of sand accumulationo Based on the 1975 profiles, oceanside and 

 sound side dune slopes were most gentle in the American beachgrass 

 treatments; the sound side slope was steeper in the other treatments, 

 all of which included bitter panicum„ Dune side slopes were steepest 

 in the Hatteras beachgrass plus bitter panicum plus sea oats treatment, 



IV. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS 



Single culm transplants of bitter panicum can be planted in an 

 inland nursery, and with routine cultivation and fertilization, can 

 yield a supply of transplants for field planting at the end of the 

 first growing season„ A tenfold increase in number of culms was 

 obtained at the end of the first growing season at Clayton, with an 

 additional 2.5-fold increase by the end of the second growing season. 

 The plants should be separated into single culm transplants after 

 digging, dipped in a clay slurry, and packaged in reinforced paper to 

 prevent desiccation. About 2 man-hours are required to dig and process 

 1,000 transplants for field planting. This is about twice the time 

 required to process an equal amount of American beachgrass transplants. 



Bitter panicum has the potential to stabilize foredunes and inland 

 sandy areas. On the high sandy site at Duck, bitter panicum 

 contributed more toward stabilizing the site than American beachgrass 

 or sea oats. However, the American beachgrass planting stock may not 

 have been as vigorous as generally encountered. Although bitter panicum 

 can stabilize an area where relatively little sand is moving, such as 

 the Duck site, the species was more vigorous and spread more at the 

 foredune site at Drum Inlet where moderate amounts of sand were 

 accumulating. 



Production of new shoots by bitter panicum plants buried in a 15- 

 centimeter furrow was higher than transplants planted in the conventional 

 upright manner at Duck. However, most of the buried transplants at 

 Drum Inlet were covered by 45 centimeters of sand and unable to grow. 

 Transplants should be planted in the conventional manner in areas 

 accumulating sand, but may be buried in a furrow in nursery plantings 

 and in areas not accumulating much sand. Recent observations suggest 

 that a furrow planting technique which allows the tip end of the 

 transplant to protrude above the sand, may be as good as upright 

 planting, even in areas accumulating sand. 



On the foredune planting site at Drum Inlet, each of three 

 selections of American beachgrass accumulated over one-fifth as much 

 sand as bitter panicum in a 24-month period. Sand accumulations in 

 mixed species plantings of bitter panicum with American beachgrass 

 and sea oats over this period of time were more comparable with that 

 of American beachgrass alone. Both American beachgrass and sea oats 

 were more efficient sand trappers than bitter panicum. 



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