Stem and leaf rusting may be a problem on some sites. 1995 Thickspike wheatgrass is a strongly rhizomatous, perennial, sodforming grass found on rough, broken buttes and to a limited extent on sagebrush flats in native grasslands. It is suggested for use in seed mixtures of native grasses on adapted sites. Also used for revegetation of disturbed areas, roadsides and other critical areas that receive little or no maintenance. It has a high level of tolerance to saline-alkali soils and can withstand periodic flooding.
Stands are slow to develop from seed.
It is widely used in seed mixtures for rangeland seeding, revegetation of saline-alkali areas and in critical area plantings for erosion control. Rodan is similar to the variety Rosana in area of adaptation but is more productive on coarse-textured soils and areas of higher rainfall. Sensitive to overgrazing. It is best adapted to the light, droughty soils of western North Dakota.