PELLET SEEDING ON WESTERN RAXGELAXDS 23 



Results 



Counts were made on two areas in 1955 and 1961. Numbers of 

 : seedlings per square foot on a burned seedbed were as follows: 



Seedlings per square foot 

 Seeding method 1955 1961 



Airplane broadcast to pellets 0. 1 0. 02 



Drilled to nonpelleted seed 7.9 2.3 



Sand Area, Fort Hall, Idaho 



The Sand area is a large flat on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation at 

 an elevation of 4,450 feet. Annual precipitation is about 10 inches. 

 The soil is a loamy sand with considerable gravel. Vegetation was 

 formerly big sagebrush and perennial grass. Because of fires and 

 past use, the area now supports mainly cheatgrass but has a fair 

 stand of sand dropseed and some big sagebrush. 



Procedure 



The 2,537-acre seeding site was burned during the summer of 1954. 

 On November 16, coated pellets of crested wheatgrass were broadcast 

 hj airplane at rates of 1, 2%, or 6 pounds of seed per acre on 650 acres. 

 Nonpelleted seed was broadcast by airplane on 1,470 acres and drilled 

 on 417 acres, both at 6 pounds per acre. 



Results 



Some seedlings established themselves during the first season, 

 i especially on the drilled area. However, the fire did not kill the 

 1 cheatgrass and it was such severe competition that few seeded plants 

 ; survived the first summer. Plant counts during 1961 were as follows: 



Plants per 

 Seeding method (6 pounds per acre^ square foot 



Burned and drilled 0. 010 



Burned and broadcast nonpelleted seed . 003 



Burned and broadcast pellets . 003 



This seeding showed the need for covering seed and killing com- 

 i peting cheatgrass to obtain successful seeded stands. 



Buckskin Flat, Fort Hall, Idaho 



Buckskin Flat is a large, nearly level site 7 miles northeast oi Fort 



. Hall. Elevation is 4,700 feet. Annual precipitation is approximately 



11 inches. The soil is a sandy loam. Vegetation was formerly 



sagebrush and perennial grass but is now cheatgrass with scattered 



patches of big sagebrush, Douglas rabbitbrush. and some perennial 



