Assist in development of technology to improve the diversity of introduced grass 

stands by evaluating methods to introduce native species into established plant communities. 

Project Status: 

Seed Production: 

Maple Grove Germplasm Lewis flax: Original seed field established May 2002 was plowed 

out due to declining production and increasing weed competition. Established a new 3.2 acre 

field on May 23, 2005. Shipped 280 pounds of Certified seed to commercial growers in 2005. 

Anatone Germplasm bluebunch wheatgrass: Established new 1.8 acre field on May 24, 2005. 

Currently 5.2 acres are in production. Estimated seed yield from 2005 seed crop is 865 pounds. 

Shipped 250 pounds of Certified seed to commercial growers in 2005. 

Snake River Plains Germplasm fourwing saltbush: Estimated seed yield from 2005 crop is 35 

pounds. Shipped 16 pounds of Certified seed to commercial growers in 2005. 

55
Northern Cold Desert Germplasm winterfat: Estimated seed yield from 2005 crop is 9 

pounds. Shipped 20 pounds of Certified seed to commercial growers in 2005. 

Propagation Studies: The plan was to propagate a total of 8,000 plants of Lomatium dissectum

(LODI), Lomatium grayi (LOGR), Lomatium triternatum (LOTR), Eriogonum umbellatum

(ERUM), Penstemon deustus (PEDE), Penstemon acuminatus (PEAC) and Penstemon speciosus 

(PESP). Approximately 1000 plants each of ERUM and LOTR were to be transplanted at the 

PMC and remaining plants were to be made available to cooperators for transplanting at field 

sites. Due to no plant establishment of Lomatium species and minimal success with greenhouse 

propagation of Penstemon species, no plants were made available to cooperators. 

On December 13, 2004, imbibed LODI, LOGR, LOTR, ERUM, PEAC, PEDE and PESP seed 

was placed in cloth bags which were then placed in 1 gallon Ziploc bags filled with wet sand. 

Ziploc bags were placed in a secure outdoor location for natural winter temperature stratification 

for 10 weeks. On February 24, 2005, all seed was planted into 20 in.3

 conetainers and placed in 

the PMC greenhouse. By March 2, ERUM and LOGR seedlings were beginning to emerge. By 

mid-March, there was little or no emergence of the Penstemon species and LOGR seedlings were 

dying from unknown causes. Penstemon seed leftover from the original planting in the 

greenhouse was treated with 500 ppm GA3, planted into trays and as plants emerged, 

transplanted into containers. 

On May 10, 2005 a plant count was taken in the greenhouse: 

Species No. Plants

 ERUM 1500 

 PEDE 750 

 PESP 70 

Weed barrier fabric was installed in field 12 at the PMC with holes placed in a 9 x 9 in spacing. 

On June 22, 2005, we planted 824 ERUM seedlings in this grid. Approximately 675 ERUM 

plants were too small for transplanting. 

On August 9, 2005 the remaining ERUM, PEDE, PEAC and PESP plants were transplanted from 

the greenhouse to field 12 with weed barrier fabric and 9 x 9 inch spacing. 

On October 7, 2005 transplants were evaluated: 

 Species No. Planted Percent survival Canopy width (inches)

 ERUM 992 89 1-8 

 PEDE 464 91 2-8 

 PEAC 392 96 1-6 

 PESP 68 87 1-6 

In early November 2005, ERUM, 3 Lomatium accessions and 3 Penstemon accessions were 

direct seeded into weed barrier fabric in field 12 at the PMC. 

56
Orchard Display Nursery Establishment Year (2005) Evaluations: The Orchard Display 

Nursery was seeded on November 16, 2004 in cooperation with the Great Basin Native Plant 

Selection and Increase Project. The nursery contains 82 accessions of 27 native and introduced 

grass, forb and shrub species planted in 7 x 60 foot plots. See Tilley et al. (2005) for descriptions 

of the species and accessions used. The remaining area was planted to a cover crop mix of 50% 

Anatone bluebunch wheatgrass, 20% Bannock thickspike wheatgrass, 20% Magnar basin 

wildrye and 10% Snake River Plains fourwing saltbush. The test site is located on a loamy 10-12 

inch precipitation ecological site that historically supported a Wyoming big sagebrush - 

bluebunch wheatgrass – Thurber’s needlegrass plant community. Total precipitation at the 

Orchard Test Site for water year 2005 was 9.6 inches (USDA 2005). 

1

0.7

1.6

0.2

0.6

1.1

0.8

2.7

0.7

0 0 0.2

0

0.5

1

1.5

2

2.5

3

Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep

Monthly Precipitation-Orchard Test Site 

Water Year 2005 (inches)

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) burned the site in the fall of 2002. The site was later 

sprayed by the PMC in May 2003 and May 2004 with a Roundup/2,4-D mix to create a weed 

free seedbed. Due to limited breakdown of dead grass clumps that would inhibit proper seed 

placement with a drill and to ensure a clean seedbed, the decision was made to cultivate the site 

with a culti-packer just prior to seeding. Plots were evaluated on April 27 and May 25, 2005. 

During the first evaluation most plots contained high numbers of Russian thistle (Salsola sp.) and 

moderate amounts of bur buttercup (Ranunculus testiculatus). Russian thistle plants were 

approximately 2 to 3 inches tall and the buttercup had already flowered. At the time of the 

second evaluation, there was a heavy infestation of tumble mustard (Sisymbrium altissimum). 

Plots were sprayed again on June 9, 2005 with 16 oz. 2,4-D and 8 oz. Clarity per acre to control 

the mustard. 

Materials and Methods: The first evaluation of the plots was conducted on April 27, 2005 

using a frequency grid based on that described by Vogel and Masters (2001). The grid measured 

approximately 40 x 41 inches, with four 10 inch columns (to incorporate 1 drill row per column) 

and five rows, totaling 20 cells. The first grid was laid on the rows approximately two grid 

lengths (80 inches) into the plot. Counts were made of the cells that contained at least one plant. 

Grids were subsequently flipped and evaluated three more times giving a total of 80 evaluated 

cells. Total area for one grid is approximately 1m2. Total area evaluated is therefore 

approximately 4 m2. A conservative estimate of plant density (plants/m2) is thus the total number 

of cells containing at least one plant divided by four. 

57
The second evaluation occurred on May 25, 2005. The methods followed were the same as 

above, but the frame was evaluated five times for a total of 100 cells in 5 m2

. Total counts were 

then divided by five for approximate plants/m2. Numbers for approximate plants/m2 were then 

divided by 10.8 to calculate approximate plants/ft2

. It is important to note that because cells with 

plants were counted and not number of plants per cell, the best possible score is 100 hits per five 

frames which converts to 20 plants/m2

 or 1.85 plants/ft2. Some actual densities, therefore, may be 

(and almost certainly are) higher than the numbers indicated below. All tables have been 

arranged with accessions ranked from highest plant density to the lowest at the time of the 

second evaluation. 

Native Grasses: There were forty-seven accessions of native grasses planted. Overall the native 

grasses established well considering the limited amount of precipitation received over the winter 

and early spring. Especially good stands were seen in the bluebunch wheatgrass and Snake River 

wheatgrass plots. There was a marked decrease in plant density between the first and second 

evaluations with some notable exceptions. Seven of nine bluebunch wheatgrass accessions and 

three of four Snake River wheatgrass accessions increased in density from the first evaluation to 

the second. This is possibly due to receiving 2.5 inches of precipitation during that period and/or 

from a lack of pressure by black grass bugs (Labops sp.). 

The best performing Indian ricegrass accession was White River, having a plant density of 0.56 

plants/ft2 at the first evaluation and 0.17 plants/ft2 at the second evaluation. Rimrock had the best 

density at the second evaluation with 0.20 plants/ft2. Fish Creek was the highest rated 

squirreltail accession with 0.97 plants/ft2

 in April and 0.54 plants/ft2 in May. Bannock thickspike 

wheatgrass had a density of 1.04 plants/ft2 and increased slightly to 1.07 plants/ft2 at the second 

evaluation. Of the slender wheatgrass accessions, Revenue performed best with 1.00 plants/ft2

recorded at the first evaluation and 0.93 plants/ft2 at the second evaluation. Western wheatgrass 

accessions were all doing poorly during the first evaluation with the best performing accession 

being Rodan at 0.28 plants/ft2. By the second evaluation plant density for Rodan had risen to 

0.35 plants/ft2. In April, bluebunch wheatgrass accession P-12 rated highest at 1.34 plants/ft2

followed by Columbia (1.30) and Wahluke (0.97). At the second evaluation both P-12 and 

Wahluke had increased in density (1.59 and 1.26 plants/ft2

 respectively) while Columbia had 

decreased to 1.23 plants/ft2. The best Snake River wheatgrass was Expedition with 1.27 plants/ft2

which increased to 1.44 plants/ft2

 at the second evaluation. Trailhead was the highest rated basin 

wildrye accession at the first evaluation with 0.60 plants/ft2

; however, by the second evaluation it 

had decreased to 0.52 plants/ft2 and was surpassed by U108-02 at 0.57 plants/ft2. Accessions of 

sheep fescue did poorly with Initial Point and Covar being respectively rated at 0.04 and 0.00 

plants/ft2

 at the second evaluation. The single accession of Thurber’s needlegrass had zero 

germinants recorded at both evaluations. Sandberg bluegrass accessions had zero emergence 

with the exception of High Plains which had 0.25 plants/ft2

 in April. At the second evaluation no 

Sandberg bluegrass accession germinants were recorded. 

58
4/27/05 5/25/05 

Species Name or accession Plants/ft2 Plants/ft2 

Indian ricegrass Rimrock 0.37 0.20 

White River 0.56 0.17 

Nezpar 0.42 0.17 

Ribstone 0.14 0.09 

Paloma 0.05 0.00 

Squirreltail Fish Creek 0.97 0.54 

Shaniko Plateau 0.81 0.52 

Sand Hollow 0.37 0.20 

Toe Jam Creek 0.58 0.17 

9019219 0.02 0.02 

Thickspike wheatgrass Bannock 1.04 1.07 

Critana 0.90 0.56 

Schwendimar 0.69 0.52 

Sodar 0.37 0.30 

Slender wheatgrass Revenue 1.00 0.93 

San Luis 0.60 0.69 

Pryor 0.30 0.30 

Western wheatgrass Rodan 0.28 0.35 

Rosana 0.05 0.20 

Arriba 0.16 0.15 

Bluebunch wheatgrass P-12 1.34 1.59 

Wahluke 0.97 1.26 

Columbia 1.30 1.23 

P-7 0.93 1.15 

Anatone 0.81 1.15 

Jim Creek 0.83 1.02 

P-15 0.60 0.93 

P-5 0.42 0.61 

Goldar 0.51 0.37 

Snake River wheatgrass Expedition 1.27 1.44 

Secar 1.00 1.11 

SERDP 1.02 0.94 

E-26 0.21 0.23 

Basin wildrye U108-02 0.56 0.57 

Trailhead 0.60 0.52 

U100-01 0.53 0.41 

U70-01 0.30 0.22 

Magnar 0.28 0.22 

Washoe 0.21 0.09 

Sheep fescue Initial Point 0.21 0.04 

Covar 0.16 0.00 

Thurber’s needlegrass Thurber’s 0.00 0.00 

59
4/27/05 5/25/05 

Species Name or accession Plants/ft2 Plants/ft2 

Sandberg bluegrass High Plains 0.25 0.00 

Sherman 0.00 0.00 

Mountain Home 0.00 0.00 

Toole County, MT 0.00 0.00 

Hanford Source 0.00 0.00 

Introduced Grasses: Although many of the introduced grass accessions had a fair percentage of 

germination, we noted an outbreak of black grass bugs at the time of the first evaluation. The 

infestation appeared limited to the introduced grass section of the nursery. Plants were covered 

with yellow spots making the plants appear yellow-green overall. 

The crested wheatgrass accessions Nordan and Roadcrest both had densities of 1.30 plants/ft2 at 

the first evaluation; however, at the time of the second evaluation Nordan had maintained a high 

plant density of 1.19 plants/ft2

 while Roadcrest had reduced dramatically to 0.07 plants/ft2. 

Vavilov was the best Siberian wheatgrass with 0.65 and 0.20 plants/ft2 for the two evaluations. 

The pubescent wheatgrass accessions all performed similarly with all three having densities from 

0.54 to 0.65 plants/ft2 at the second evaluation. Prairieland Altai wildrye was the best performer 

in its category with 0.56 plants/ft2

 in April and 0.39 plants/ft2 in May. The Russian wildrye 

accession, Bozoisky-Select, had the best rating at 0.72 plants/ft2 and 0.54 plants/ft2 for the two 

evaluations. 

4/27/05 5/25/05 

Species Name or accession Plants/ft2 Plants/ft2

Crested wheatgrass Nordan 1.30 1.19 

Ephraim 0.65 0.28 

Hycrest 0.39 0.24 

CD-II 0.56 0.24 

Roadcrest 1.30 0.07 

Douglas 0.28 0.04 

Siberian wheatgrass Vavilov 0.65 0.20 

P-27 0.09 0.02 

Pubescent wheatgrass Manska 0.69 0.65 

Greenleaf 0.60 0.59 

Luna 0.79 0.54 

Intermediate 

wheatgrass 

Rush 0.60 0.56 

Altai wildrye Prairieland 0.56 0.39 

Eejay 0.16 0.28 

Pearl 0.35 0.15 

Russian wildrye Bozoisky Select 0.72 0.54 

Mankota 0.46 0.28 

Tetracan 0.42 0.20 

Syn-A 0.21 0.13 

60
Forbs: Most of the forbs did poorly in comparison to the grasses. One notable exception was 

Eagle western yarrow which maintained a density of 0.50 plants/ft2

. Appar blue flax also began 

well with a density of 0.90 plants/ft2, but fell to 0.26 plants/ft2 by the second evaluation. 

4/27/05 5/25/05 

Species Name or accession Plants/ft2 Plants/ft2

Western yarrow Eagle 0.51 0.50 

Great Northern 0.19 0.09 

Utah sweetvetch Timp 0.14 0.02 

Firecracker 

penstemon 

Richfield Selection 0.02 0.02 

Scarlet globemallow 0.00 0.00 

Lewis flax Maple Grove 0.42 0.15 

Blue flax Appar 0.90 0.26 

Shrubs: Only two accessions of shrubs showed any germinants within the frames. Wyoming 

big sagebrush held a density of 0.02 plants/ft2 while Hatch winterfat performed moderately better 

with ratings of 0.28 and 0.17 plants/ft2

. 

4/27/05 5/25/05 

Species Name or accession Plants/ft2 Plants/ft2 

Wyoming big sagebrush 0.02 0.02 

Fourwing saltbush Snake River Plains 0.00 0.00 

Wytana 0.00 0.00 

Rincon 0.00 0.00 

Gardner’s saltbush 9016134 0.00 0.00 

Winterfat Hatch 0.28 0.17 

Northern Cold Desert 0.00 0.00 

Open Range 0.00 0.00 

Forage kochia Immigrant 0.00 0.00 

Cover Crop: The cover crop consisted of a four species mix which contained: 50% Anatone 

bluebunch wheatgrass, 20% Bannock thickspike wheatgrass, 20% Magnar basin wildrye and 

10% Snake River Plains fourwing saltbush. Four grids were examined during the first evaluation, 

one on each side of the nursery, and five grids were used at the time of the second evaluation. 

Total plant density was estimated at 0.37 plants/ft2

 at the first evaluation and 0.57plants/ft2 at the 

second evaluation. The increase in density was presumably due to an increase in the two 

wheatgrasses. 

Discussion: Despite large amounts of Russian thistle, native and introduced grasses had fair to 

good germination and plant density. Germination and emergence probably would have increased 

with more precipitation during March and April, but germination was good with the rain that was 

received. Plants that survived through April received well above average rainfall in May. Of 

major concern is the black grass bug outbreak. Plants subjected to black grass bug are normally 

affected by decreased seed yield and a reduction in palatability to cattle. Infestations rarely result 

in the death of established plants, but in low water years establishing plants may be under 

61
enough stress to kill them (Hammon and Peairs 2001). The decrease in plant density recorded for 

Roadcrest crested wheatgrass may be an indication of this. Future evaluations will provide more 

information on plant establishment, persistence and longevity. The PMC will continue to 

evaluate plant performance at the site. 

References: 

Hammon, R.W. and F.B. Peairs. 2001. Black grass bugs. Colorado State University Cooperative 

Extension. No. 5.575. 

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. (USDA-NRCS). 2005. National Water and 

Climate Center. http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov. Accessed 14 December 2005. 

Tilley, D.J., D.G. Ogle, and L. St. John. 2005. NRCS Aberdeen Plant Materials Center Display 

Nursery, Orchard, Idaho. Aberdeen, ID Plant Materials Center, Aberdeen, ID. 10 January 2005. 

10 p. 

Vogel, K.P. and R.A. Masters. 2001. Frequency grid-a simple tool for measuring grassland 

establishment. Journal of Range Management 54(6): 653-655. 

Develop Technology to Improve the Diversity of Introduced Grass Stands: The PMC 

assisted Brigham Young University (BYU) and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Burns, 

OR in developing technology to improve the diversity of introduced grass stands by evaluating 

methods to introduce native species into established introduced plant communities. The PMC 

modified a Truax Roughrider range drill, mixed the seed and rice hull mixtures and completed 

the seedings at the sites in Utah and Oregon. 

On September 7, 2005 a new Truax Roughrider range drill and transport trailer were delivered to 

the PMC. PMC Technicians Boyd Simonson and Brent Cornforth made modifications to the 

drill to improve seed flow and placement. They improved the design and function of the drop 

tubes, reconfigured the chain and sprocket assembly to improve calibration of seed delivery, 

made major adjustments to the drill openers and realigned the packer wheels. While seeding 

both in Utah and Oregon the PMC technicians met with Jim Truax (drill manufacturer) to 

demonstrate modifications to the drill under field conditions. Many of the modifications that the 

PMC Technicians made are being incorporated into new drills by the manufacturer. 

The seed and rice hulls for this project were purchased by the cooperators and delivered to the 

PMC in early October. Preliminary testing of seed and rice hull mixtures were conducted to 

determine flowability of the mixtures. Based on the preliminary tests, seed and rice hulls were 

mixed for the actual seedings. The drill is designed to both broadcast and drill seed in the same 

pass so species that require broadcasting or very shallow planting depth were broadcast and the 

deeper seeded species were drilled in alternating rows. The following table lists the seed and 

rice hull mixtures: 

62
Utah Broadcast Mix 

 Pounds Pounds 

Species PLS/ac Bulk Seed/ac

Wyoming big sagebrush 0.20 0.94 

Rubber rabbitbrush 0.25 0.75 

Eagle yarrow 0.20 0.24 

“OR” Sandberg bluegrass 0.75 0.95 

Rice hulls 7.41 

Utah Drill Mix 

 Pounds Pounds 

Species PLS/ac Bulk Seed/ac

Fourwing saltbush 1.00 3.48 

Appar blue flax 0.75 0.83 

Munro globemallow 0.50 0.84 

Anatone bluebunch wheatgrass 3.00 3.16 

Sanpete bottlebrush squirreltail 2.00 2.82 

Nezpar Indian ricegrass 2.00 2.13 

Rice hulls 4.58 

Oregon Broadcast Mix 

 Pounds Pounds 

Species PLS/ac Bulk Seed/ac

Wyoming big sagebrush 0.20 0.91 

Rubber rabbitbrush 0.25 2.06 

Eagle yarrow 0.20 0.26 

Mtn. Home Sandberg bluegrass 0.75 1.18 

Rice hulls 4.90 

Oregon Drill Mix 

 Pounds Pounds 

Species PLS/ac Bulk Seed/ac

Fourwing saltbush 1.00 2.28 

Appar blue flax 0.75 1.00 

Munro globemallow 0.50 0.61 

Anatone bluebunch wheatgrass 3.00 3.52 

Toe Jam bottlebrush squirreltail 2.00 2.17 

Nezpar Indian ricegrass 2.00 2.08 

Rice hulls 4.74 

The Utah sites (Skull Valley and Lookout Pass) were seeded the week of October 17 and the 

Oregon site (Burns) was seeded the week of October 31, 2005. 12.5 acres were seeded at each 

site. Seedings will be repeated in the fall of 2006 on additional plots at these same locations. A 

new site near Elko, NV is also tentatively planned for seeding next fall. 

63
Project Title: Diversification of Crested Wheatgrass Stands and 

Seedling Establishment Modeling 

Project Location: Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 

Principal Investigators and Contact Information: 

Bruce A. Roundy 

 Department of Integrative Biology 

401 WIDB Brigham Young University 

Provo, UT 84602 

801-422-8137, Fax 801-422-0090 

bruce_roundy@byu.edu 

 

Val Anderson 

 Department of Integrative Biology 

401 WIDB Brigham Young University 

Provo, UT 84602 

 801-422-3527, Fax 801-422-0090 

 val_anderson@byu.edu 

 Brad Jessop 

 Department of Integrative Biology 

401 WIDB Brigham Young University 

Provo, UT 84602 

801-422-3177, Fax 801-422-0090 

bdjessop@hotmail.com 

Reporting for work funded, in part, by both the USDI Bureau of Land Management Native Plant 

Selection and Increase Project and undergraduate mentoring funds, Brigham Young University. 

Project Description: 

This work is designed to determine effective ways to control crested wheatgrass and establish 

native species while minimizing weed invasion. It is also designed to help develop a heat 

accumulation, soil water potential threshold model of seedling establishment. We will report on 

progress of both activities and state directions for the coming year. 

Project Status: 

Crested wheatgrass diversification: 

Two sites in Tooele Co., Utah were selected for large scale manipulation of crested wheatgrass 

stands. The Skull Valley site, which borders the U.S. Army Dugway Proving Ground, is at an 

elevation of 1524 m, receives 200-254 mm of precipitation annually, and has Medburn fine 

sandy loam soils. The Lookout Pass site is approximately 45 miles southeast from the Skull 

Valley site and located on the eastern side of the Onaqui Mountains. It is slightly higher in 

elevation (1676 m) and precipitation (254-305 mm) than the Skull Valley site and has Taylorsflat 

loamy soil. Both sites were seeded to crested wheatgrass monocultures more than 10 years ago 

64
following wildfires. The crested wheatgrass stand in Skull Valley is not as vigorous as the 

Lookout Pass site and has an abundance of cheatgrass. 

The study is replicated in both time and space and is set up as a randomized block split plot 

design with 5 blocks. Within each block, 1 acre main plots were either left undisturbed or 

received a mechanical (1-way or 2-way disking) or herbicide treatment (16 oz/ac. or 44 oz/ac. 

Roundup Original Max) to reduce (partial control) or eliminate (full control) crested wheatgrass. 

Following wheatgrass control, main plots were divided into 1⁄2 ac subplots that were either seeded 

or unseeded. Herbicide treatments were applied in late May 2005 while mechanical treatments 

were applied in early June. Plots were seeded with a Truax Rough Rider rangeland drill in 

October 2005. The drill was specially configured to drill or broadcast seed in alternating rows 

with the goal of drilled species being planted no deeper than 1.3 cm. Brillion packer wheels 

placed immediately after the drop tubes pressed broadcast species into the ground. With the 

exception of ‘Appar’ flax, all species used in the seed mix are native and where possible 

collected or grown in proximity to the study sites. Utah Division of Wildlife Resources supplied 

all seed for the study except for ‘Eagle’ yarrow. 

Table 1. Crested wheatgrass diversification study seed mix. 

Drill Mix 

 PLS Bulk 

SPECIES lbs/acre lbs/acre 

Bluebunch wheatgrass - 'Anatone' 3.00 3.16 

Squirreltail - 'SID Sanpete' 2.00 2.82 

Indian ricegrass - 'Nezpar' 2.00 2.13 

Fourwing saltbush 1.00 3.48 

Lewis flax - 'Appar' 0.75 0.83 

Munroe globemallow 0.50 0.84 

Total 9.25 13.26 

Broadcast Mix 

 PLS Bulk 

SPECIES lbs/acre lbs/acre 

Sandberg bluegrass - 'SID OR' 0.75 0.95 

White stemmed rabbitbrush 0.25 0.75 

Wyoming big sagebrush 0.20 0.94 

Yarrow – ‘Eagle’ 0.20 0.24 

Total 1.40 2.88 

To assess the effectiveness of the treatments at reducing or eliminating crested wheatgrass, seed 

production data were collected 5 months post treatment. Within each treatment, wheatgrass was 

clipped from ten, 0.25m2 quadrats and the number of fertile seeds counted. The counting process 

has not been completed but preliminary results indicate a reduction in seed production in all 

treatments. 

For partial control of crested wheatgrass it appears that the 1-way disk treatment was more 

effective than the low rate herbicide. We observed less than 10% mortality in partial control 

herbicide plots while 1-way disking appeared to remove about 50%. In full control plots 2-way 

65
disking eliminated >80% of the crested wheatgrass while herbicide sprayed at the high rate 

appeared to kill about 50-75%. These estimates are based solely on observation and are subject 

to change once data have been collected this spring. 

Revegetation success can be hindered by undesirable species found in the seed bank. To 

determine seed bank potential, within each block we took ten, 1 in3 soil samples in each 

treatment, grew the samples in a greenhouse and counted the number of seedlings that emerged. 

Both sites have substantial weed and crested wheatgrass seed in the seed bank. At Skull Valley, 

across all treatments bur buttercup averaged 15,608 seeds per 0.25 m2

, while cheatgrass and 

crested wheatgrass averaged 6,107 and 1,798 seeds per 0.25 m2

 respectively. At Lookout Pass 

bur buttercup was the most prominent species in the seed bank averaging 8,758 seeds per 0.25 

m

2

, but there was more crested wheatgrass than cheatgrass in the seed bank (1,891 to 481 seeds 

per 0.25m2 respectively). Because of the high amount of undesirable species in the seed bank we 

anticipate that a follow up treatment will be necessary. We propose retreating a portion of the 

unseeded full control herbicide plots from year 1 and seeding them. Approximately half (1/4 ac) 

of the unseeded plot would be sprayed in early spring at the high herbicide rate (44 oz/ac) to kill 

newly emerged seedlings and then seeded in October. This would enable us to determine if a 

follow-up treatment is necessary and how effective the treatment is at controlling weedy species 

and crested wheatgrass. 

For the coming year, field crews will assess seeding success and crested wheatgrass mortality in 

year 1 plots during May/June. Additionally, this study will be replicated in its entirety. Both the 

herbicide and mechanical treatment will be applied in April and plots will be seeded in October. 

Seedling establishment modeling: 

Heat accumulation models for germination have been developed for 14 species or collections. 

Test collections include 8 native species desirable for revegetation including Secar and Anatone 

bluebunch wheatgrass, Sanpete bottlebrush squirreltail grass, white and Eagle yarrows, Lewis 

flax, longspur lupine, and nakedstem sunray. Also included are 3 introduced species used in 

revegetation, including Nordan and Hycrest crested wheatgrasses, and Appar blue flax. In 

addition, cheatgrass populations collected from 3 sites, including BYU Spanish Fork Farm, Utah 

Valley; Lookout Pass, Rush Valley; and Skull Valley, Utah were also tested. Heat summation 

modeling requires that seeds be germinable by having little or no dormancy, or by having been 

pre-treated to overcome dormancy such as by chilling, prior to testing. Seeds were incubated in 

subpopulations of 25 per Petri dish at constant temperatures of 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 °C. 

Linear and second order polynomial regression analyses were used to quantify the relationships 

between constant temperature and 1/days to 50% germination. Almost all species had a base 

temperature (no heat accumulation toward germination) near 0 °C. The cheatgrass collections 

germinated fastest at cooler temperatures, as has been shown by others. Many of the other 

species had similar germination rate responses to temperature, suggesting that many native 

species should germinate as well as the introduced species at cooler temperatures. The lupine 

and nakedstem sunray had some dormancy problems, but the germination behavior of the other 

collections and species fit the heat summation model quite well (R2

 values for linear regressions 

from 5-20 °C = 0.84-0.99, and for polynomial regressions from 15-30 °C used for >20°C 

predictions = 0.12- 0.94, with most above 0.5). 

66
Heat summation model estimates of days to 50% germination were compared with actual days to 

50% germination for these species at 2 diurnal fluctuating temperatures from field studies and 

programmed into a ramping temperature incubator. For both the cooler and warmer diurnal 

curves, the model tended to overestimate days to 50% germination by 0-4 days. 

Seeds of 6 of the collections (Anatone bluebunch, Sanpete squirreltail, Appar blue flax, Eagle 

yarrow, and 2 collections of cheatgrass) were also sown in 4 replicate blocks adjacent to crested 

wheatgrass diversification study plots at the Lookout Pass and Skull Valley sites. Seeds were 

sown in 1 m rows at 1.3 cm depth for all but yarrow, which was sown at about 0.5 cm depth. 

Seeds were sown at an equivalent rate of 15 kg pure live seed/ha into 1.2 by 1.8 m subplots in 

undisturbed, partial herbicide, and full herbicide control treatments. Soil water and temperature 

sensors were also buried in 3 sown plots on each of 4 blocks for each of the 3 treatments and for 

3 of the sown species at depths of 1-3, 13-15, and 28-30 cm and read continuously to produce 

hourly averages of soil water potential and temperature. Seedbags of the 6 collections were also 

buried in 4 blocks treated for full herbicide control of crested wheatgrass. Seedbags contained 

25 PLS of each collection and 4 bags of 18 sets of each species were buried to allow 18 

subsequent retrievals. Seedbags were buried and small plots were sown on 15 October 2005. 

Seedbags and soil water and temperature data were retrieved on 6 December 2005 and the 

numbers of germinated seeds were counted. Around 50% of seeds in the bags had germinated by 

this retrieval date at both study sites, but practically none of the seeds sown separately in small 

plots had produced seedling emergence. Only the yarrow had little germination in the seedbags 

at both sites. Soil water potential and hourly temperature averages at 1-3 cm depth for each 

study site were input into a model to calculate progress toward germination based on regression 

equations developed from laboratory tests as described above. Using a water potential threshold 

for heat accumulation of -1.5 MPa, the heat summation models predicted that all collections 

should have had 50% germination after 15 October and before 6 December at Lookout Pass, but 

that only cheatgrass would germinate during that time at Skull Valley. By raising the water 

potential threshold to -1 MPa, insufficient wet days and heat accumulation were predicted for 

50% germination at either site during this period. The heat summation model seems to be 

working, but some tuning may be necessary. Soil water sensors at 1-3 cm may be more 

representative of seeds in seedbags than those buried separately in sown plots. Also, the failure 

of yarrow to germinate in seedbags when the other collections did needs additional investigation. 

Two BYU undergraduate students will be presenting these results in the undergraduate paper 

session of the Society for Range Management in February 2006. Future studies this year will 

include burial of additional seedbags in late February and subsequent retrieval in the spring. 

Seedling emergence and survival in spring will be measured on small sown plots, and additional 

comparisons of predicted germination from field seedbed temperature and water data to that of 

seedbag germination and sown-plot emergence will be made. In addition, seminal root growth 

responses (days to 15 cm root growth) will be modeled in the growth chamber as a function of 

temperature, just as has been done for germination for these collections. Seedbags will be buried 

and small plots will be sown again this fall. We expect to have good comparisons of modeled 

and actual field germination for 2 springs and 2 falls for this study. 

67
Project Title: Reestablishing Native Plant Diversity in 

Crested Wheatgrass Stands in the Great Basin 

Project Location: Burns, Oregon 

Principal Investigators and Contact Information: 

 Jane Mangold 

USDA-ARS/Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center 

67826-A Hwy 205 

Burns, OR. 97720 

541.573.4073, Fax 541.573.3042

jane.mangold@oregonstate.edu 

Project Description: 

This project investigates the feasibility of increasing native plant diversity in established crested 

wheatgrass stands in the Great Basin. The study location is 80 km south of Burns, OR, on the 

Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in a stand of crested wheatgrass approximately 25 years old 

(Fig.1). Objectives include: 1) determine the effect of crested wheatgrass control methodologies 

and revegetation on crested wheatgrass density and cover, 2) determine the effect of crested 

wheatgrass control methodologies and revegetation on establishment of native species, 3) 

determine the effect of crested wheatgrass control methodologies and revegetation on cheatgrass 

density and cover, and 4) determine the effects of crested wheatgrass control methodologies and 

native plant establishment on seed bank and soil nitrogen and water content. 

Procedures include varying the method and intensity of crested wheatgrass control, followed by 

seeding a mix of native shrubs, grasses, and forbs. Control strategies are being tested in a 

randomized block, split-plot design with control strategy and intensity as whole plots and seeded 

vs. unseeded as split-plots. Control methods include mechanical (disking), chemical (glyphosate 

application), or undisturbed (no crested wheatgrass control). Control intensity is varied by the 

number of passes with the disk (partial = one pass, full = two passes) and the rate of glyphosate 

application (partial = quarter rate, full = full rate). Half the plot is seeded and half the plot is left 

unseeded following control treatment. The five treatments (full mechanical control, partial 

mechanical control, full chemical control, partial chemical control, undisturbed) are replicated 

across five blocks each year on 0.4 ha (1 acre) plots for a total of approximately 10 ha (25 acres) 

being treated annually (5 ha (12.5 acres) seeded, 5 ha unseeded). Procedures will be repeated in 

2006 on additional plots. 

Surface soil and litter will be collected in the spring and fall of each year and bioassayed for 

seedbank potential of crested wheatgrass, native residuals, seeded species, and cheatgrass. Soil 

sampling will occur twice each year, once in early April and once when vegetation is sampled at 

peak standing crop (June). Cover and density of unseeded and seeded species will be collected 

at peak standing crop for two years on plots established in 2005 and for one year on plots 

established in 2006. 

68
Project Status: 

Accomplishments 2005

Plot lay-out 

Plots were established for 2005 and 2006 in early June 2005 using ArcMap software and handheld GPS units, marking plot corners with steel T-posts. Plots were approximately 30 m x 70 m. 

A 30 m buffer was established between each block. Due to space restrictions, some blocks had 

to be split (Fig. 2). 

Control treatments 

Chemical control treatments were applied July 12, 2005. Glyphosate was applied at 4.8 l/ha (44 

oz. per acre) for full control or 2.4 l/ha (10 oz. per acre) for partial control using an ATVmounted boom sprayer, delivering 95 l/ha (10 gal/a) water. Conditions were 26  ̊C, wind 6 km/h, 

and 28% relative humidity. 

Mechanical control treatments were applied October 17-18, 2005 using a tractor-mounted 4.2 m 

(14-feet) off-set disk with 50 cm (20 inch) disks. Partial control plots were disked once (Fig. 3a) 

and full control plots were disked twice (Fig. 3b). 

Seed bank and soil sampling 

Pre-treatment seed bank and soil nitrogen was sampled. The seed bank was sampled on June 30-

July 1, 2005. Five-50 cm3

 sub-samples were collected from the top 2 cm of soil in each plot 

(Year 1 plots only). Samples are being stored at the Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research 

Center (EOARC) for further analysis. Soil was sampled for nitrogen on June 29-30 by collecting 

2 cm-diameter soil cores, 15 cm deep. Five sub-samples were collected and composited to make 

one sample per plot (Year 1 plots only). Soil samples were sent to Central Analytical Lab at 

Oregon State University where they were analyzed for nitrate-nitrogen and ammonium-nitrogen 

(Appendix A). 

Seeding 

Plots were seeded on October 31-November 1, 2005. Plots were seeded using a modified Truax 

Rough Rider no-till drill. Two seed mixes were used, one large-seeded and the other smallseeded. Large seeds were put in a cool-season box while small seeds were put in a fluffy seed 

box. Alternating drops were used from the cool-season and fluffy boxes. The cool-season box 

fed the seeding disks, and the fluffy box dropped seeds onto the soil surface where they were 

rolled over by Brillion wheels. The large-seeded mix included four-wing saltbush, Lewis flax, 

Munro globemallow, bluebunch wheatgrass, bottlebrush squirreltail, and Indian ricegrass. The 

small-seeded mix included Wyoming big sagebrush, white-stemmed rabbitbrush, western 

yarrow, and Sandberg bluegrass. Species, kind/variety, commercial source and seeding rates are 

listed in Table 1. Seeding conditions were approximately 13  ̊C, partly sunny, breezy, and dry. 

 

Plans for 2006

Control treatments 

Control treatments for Year 2 plots will be applied using the same methods as for Year 1 plots in 

2005. We anticipate applying the chemical control in mid-late June rather than mid-July. 

69
Sampling 

Vegetation cover and density of Year 1 plots will be sampled at peak standing crop (mid-late 

June). Seed bank and soil nitrogen will be sampled using the same methods as in 2005. Seed 

bank samples will be collected in April and October. Soil nitrogen samples will be collected in 

April and at the time of vegetation sampling. Seed bank samples will be analyzed in a 

greenhouse at EOARC shortly after collection. 

Seeding 

Year 2 plots will be seeded using the same procedures as for Year 1 plots in 2005. We anticipate 

seeding as close to the same dates as in 2005. 

Products:

Publications: A description of the project was entered into the Center for Invasive Plant 

Management Restoration Resource Database. 

Presentations: The project was described in an invited undergraduate lecture at the University 

of Idaho (Range 357 Rangeland and Riparian Habitat Assessment). 

Technology Transfer: None at this time. 

70
Tables and Figures 

Table 1. Seeded species, including their origin and commercial source, and seeding rates. 

Species Kind/ 

Variety 

Commercial 

Source 

Seeding Rate 

(lb. PLS/acre) 

Wyoming big sagebrush 

(Artemisia tridentata wyomingensis) 

Maple Leaf 0.20 

Four-wing saltbush (Atriplex canescens) L&H Seed 1.0 

White-stemmed rabbitbrush 

(Chrysothamnus nauseosus albicaulis) 

Maple Leaf 0.25 

Lewis flax (Linum lewisii) Appar Maple Leaf 0.75 

Western yarrow 

(Achillea millefolium) 

Eagle Landmark Seed 0.20 

Munro globemallow 

(Sphaeralcea munroana) 

Maple Leaf 0.50 

Bluebunch wheatgrass 

(Pseudoroegneria spicata) 

Anatone Landmark Seed 3.0 

Sandberg bluegrass 

(Poa secunda) 

Mountain 

Home 

Landmark Seed 0.75 

Squirreltail (Elymus elymoides 

californica) 

Toe Jam 

Creek 

Landmark Seed 2.0 

Indian ricegrass 

(Achnatherum hymenoides) 

Nezpar Landmark Seed 2.0 

71
Figure 1. Study site, approximately 80 km south of Burns, OR, on Malheur National Wildlife 

Refuge. 

Figure 2. Map of crested wheatgrass diversification plots, Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. 

72
a) b) 

Figure 3. Mechanical control treatments: a) partial control and b) full control. 

73
Appendix A. Results of soil nitrogen analyses. 

Block Treatment NO3-N (ppm) NH4-N (ppm) Treatment Codes* 

1 fch-s 0.9 1.4 fch=full control herbicide 

2 fch-s 0.9 1.7 fcm=full control mechanical 

3 fch-s 0.8 1.5 pch=partial control herbicide 

4 fch-s 0.6 2.4 pcm=partial control mechanical 

5 fch-s 1.1 2.9 ud=undisturbed 

mean 0.86 1.98 s=seeded 

1 fch-us 0.6 1.4 us=unseeded 

2 fch-us 0.9 1.6 *Soil samples taken prior to any 

3 fch-us 1 2.1 treatment application. Therefore, 

4 fch-us 1 2.3

we do not expect differences 

between treatments. 

5 fch-us 0.9 2.7

mean 0.88 2.02 

1 fcm-s 0.9 1.9 

2 fcm-s 1.2 2.4 

3 fcm-s 0.6 1.6 

4 fcm-s 1.2 1.8 

5 fcm-s 1 2.4 

mean 0.98 2.02 

1 fcm-us 0.9 1.4 

2 fcm-us 1.2 2.1 

3 fcm-us 0.8 1.9 

4 fcm-us 1.1 2.7 

5 fcm-us 0.9 3.1 

mean 0.98 2.24 

1 pch-s 0.9 1.3 

2 pch-s 0.7 1.7 

3 pch-s 0.8 1.4 

4 pch-s 0.9 1.8 

5 pch-s 0.8 1.7 

mean 0.82 1.58 

1 pch-us 0.8 1.4 

2 pch-us 0.6 1.6 

3 pch-us 0.7 1.5 

4 pch-us 0.7 2.3 

5 pch-us 1 2.4 

mean 0.76 1.84 

1 pcm-s 0.7 1.4 

2 pcm-s 0.8 1.2 

3 pcm-s 0.7 1.6 

4 pcm-s 0.8 2.3 

5 pcm-s 1.8 3.6 

74
Block Treatment NO3-N (ppm) NH4-N (ppm)

mean 0.96 2.02 

1 pcm-us 0.7 1.5 

2 pcm-us 0.9 1.6 

3 pcm-us 1 1.7 

4 pcm-us 1.2 3.1 

5 pcm-us 1.6 2.6 

mean 1.08 2.1 

1 ud-s 0.9 1.9 

2 ud-s 1.1 1.5 

3 ud-s 1.2 1.9 

4 ud-s 0.6 2.3 

5 ud-s 1.3 3.3 

mean 1.02 2.18 

1 ud-us 1.1 1.9 

2 ud-us 0.9 1.5 

3 ud-us 1 1.5 

4 ud-us 1 2.4 

5 ud-us 0.9 1.8 

mean 0.98 1.82 

75
Project Title: Development of the Truax Rangeland Drill 

Principal Investigators and Contact Information: 

 Jim Truax, Truax Company 

 3717 Vera Cruz Avenue, Minneapolis, MN 55422 

 763.537.6639, Fax 763.537.8353 

 traux1@qwest.net 

Project Description: 

The Truax Rangeland Drill evolved from a discussion between Mike Pellant, Steve 

Monsen, and Jim Truax at the Billings Mine Symposium in 2000. They identified the 

need for seeding equipment that would stand up to the rigors of rugged site conditions yet 

place a variety of seed types at a shallow depth in virtually an undisturbed seedbed. 

A radical change in drill design was needed in order to introduce perennial species into 

range sites without disturbing the soil and encouraging exotic species. The existing and 

historical rangeland drills share several shortfalls, which limits their effectiveness under 

most conditions. 

The following are common limitations: 

1. Existing drills typically deep furrow the soil and do not have adjustable seed depth 

control. 

2. All current rangeland drills have the planters in a single row with a very small gap 

between individual planters. On sites with surface litter the drill becomes a large rake 

which affects planter performance. 

3. The use of hydraulics has been limited to an occasional lift mechanism to raise the 

planters. None of the drills have hydraulic down pressure to transfer the machine 

weight to the planter units. 

4. The bearings used on existing rangeland drills are typically ball bearings or roller 

bearings used by the industry prior to the advent of tapered roller bearings. Tapered 

roller bearings are now the industry standard in both agriculture equipment and the 

automotive industries. 

5. A common feature of the typical drill has been the use of concave discs arranged to 

throw toward the middle of the drill. This further limits the amount of surface trash 

that will pass between the discs without plugging. 

6. The typical rangeland planter assembly has a vertical travel of less than 10 inches 

before hitting the machine skid plate, thereby raising the drill and losing disc contact 

with the soil surface. 

With these needs in sight we made it our mission to overcome the problems of existing 

rangeland drills as well as add a few extra features including manual hydraulics, larger 

seed box capacity, ease of filling seed boxes, and a transport system to move the drill. 

With significant input from researchers, field technicians, and range specialists from the 

USDA NRCS Aberdeen Plant Materials Center, Purdue University, the US Air Force, 

76
contractors, private ranchers and others, we designed the Truax Rough Rider Rangeland 

Drill and continue to fine tune the drill to meet the customer’s needs. 

To achieve these goals we have focused on the following issues: 

1. In 2000 we created a design that allowed the individual planters to move vertically in 

a 24-inch plane. 

2. Planters were placed in two ranks with 24 inches between planters within the rank 

and 48 inches between the ranks for maximum trash clearance. 

3. Hydraulics was added to not only raise the planters for transport, but to also transfer 

machine weight to the planters for increased penetration on hard ground. 

4. A 4-inch wide adjustable depth gauge wheel was added to control planting depth in 

1/4-inch increments from surface planting to 2-1/2 inches deep. 

5. A 2-inch wide semi-pneumatic press wheel firms the soil around the newly planted 

seed. 

6. Tapered roller bearings are used for both the disc blade and the attached gauge wheel 

assembly. These industry standard, off-the-shelf bearings, are both forgiving and 

readily available. 

7. The flat disc blades are canted to both the vertical and the horizontal with the throw to 

the outside to provide maximum trash flow. 

From this early design we continued to fine tune and improve drill functions. 

1. By 2004 the single planter lift arm was replaced with a parallelogram which now 

raises the planters in a straight line. This allows the seed to more accurately drop into 

the opened seed slot. 

2. We added a mudguard to the back of the gauge wheel rim to reduce the buildup of 

mud between the disc and the gauge wheel. 

3. The seed boot was repositioned to achieve a straighter seed drop. 

4. The press wheel arm was reinforced. 

Project Status: 

In the spring of 2005, Rough Rider Rangeland Drills were sent to Purdue University and 

the Aberdeen Plant Materials Center. 

1. These drills were equipped with the parallelogram planter arms and the gauge wheel 

inside mudguards. 

2. Spring work at Purdue showed a need for larger openings from the seed boot. This 

change was made on the Aberdeen PMC drill. In early fall 2005, during planting east 

of the Dugway Proving Grounds, Utah, it became evident that the seed boot opening 

needed additional work to allow for an even larger seed drop opening. 

3. A new seed boot with a round body was developed and installed before plantings at 

Burns, Oregon. This new round shape proved to be the answer that we had been 

looking for. The seed flow improved and seed was planted without plugging the seed 

boot. 

4. After the plantings were completed we manufactured several of the new boots, 

incorporating additional refinements. A sample has been sent to Aberdeen PMC for 

evaluation. 

77
5. During fall plantings west of Tooele, Utah a new style seed imprinter was fieldtested. This design came from a Steve Monsen suggestion that we develop a single 

row imprinter using rings from a Brillion cultipacker roller. This unit can be used to 

replace the standard planting units on the Truax Rangeland Drill. This unit has a seed 

drop immediately in front of the imprinter. The drill operator has the flexibility of 

applying from 0-800 pounds of down pressure on each row based on site conditions. 

6. A second imprinter unit was built using John Deere rotary hoe segments. To my 

knowledge these have not been field-tested. They are designed to be more aggressive 

and to lightly disturb a crusted soil surface. 

After completing work at Tooele, Utah; Burns, Oregon; and a site west of Reno, Nevada, 

a list of problem areas and suggested improvements was developed. Items we still need 

to address include: 

1. Better alignment of press wheels to planting discs. 

2. A flexible press wheel arm. 

3. A new attachment bolt for the shift quad controlling the gauge wheel position. 

4. A wind shield for the seed cups. 

5. A retaining pin for the parking jack. 

6. Tension spring of seed boot to blade. 

7. Reduce gap between blade and seed boot. 

8. Add mounting point for optional drag chains. 

9. Level bottom of seed boot relative to ground surface. 

10. Heavy-duty shifter on cool season box. 

11. Locking nuts on telescoping seed tube mounts. 

12. Match size of seed boot top and telescoping seed tube. 

In summary, it is now apparent that the importance of seed placement on range sites 

cannot be overshadowed by the site conditions and the shear scope of the acres to be 

planted. By accessing and studying the trials and experiences of others, we have 

developed, designed, and begun manufacturing a rangeland drill that uses some of the 

things learned in no-till agriculture, several features used in native grass drills, and the 

on-going stream of thoughts from range scientists working in the field. This has resulted 

in a machine that not only meters the seed, but will also plant into very heavy, trashy sites 

over rocky, unleveled conditions. Achieving this while maintaining a consistent seed 

placement has been our goal. Additional problems will pop up and they will be dealt 

with in due course. 

78
Project Title: Revegetation Equipment Catalog Project 

Project Location: College Station, Texas

Principal Investigators and Contact Information: 

Harold Wiedemann, 

4000 Stony Creek Lane 

College Station, TX 77845 

979.690.8685, (c) 979.255.1375 

h.wiedemann@verizon.net 

Project Description: 

Prepare and publish an equipment catalog describing types and operations of equipment designed 

or adapted for rangeland vegetation manipulation, wildlife habitat improvement, and disturbed 

land rehabilitation. Categories will include all types of implements used in brush and weed 

control, site preparation, seeding and planting, seed collection and processing, and related 

equipment such as tractors, all-terrain vehicles, global positioning systems, trailers, and 

miscellaneous items. Photographs, special features, and suppliers (including website addresses 

and other contact information) will be listed for each type of equipment. The final product will 

be a web-based publication allowing for updates and new advances in technology. It will likely 

be used throughout the United States and internationally. 

Project Status: 

The Revegetation Equipment Catalog text was completed and placed on the World Wide Web. 

It was officially announced at the Rangeland Technology and Equipment Council (RTEC) 

meeting during the Society for Range Management Annual Meeting in Ft. Worth, Texas in 

February 2005. The catalog has been publicized at numerous range ecology, management, and 

conservation meetings throughout the western states and Texas. 

Our publicity and listing in the Google search engine has resulted in significant use of the 

catalog. Tracking software has logged 41,717 visitors with 83% coming from the United States 

and Canada and 17% from international sources. Top states were California, Virginia, and 

Texas. Top regions were North America, Europe, and Australia. There were 16 different 

geographical regions recorded worldwide. Different domain entities are also listed. Hits on 

images probably indicate the use of photos for classroom power point presentations. Graphs 

listing the data are attached. 

The catalog is being used in restoration classes at Brigham Young and Oregon State Universities. 

A restoration class taught at the BLM National Training Center in Phoenix has utilized the 

catalog. Information about equipment and its use has been included in handbooks by the Florida 

NRCS and Colorado Game Department. Rangeland West http://rangelandswest.org, the BLM 

Great Basin Restoration Initiative http://www.fire.blm.gov/gbri/links.html, and the Society for 

Range management http://www.rangelands.org/links_ plant_resources.html have a link to the 

catalog’s website. Additionally, several requests for special information have been received 

from ranchers and government field personnel. 

79
There have been a few minor corrections (<10) that were easily changed. This demonstrates the 

advantages of the book being published on the web and the author’s proximity to the Biological 

& Agricultural Engineering Department at Texas A&M University who are currently hosting the 

website. 

Graphs: 

 Overview Dashboard 

Visit Summary 

Visits 41,717

Average per Day 114

Average Visit Length 00:06:22

Median Visit Length 00:01:58

International Visits 17.21%

Visits of Unknown Origin 0.00%

Visits from Your Country: United States (US) 82.79%

 Top States and Provinces

Top States and Provinces 

States and Provinces Visits %

 1. California 5,611 23.13%

 2. Virginia 4,972 20.50%

 3. Texas 1,674 6.90%

 4. Colorado 928 3.83%

 5. Georgia 768 3.17%

 6. Massachusetts 543 2.24%

 7. New Jersey 521 2.15%

 8. Ontario 502 2.07%

80
Top States and Provinces 

States and Provinces Visits %

 9. Illinois 487 2.01%

 10. Florida 454 1.87%

 11. Pennsylvania 440 1.81%

 12. Washington 427 1.76%

 13. New York 422 1.74%

 14. Missouri 406 1.67%

 15. D.C. 341 1.41%

 16. Minnesota 326 1.34%

 17. Michigan 312 1.29%

 18. Ohio 296 1.22%

 19. Wisconsin 286 1.18%

 20. Alberta 283 1.17%

Subtotal 19,999 82.44%

Other 4,260 17.56%

Total 24,259 100.00%

 Top Regions

Top Regions 

Geographic Regions Visits %

 1. North America 36,120 86.58%

 2. Western Europe 2,493 5.98%

 3. Australia 714 1.71%

 4. Asia 512 1.23%

 5. Middle East 391 0.94%

 6. South America 361 0.87%

 7. Northern Europe 333 0.80%

 8. Eastern Europe 326 0.78%

 9. Southern Africa 205 0.49%

 10. Pacific Islands 86 0.21%

 11. Caribbean Islands 58 0.14%

 12. Western Africa 47 0.11%

 13. Northern Africa 46 0.11%

 14. Eastern Africa 14 0.03%

 15. Central America 10 0.02%

 16. Central Africa 1 0.00%

Total 41,717 100.00%

81
 Top-Level Domain Types 

Top-Level Domain Types 

Top-Level Domain 

Types

Visits % Hits

 1. Commercial 21,702 64.80% 109,079

 2. Network 10,207 30.48% 154,386

 3. Education 790 2.36% 14,334

 4. Government 345 1.03% 7,724

 5. Military 281 0.84% 3,289

 6. Organization 151 0.45% 2,642

 7. ARPANET 14 0.04% 172

Total 33,490 100.00% 291,626

Publications: 

Wiedemann, H.T. 2005. Revegetation Equipment Catalog, 14 chapters. College Station, TX. 

Online: http://reveg-catalog.tamu.edu. 

Presentations: 

Wiedemann, H.T. 2004. Revegetation Equipment Catalog preparation. Abstracts of the 57th

Annual Meeting of the Society for Range Management. Abstract 394. Salt Lake City, UT. 

Wiedemann, H.T. 2005. Revegetation Equipment Catalog Progress. Abstracts of the 58th

Annual Meeting of the Society for Range Management. Abstract 374. Ft. Worth, TX. 

Wiedemann, H.T. 2005. Revegetation Equipment Catalog. Texas Section of the Society for 

Range Management, South Padre Island, TX. (poster presentation and website demonstration) 

Wiedemann, H.T. 2005. Revegetation Equipment Catalog. Texas Section of the American 

Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, Grapevine, TX. (poster presentation and 

website demonstration) 

82
Project Title: VegSpec Seeding Guide 

Project Location: USGS, Corvallis, Oregon 

Principal Investigators and Contact Information:

David A. Pyke, USGS 

Forest & Rangeland Ecosystem Science Center 

3200 SW Jefferson Way,Corvallis, OR 97331 

541-750-7334 

 david_a_pyke@usgs.gov 

Cooperators: BLM, NRCS, and US Army Corp of Engineers 

Project Description: 

VegSpec is a web-based decision support application that assists land managers in the planning 

and design of vegetative establishment practices. VegSpec utilizes soil, plant, and climate data to 

select plant species that are (1) site-specifically adapted and (2) suitable for the selected purposes 

and objectives for which the planting is intended. Incorporating a horticultural database of over 

2500 plants and specific climate and soils information, the VegSpec application has the ability to 

determine site-specific adaptability of plant species. VegSpec helps revegetation projects 

succeed by reducing costs and improving plant selection for the site and objectives desired. 

VegSpec contributors include the National Resources Conservation Service, US Army Corps of 

Engineers, USGS, and BLM. The web address for VegSpec is 

http://vegspec.nrcs.usda.gov/vegSpec/index.jsp . 

Plants that are selected by VegSpec for a particular project should be reviewed by persons who 

are knowledgeable about the use of plants for revegetation and additional information about 

plants proposed by VegSpec should be sought. VegSpec does not include horticultural or 

gardening plants. VegSpec contains limited data on cultivar and germplasm releases. 

Project Status: 

Modifications to VegSpec are needed to expand the scope of Great Basin species in the database, 

especially the native forbs being developed for release in the Great Basin Native Plant Selection 

and Increase Project (GBNPSIP). Other modifications proposed for VegSpec and funded via 

GBNPSIP includes modification of seeding rate calculations, inclusion of a species selection list 

based upon ecological site information, a spatial component of the database to plan large scale 

seedings, improving usability by revising portions of the format, adding latitude/longitude 

capabilities for identifying seeding areas and adding new practices to the suite of practices 

already in the model.

Products: 

Products include the modifications to the model described in the Project Status section. These 

modifications will be made on a priority basis and as additional funding becomes available. 

Priorities to be accomplished with the FY06 GBNPSIP funds are focused on the seeding rate 

calculations, addition of new practices, adding priority Great Basin species to the database, and 

enhancing ease of use of the website.

Publications: 

Publications will include a new manual for the use of the VegSpec website.

83
Project Title: Manipulations to Sustain Seed Yield in Wild Shrub 

Stands

Project Location: Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 

Principal Investigators and Contact Information: 

Val Jo Anderson, 

 Department of Integrative Biology 

Brigham Young University, 401 WIDB 

Provo, UT 84602 

801.422.3527, Fax 801.422.0090 

val_anderson@byu.edu 

Robert Johnson, 

Department of Integrative Biology 

Brigham Young University 

Provo, UT 84602 

801.422.3311, Fax 801.422.0090 

robert_johnson@byu.edu 

Bruce Roundy 

Department of Integrative Biology 

Brigham Young University, 401 WIDB 

Provo, UT 84602 

801.422.8137, Fax 801.422.0090 

bruce_roundy@byu.edu 

Project Description: 

Seed from wild collected shrubs is the primary source for shrub seed for reclamation in the Great 

Basin. Management of good quality shrub stands for sustainable and/or increased seed harvest 

can be an option equally viable to or preferable to agricultural production. This project 

investigates imposing common agricultural practices used to promote shrub seed production but 

in wildland settings. Bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata) and Wyoming big sagebrush (Artemisia 

tridentata wyomingensis) were selected as test subjects. Treatments included fertilizer 

application, pruning, and competition reduction in all combinations compared against a control 

group. Treatments were carried out at three sites in Utah, Nevada, and Idaho. The effect of 

annual seed harvest from shrubs at the same sites is also being investigated. A comparison of 

beating vs. hand harvesting will be made to measure the long-term effect of repetitive harvests 

on seed production and seed bank maintenance. 

Project Status: 

Treatments were implemented at all sites in fall 2004 and winter 2005. Harvest of seed from 

bitterbrush occurred in spring 2005. Harvest of seed from Wyoming big sagebrush during the fall 

of 2005 was challenging due to premature seed shatter and treatment effects on seed ripening. To 

offset missed seed harvesting, treatment effects on shrub leader growth and inflorescence length 

and biomass was sampled and will be used to correlate seed production. We revised our future 

84
seed collecting plans to ensure capturing seed production by bagging a subsample of branches on 

shrubs well in advance of seed ripening. We can then collect the seed after shattering without 

any loss. 

85
Project Title: The Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies 

 Cooperative Native Seed Increase Program 

Project Location: Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington 

Principal Investigators and Contact Information: 

Ann DeBolt, Botanist, USDA-FS-RMRS 

322 East Front Street, Suite 401, Boise, ID 83702 

208.373.4366, Fax 208.373.4391 

adebolt@fs.fed.us 

Chet Boruff, Chief Executive Officer 

Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) 

1601 52nd Avenue, Suite 1, Moline, IL 61265 

309.736.0120, Fax 309.736.0115 

cboruff@aosca.org 

Project Description: 

In May 2003, the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (AOSCA) executive vice 

president invited the Great Basin Native Plant Selection and Increase Project to submit a 

proposal to work through their national organization towards the development of a multi-state 

approach for increasing native forb seed supplies for Great Basin restoration. The program 

involves distribution of wildland collected seed to growers via the Foundation Seed Programs of 

states producing seed for the Great Basin (Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and 

surrounding areas). Initially the emphasis was on species not included on the principal research 

list but on other forb species of interest to BLM districts in the Great Basin. However, in 2005, 

principal research species were included on the list of offerings to bolster efforts to “jump-start” 

their increased availability as well. To implement this program, RMRS and AOSCA drafted and 

signed an agreement in 2003. Recently expired, this agreement is currently being revised to 

continue this program’s efforts for at least another 3 years. 

Project Status: 

As of February 2006, sixteen seed lots have been distributed representing 12 species (11 forbs, 1 

grass) (Table 1). The first seed lots were distributed in March of 2004. No seed has yet been 

purchased by state Foundation Seed Programs, though at least two lots could be produced in 

2006. Several additional non-dormant seed lots will be distributed in spring 2006. Seed is 

cleaned, tested and source-identified prior to distribution to state Foundation Seed Program 

managers and growers. 

• Seed lots distributed in 2005 - 

o LomDis56-BSE-05 (fernleaf biscuitroot, Lomatium dissectum) (350 g) – Idaho 

grower (contract: ID Foundation Seed) 

o LomDis18-BSE-03 (454 g) – Idaho grower (contract: WA Foundation Seed) 

o PenSpe43-BSE-05 (95 g) (royal penstemon, Penstemon speciosus) – Idaho 

grower (contract: WA Foundation Seed) 

86
• Several non-dormant 2005 Asteraceae lots will be distributed for spring 2006 sowing: 

o Douglas’ dustymaiden (Chaenactis douglasii) 

o Hoary tansyaster (Machaeranthera canescens)

o Shaggy fleabane (Erigeron pumilus) 

• Several additional large seed lots are available for fall 2006 sowing; a table listing these 

was provided to the states in October 2005.

• Seed that may be purchased by Foundation Seed Programs in 2006: 

o Blue penstemon (Penstemon cyaneus)

o Fernleaf biscuitroot (Lomatium dissectum) 

• In 2006, we will be working towards consistency of grower contracts with participating 

state Foundation Seed Programs. 

Brochures

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. 2005. Cooperative Native Seed Increase 

Program. Boise, ID: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research 

Station. Tri-fold brochure, revised (November 2005). 

Meetings and Field Tours - Planning and Participation 

DeBolt: Attended Western Regional AOSCA Annual Meeting; Las Cruces, NM (March 2005). 

DeBolt: Gave overview presentation on GBNPSIP and the Cooperative Native Seed Increase 

Program and led a tour of native forb study and production fields as part of the Oregon State 

University, Malheur Experiment Station, Annual Field Day, Ontario, OR (July 2005). 

87
Table 1. Cooperative Native Seed Increase Program accessions distributed to growers March 2004 - February 2006. 

Program Manager Distrib

Name & State Scientific Name Common Name Lot Number Seed Origin Weight (g) Da

Kathy Stewart-Williams (ID) Achnatherum thurberianum Thurber needlegrass ACHTHU2-BSE-03 NV 13.6 Aug-0

Eriogonum umbellatum Sulfur buckwheat ERUM U9-03 NV 99.0 Aug-0Penstemon speciosus Sagebrush penstemon PENSPE9A-BSE-03 OR 212.0 Aug-0Lomatium dissectum Fernleaf biscuitroot LOMDIS56-BSE-05 ID 350.0 Dec-05 

 Gary Cross (NV) Cleome lutea Yellow beeplant CLLU U1-01 NV 300.0 Aug-0

Eriogonum ovalifolium Oval-leaf buckwheat EROV U9-02 NV 10.0 Aug-0

Stanford Young (UT) Balsamorhiza sagittata Arrowleaf balsamroot BASA U32-02 NV 735.0 Mar-0

Crepis acuminata Tapertip hawksbeard CRAC U10-01 NV 110.0 Mar-0Eriogonum heracleoides Wyeth buckwheat ERIHER1-BSE-03 ID 43.0 Mar-0Lomatium dissectum Fernleaf biscuitroot LOMDIS18-BSE-03 ID 488.0 Mar-0Lomatium dissectum Fernleaf biscuitroot LODI 11-B7-03 OR 91.0 Mar-0Penstemon speciosus Sagebrush penstemon PENSPE1-BSE-03 ID 92.0 Mar-0

Lee Schweitzer (OR) Balsamorhiza sagittata Arrowleaf balsamroot BALSAG55-BSE-04 OR 390.0 Sep-04 

Sphaeralcea munroana Munro globemallow SPHMUN3-BSE-04 OR 45.2 Sep-04 

Jerry Robinson (WA) Penstemon cyaneus Royal penstemon PECY1-B6-02 ID 300.0 Oct-04 

Penstemon speciosus Sagebrush penstemon PENSPE43-BSE-06 ID 95.0 Jan-06 Lomatium dissectum Fernleaf biscuitroot LOMDIS18-BSE-03 ID 454.0 Dec-05 
Project Title: Establishment and Maintenance of the Buy-Back 

Program for Certified Seed

Project Location: Utah Crop Improvement Association, Utah State University

Principle Investigators and Contact Information: 

Stanford Young, Utah Crop Improvement Association 

Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-4855 

phone: 435.797.2082, Fax: 435.797.3376 

sayoung@mendel.usu.edu 

 Michael Bouck, Utah Crop Improvement Association 

Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-4855 

phone: 435.797.2101, Fax: 435.797.3376 

michaelb@mendel.usu.edu 

Project Description: 

This project is funded through a Memorandum of Understanding between the USFS-RMRS in 

Boise and the Utah Crop Improvement Association (UCIA), initiated in the fall of 2003 and 

renewed with additional funds in the fall of 2004. Seed was distributed using the Buy-back 

option, a mechanism for obtaining a portion of the seed increased by private growers back to the 

UCIA for redistribution to the original and additional seed growers for further seed increase. 

Project Status: 

A synopsis of the Buy-back Program follows (dated January 31, 2006). Table 1 lists forb and 

grass seed acquisitions, distributions, inventory, field status, and whether seed has been 

harvested for species germplasms included in the UCIA Stock Seed Buy-back Program from 

2002-2005. It is expected that in 2006 several additional forbs and grasses will be included in 

the program. Table 2 lists the standardized market price for contract negotiations. 

Project Synopsis: Great Basin Native Plant Selection and Increase Project (GBNPSIP) and 

Utah Crop Improvement Association (UCIA) Stock Seed Buy-back Program, January 31, 

2006. This program encourages and allows seed growers to benefit economically in a timely 

manner as an incentive to participate in the UCIA Stock Seed Buy-back Program. The program 

helps accelerate the increase in stock seed supplies and ultimately increase seed supplies on the 

open market for commercial revegetation use. 

The purpose of the UCIA Stock Seed Buy-back Program, funded through the GBNPSIP, is: 1) to 

facilitate development of a seed market for specific germplasm accessions and formal germplasm 

releases developed through GBNPSIP; these include all germplasms prior to 2003 and certain 

others assigned through 2005 (see Table 1); 2) to reward initial seed growers financially for the 

risks they have assumed to participate in the program; 3) to document germplasm identity 

through the seed increase process by utilizing seed certification protocols; and 4) to increase 

stock seed available for potential secondary seed growers. This program is administered through 

the Utah Crop Improvement Association. 

89
The mechanisms for purchasing stock seed from growers and redistributing it for further increase 

are as follows: 

1. UCIA offers for free or for sale (depending on seed generation and availability) stock 

seed to seed growers. 

2. After harvest of the first seed production year, the grower will be required to return to the 

UCIA (for inventory reserve) up to twice the original amount of stock seed he/she 

received. More may be returned if mutually negotiated. The grower will be compensated 

125% of the standardized market price (SMP, see Table 2) for all seed returned to UCIA. 

SMP will be updated as needed. 

3. UCIA may negotiate to buy all or part of the seed from any subsequent years of seed 

production back from seed grower at 125% SMP. 

4. UCIA offers the grower the option to immediately buy back the seed sold to the UCIA 

(except for the inventory reserve) at 100% SMP. The grower thus realizes an immediate 

25% premium incentive to expand plantings and remain in the program. This seed must 

be planted for seed production and entered into the local seed certification program either 

by original seed grower or another seed grower recruited by the original seed grower. If 

this seed is instead sold commercially, the UCIA reserves the right to recover the 25% 

premium paid for the seed. 

5. All seed offered to the UCIA, bought, or sold shall be certified or certified eligible. 

6. UCIA agrees to pay for shipping and seed analysis costs. Seed purchasing, shipping, and 

seed analysis costs are to be reimbursed to the UCIA through GBNPSIP program funds. 

7. If seed is unconditioned when purchased by the UCIA, the seed grower may be charged 

for conditioning costs, or in certain circumstances these costs may be paid by the UCIA 

and reimbursed by GBNPSIP. 

Notes: 

1. Seed quantity and quality (lbs PLS) of original stock seed provided to the seed grower 

will be determined on a case by case basis in order to determine the amount of seed that 

must be returned to the UCIA from the first harvestable crop by the seed grower. 

 2. When the original seed grower sells to the UCIA and/or buys back seed (as in points 3 

and 4 above) the amount of seed (lbs PLS) will typically be verified through the 

applicable state seed certification agency. Some instances may require special 

negotiation. 

Publications and Presentations: 

Young, S.; DeBolt, A.; Lowry, G.H. 2005. Native plant source-identified stock seed increase. In: 

Abstracts: Society for Range Management 58th Annual Meeting. Fort Worth, TX. Abstract 386. 

Young, S.A. “Calculating the Deductible for Seed Assurance.” American Seed Trade 

Association Environmental and Conservation Seed Committee Meeting, Nov. 6, 2005, Kansas 

City, MO. PowerPoint Presentation. 

Jones, T.A. and S.A. Young. 2005. Native Seeds in Commerce: More Frequently Asked 

Questions. Native Plants Journal, Vol. 6, No. 3, p. 286-293. 

90
Young, S.A. “Diversifying Seed Crops for Conservation Efforts and Vegetation Management.” 

1st Annual Flaming Gorge Business Development Conference, April 7, 2005, Manila, UT. 

PowerPoint Presentation and Discussion. 

Young, S.A. “The UCIA Program and Opportunities for New Seed Growers.” Great Salt Lake 

RC&D Coordinator Meeting, Aug. 2, 2005, Provo, UT. PowerPoint Presentation and 

Discussion. 

91
Table 1. 2005 Update. Utah Crop Improvement Association (UCIA) forb and grass seed aquisition, distribution, inventory, and field planting status for species germplasms included in the Great Basin Native Plant Selection and Increase Project, UCIA Stock Seed Buyback Program

Kind & Variety / Germplasm Lot/ Source 

Seed acquisiton 

and production 

status 

Generation Added to Inventory Date Distributed from Inventory Date Inventory 12/31/2005 State distributed to 

FORBS & SHRUBS bulk bulk bulk Achillea millefolium Western Yarrow Germplasm (Eagle Mountain) NSW4-1-EMY1-1 *3 G2 6.5 9/23/04 6.5 9/14/05 0 WA WY 

NWS-1-YAR-FDN *3 G2 13 9/20/05 0 13 

Balsamoriza hookeri BAHO B1-02 *1*2 G0 271g 

Fall 

2002 271g 

Fall 

2002 0.0 CO ID 

Hooker Balsamroot Crepis acuminata CRAC U11-02 *2 G0 50g 

Fall 

2002 50g 

Fall 

2002 0.0 ID 

Taperstip hawksbeard Lomatium dissectium LODI B7-02 *2 G0 39g 

Fall 

2002 39g 

Fall 

2002 0.0 ID 

Giant Lomatium LODI B14-02 *2 G0 96g 

Fall 

2002 96g 

Fall 

2002 0.0 NV 

LODI PS-04 *3 G1 60g 11/30/04 0 60g *4 

Lomatium triternatum LOTRT B2-02 *2 G0 446g 

Fall 

2002 446g 

Fall 

2002 0.0 ID OR 

Ternate lomatium Penstemon acuminatus PEAC2 B4-02 *1*2 G0 102g 

Fall 

2002 102g 

Fall 

2002 0.0 ID 

Sharpleaf Penstemon PEAC2 B1-01 *2 G0 37g 

Fall 

2002 37g 

Fall 

2002 0.0 NV 

Penstemon cyaneus PECY2 B6-02 *2 G0 968g 

Fall 

2002 968g 

Fall 

2002 0.0 ID CO 

Blue Penstemon PPI-04-1 *1*3 G1 3 lbs 1/6/05 3 9/16/05 0.0 ID 

2004.0448 *1*3 G1 16 2/2/05 16 2/2/05 0.0 CO 

Penstemon deustus PEDE B11-02 *1*2 G0 150g 

Fall 

2002 150g 

Fall 

2002 0.0 ID 

Hotrock Penstemon PEDE B10-02 *1*2 G0 123g 

Fall 

2002 123g 

Fall 

2002 0.0 OR 
Table 1 cont. 2005 Update. Utah Crop Improvement Association (UCIA) Forb and grass seed aquisition, distribution,inventory, and field planting status for species germplasms included in the Great Basin Native Plant Selection and Increase Project, UCIA Stock Seed Buyback Program 

Kind & Variety / Germplasm Lot/ Source 

Seed acquistion 

and production 

status 

Generation Added to Inventory Date Distributed from Inventory Date Inventory 12/31/2005 State distributed to 

bulk bulk bulk 

Penstemon pachyphyllus PEPA2 U6-99 *1*2 G0 1020g 

Fall 

2002 1020g 

Fall 

2002 0.0 ID OR NV 

Thickleaf Penstemon PEPA PS-04 *3 G1 345g 11/30/04 0 345g *4 

A5-4-P1 *3 G1 50lbs 6/7/05 7 

Fall 

2005 43.0 UT ID 

Sphlaeralcea parvifolia SPGR U19-02 *2 G0 150g 

Fall 

2002 150g 

Fall 

2002 0.0 OR 

Small Flower Globemallow SPGR U13-01 *2 G0 150g 

Fall 

2002 150g 

Fall 

2002 0.0 OR 

SPPA U14-02 *1*2 G0 150g 

Fall 

2002 150g 

Fall 

2002 0.0 CO 

S04-2-4 *3 G1 1.44lbs 8/19/04 0 1.44lbs SPGR PS-04 *3 G1 130g 11/30/04 0 130g *4 

Tragopogon dubius TRDU U2-02 *2 G0 5.44lbs 

Fall 

2002 5.44lbs 

Fall 

2002 0.0 ID CO 

Yellow Salsify TRDU DW-04 *3 G1 201g 9/15/04 0 201g 

subtotal 105.2lbs 46.8lbs 59lbs 

GRASS Bluebunch Wheatgrass P7 Germplasm BB-3207, UCIA 84 *2 G4 450.0 10/15/03 0.00 450.0 Anatone Germplasm JA-03, UCIA 44 *3 G2 300.0 3/4/04 300.0 3/17/04 0.0 WA Indian Ricegrass Star lake Germplasm GV LOW, ARS 14 *1*2 G2 5.0 3/15/04 5.0 4/14/04 0.0 WA 

GV MED *2 G2 4.0 10/19/04 0.0 4.0 

Sandberg Bluegrass Mountain Home Germplasm 557-215-31A *3 G2 304.0 8/20/03 254.2 9/15/03 54.9 UT ID WA Mountain Home Germplasm 557-215-31A *3 G2 0.0 54.9 9/15/05 0.0 ID WA WY Squirreltail (Bottlebrush) Sand Hollow Germplasm SH RI-98 *2 G2 25.4 11/15/02 0.0 25.4 
Table 1 cont. 2005 Update. Utah Crop Improvement Association (UCIA) Forb and grass seed aquisition, distribution, inventory, and field 

planting status for species germplasms included in the Great Basin Native Plant Selection and Increase Project, UCIA Stock Seed Buyback Program

Kind & Variety / Germplasm Lot/ Source 

Seed acquistion 

and production 

status 

Generation Added to Inventory Date Distributed from Inventory Date Inventory 12/31/2005 State distributed to 

bulk bulk bulk 

Toe Jam Creek Germplasm LHS1B2J-336 *3 G4 127.5 9/19/05 127.5 9/19/05 0.0 WA 

LHS1B2G-335 *3 G4 41.0 11/12/04 41.0 9/19/05 0.0 WA 

Fish Creek Germplasm LHS1B2K-336 *3 G3 113.5 9/14/05 113.5 9/14/05 0.0 WA 

LHS1B2H-335 *3 G3 47.0 10/28/04 47.0 9/19/05 0.0 WA WY 

subtotal 1417.4 943.1 534.3 

Total 1522.6 989.9 593.3 

*1 Currently under Stock Seed Increase contract with grower/cooperators *2 Seed aquired at no charge from GBRI Cooperators *3 Cost of seed reimbursed to UCIA through USFS joint venture buy-back program agreement. *4 Seed not certified, can be used for demonstration plots 
Table 2. Standardized Market Price for Contract Negotiation, Great Basin Native Plant Selection and 

Increase Project-Utah Crop Improvement Association Buy-back Program. 

2005 

Suggested 

Scientific Name Common Name 

Market 

Price 

Forbs 

Achillea millefolium Western yarrow Eagle Accession $5.00 

Balsamorhiza hookeri Hooker’s balsamroot Ada Idaho Accession $40.00 

Balsamorhiza sagittata Arrowleaf balsamroot USFS Accession $35.00 

Crepis acuminata Taper-tip hawksbeard Humboldt Nevada Accession $140.00 

Lomatium dissectum 

Giant lomatium (parsley or 

biscuitroot) Various USFS Accessions $40.00 

Lomatium triternatum Nineleaf lomatium Camas Idaho Accession $40.00 

Penstemon acuminatus Sharpleaf penstemon Elmore Idaho Accession $40.00 Penstemon cyananthus Wasatch penstemon $40.00 

Penstemon cyaneus Blue penstemon Lincoln Idaho Accession $40.00 

Penstemon deustus Hot-rock penstemon Adams Idaho Accession $40.00 

Penstemon pachyphyllus Thickleaf penstemon Beaver Utah Accession $40.00 

Penstemon palmeri Palmer penstemon Cedar $25.00 

Sphaeralcea munroana Munro globemallow $60.00 

Sphaeralcea 

grossulariifolia Gooseberry-leaved globemallow $60.00 

Sphaeralcea parviflora Small-flower globemallow San Juan Utah Accession $60.00 

Tragopogon dubius Yellow salsify Box Elder Utah Accession $30.00 

Grasses 

Achnatherum 

thurberianum Thurber needlegrass Orchard Idaho Accession $40.00 

Elymus elymoides Bottlebrush squirreltail Fish Creek Germplasm $25.00 Elymus elymoides Bottlebrush squirreltail Toe Jam Creek Germplasm $25.00 

Poa secunda Sandberg bluegrass Mountain Home Accession $12.00 
Appendix 1. Great Basin Native Plant Selection and Increase Project: Status of Research Species. 

Great Basin Project Research 

Family Species Common Name 

Selection, seed 

increase, seed 

transfer 

guidelines1

Shrub transfer 

guidelines 

Genetic variability 

Pollinators and 

predators 

Cultural practices 

Seed germination, 

testing 

AGCR 

diversification 

 Apiaceae Lomatium dissectum 

Fernleaf biscuitroot 

SSL-B, 

Aberdeen SSL-P 

BBSL, 

CSU 

SSL-B, 

OSU 

SSL-B, 

NSL 

L. grayi Gray's biscuitroot 

SSL-B, 

Aberdeen SSL-P 

SSL-B, 

OSU 

SSL-B, 

NSL 

L. triternatum

Nineleaf biscuitroot 

SSL-B, 

Aberdeen 

SSL-B, 

OSU 

SSL-B, 

NSL 

Perideridia bolanderi Yampah UDWR UDWR 

UDWR, 

NSL 

Asteraceae Achillea millefolium Western yarrow Agoseris glauca Pale agoseris SSL-P 

SSL-P, 

BYU SSL-P 

Artemisia arbuscula Low sagebrush SSL-P A. argillosa 

Coaltown sagebrush SSL-P 

A. bigelovii 

Bigelow sagebrush SSL-P 

A. cana Silver sagebrush SSL-P A. longiloba Alkali sagebrush SSL-P A. nova Black sagebrush SSL-P A. pygmaea 

Pygmy sagebrush SSL-P 

A. rigida Stiff sagebrush SSL-P A. rothrockii 

Timberline sagebrush SSL-P 

A.tridentata tridentata 

Basin big sagebrush SSL-P 

A. tridentata vaseyana 

Mountain big sagebrush SSL-P 
Appendix 1. Great Basin Native Plant Selection and Increase Project: Status of Research Species. 

Great Basin Project Research 

Family Species Common Name 

Selection, seed 

increase, seed 

transfer 

guidelines1

Shrub transfer 

guidelines 

Genetic variability 

Pollinators and 

predators 

Cultural practices 

Seed germination, 

testing 

AGCR 

diversification 

A. tridentata wyomingensis 

Wyoming big sagebrush SSL-P 

S

A. tripartita 

Three-tip sagebrush SSL-P 

Balsamorhiza hookeri 

Hooker balsamroot NSL 

B. sagittata

Arrowleaf balsamroot UDWR SSL-P 

BBSL, 

CSU UDWR 

UDWR, 

NSL 

Chaenactis douglasii 

Douglas falseyarrow NSL 

Chrysothamnus nauseosus Gray rabbitbrush SSL-P Crepis acuminata 

Tapertip hawksbeard UDWR SSL-P 

BBSL, 

CSU 

UDWR,

BYU 

 UDWR

NSL 

C. occidentalis 

Western hawksbeard SSL-P NSL 

Erigeron pumilus Shaggy fleabane SSL-P UDWR NSL Machaeranthera canescens Hoary aster NSL Viguiera multiflora Showy goldeneye SSL-P Capparidaceae Cleome lutea 

Yellow spiderflower BBSL 

C. serrulata 

Rocky Mountain beeplant BBSL 

Chenopodiaceae Atriplex canescens 

Four-wing saltbush Aberdeen SSL-P 

A. confertifolia Shadscale SSL-P A. torreyi Torrey's saltbush SSL-P 
Appendix 1. Great Basin Native Plant Selection and Increase Project: Status of Research Species. 

Great Basin Project Research 

Family Species Common Name 

Selection, seed 

increase, seed 

transfer 

guidelines1

Shrub transfer 

guidelines 

Genetic variability 

Pollinators and 

predators 

Cultural practices 

Seed germination, 

testing 

AGCR 

diversification 

Krascheninnikovia lanata Winterfat Aberdeen SSL-P Fabaceae 

Hermit milkvetch SSL-B NSL 

A. filipes (A. stenophyllus) 

Threadstalk milkvetch FRRL FRRL 

BBSL, 

CSU FRRL NSL 

A. utahensis Utah milkvetch SSL-P SSL-P 

SSL-P, 

BYU SSL-P 

Dalea ornata Prairie clover FRRL FRRL 

BBSL, 

CSU 

Hedysarum boreale 

Boreal sweetvetch FRRL 

FRRL, SSL-P 

BBSL, 

CSU UDWR 

H. occidentale 

Western sweetvetch FRRL FRRL UDWR UDWR 

Lathyrus brachycalyx Sweetpea SSL-P Lupinus argenteus Silvery lupine SSL-P SSL-P 

BBSL, 

CSU SSL-P SSL-P 

L. sericeus Silky lupine SSL-P SSL-P 

SSL-P, 

BYU SSL-P 

Vicia americana American vetch SSL-P Liliaceae Allium acuminatum Tapertip onion Pullman Pullman Calochortus macrocarpus 

Green-banded star tulip 

C. nuttallii Sego lily C. gunnisonii 

Gunnison's mariposa lily 

Linaceae Linum lewisii lewisii Blue flax Aberdeen SSL-P 
Appendix 1. Great Basin Native Plant Selection and Increase Project: Status of Research Species. 

Great Basin Project Research 

Family Species Common Name 

Selection, seed 

increase, seed 

transfer 

guidelines1

Shrub transfer 

guidelines 

Genetic variability 

Pollinators and 

predators 

Cultural practices 

Seed germination, 

testing 

AGCR 

diversification 

L. perenne Blue flax SSL-P Malvaceae Sphaeralcea spp. Globemallow S. coccinea 

Scarlet globemallow UDWR 

UDWR,

BYU UDWR 

S. grossulariifolia 

Gooseberryleaf globemallow UDWR 

SSL-P, 

FRRL 

UDWR,

BYU UDWR 

S. munroana 

Munro's globemallow FRRL FRRL 

S. parvifolia 

Small-flower globemallow 

Poaceae Achnatherum hymenoides Indian ricegrass FRRL 

SSL-P, 

FRRL 

A. thurberianum 

Thurber needlegrass SSL-B FRRL 

Agropyron cristatum 

Crested wheatgrass 

BYU, 

EOARC, 

NRCS, 

BLM2

Bromus carinatus California brome SSL-P B. marginatus Mountain brome SSL-P CSU Elymus elymoides Squirreltail grass FRRL FRRL E. elymoides brevifolia 

Bottlebrush squirreltail FRRL FRRL 

E. multisetus Big squirreltail FRRL FRRL E. wawawaiensis 

Snake River wheatgrass FRRL FRRL 

Hesperostipa comata 

Needle-and thread grass 

UDWR, 

SSL-P, 

SSL-P, 

FRRL 

UDWR, 

SSL-P 

UDWR, 

SSL-P 
Appendix 1. Great Basin Native Plant Selection and Increase Project: Status of Research Species. 

Great Basin Project Research 

Family Species Common Name 

n, seed 

eed 

er 

guidelines1

Selectio

increase, s

transf

Shrub transfer 

guidelines 

Genetic variability 

Pollinators and 

predators 

Cultural practices 

Seed germination, 

testing 

AGCR 

diversification 

FRRL 

Leymus cinereus Basin wildrye 

UDWR, 

FRRL FRRL CSU UDWR

L. triticoides Beardless wildrye FRRL FRRL Nassella viridula 

Green needlegrass 

Pascopyrum smithii 

Western wheatgrass FRRL FRRL 

Poa secunda 

Sandberg bluegrass FRRL FRRL 

Pseudoroegneria spicata 

Bluebunch wheatgrass 

UDWR, 

Aberdeen, 

FRRL FRRL 

Polemoniaceae P. longifolia Longleaf phlox SSL-P SSL-P 

SSL-P, 

BYU SSL-P 

Polygonaceae Eriogonum heracleoides Wyeth buckwheat E. ovalifolium 

Cushion buckwheat UDWR 

UDWR,

BYU 

UDWR, 

NSL 

E. umbellatum 

Sulfur-flower buckwheat 

SSL-B, 

Aberdeen SSL-P 

 BBSL, 

CSU SSL-B 

SSL-B, 

NSL 

Rosaceae Purshia tridentata Bitterbrush SSL-P SSL-P 

S

Scrophulariaceae Penstemon acuminatus 

Sharpleaf penstemon 

SSL-B, 

Aberdeen SSL-P CSU 

SSL-B, 

OSU 

SSL-B, 

NSL, 

OSU 
Appendix 1. Great Basin Native Plant Selection and Increase Project: Status of Research Species. 

Great Basin Project Research 

Family Species Common Name 

Selection, seed 

increase, seed 

transfer 

guidelines1

Shrub transfer 

guidelines 

Genetic variability 

Pollinators and 

predators 

Cultural practices 

Seed germination, 

testing 

AGCR 

diversification 

P. cyaneus Royal penstemon P. deustus 

Scabland penstemon 

SSL-B, 

Aberdeen SSL-P 

SSL-B, 

OSU 

SSL-B, 

NSL, 

OSU 

P. pachyphyllus 

Thickleaf penstemon 

P. palmeri 

Palmer penstemon SSL-P 

P. speciosus 

Sagebrush penstemon 

SSL-B, 

Aberdeen SSL-P 

BBSL, 

CSU 

SSL-B, 

OSU 

SSL-B, 

NSL, 

OSU 

Aberdeen = Natural Resources Conservation Service, Plant Materials Center, Aberdeen, ID (St. John, Ogle) AOSCA = Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies ,Cooperative Native Seed Increase Program BBSL = USDA-ARS Bee Biology and Systematics Laboratory (Cane) BYU = Brigham Young University (Anderson, Roundy, Johnson) CSU = Colorado State University, Cooperative Extension, Tri-River Area (Hammon) EOARC = USDA-ARS Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center (Mangold) FRRL = USDA-ARS Forage and Range Research Laboratory (Johnson, Jones, Larson, Monaco, Peel) NSL = National Seed Laboratory (Karrfalt, Vankus) OSU = Oregon State University, Malheur Experiment Station (Shock, Ransom) Pullman = ARS, Western Regional Plant Introduction Station, Pullman, WA (Johnson, Hellier) SSL-B = USDA-FS-RMRS Shrub Sciences Laboratory - Boise (Shaw, DeBolt)SSL-P = USDA-FS-RMRS Shrub Sciences Laboratory - Provo (McArthur, Jensen) UCIA = Utah Crop Improvement Association (Young) UDWR = Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (Meyer, Vernon) 
Appendix 1. Great Basin Native Plant Selection and Increase Project: Status of Research Species. 

Great Basin Project Research 

Family Species Common Name 

Selection, seed 

increase, seed 

transfer 

guidelines1

Shrub transfer 

guidelines 

Genetic variability 

Pollinators and 

predators 

Cultural practices 

Seed germination, 

testing 

AGCR 

diversification 

Notes:1. Seed zones - Atriplex, Artemisia, and Purshia were identified in the original Task Order (McArthur and Sanderson research). P

to seed transfer guidelines for the remaining species.