Table 1 . - - Fairway wheatgrass plants per square foot and herbage yields from s eeding 



at rates of 1 to 40 pounds per acre, Eln::ore County 



Seeding rate : 



First year 

 seedlings 



Fourth year 

 plants ■ 



Mortality 



Tenth year 

 yields 



Lbs . /acre 





Number ------ 



Percent 



L±)S . /acre 



1 



0.7 



0.7 







690 



2 



1.9 



1.0 



47 



685 



4 



3.5 



1.0 



71 



705 



6 



5.0 



1.3 



74 



770 



8 



7.5 



1.4 



81 



8.00 



10 



9.5 



1.5 



84 



715 



20 



19.0 



1.9 



90 



520 



40 



37.5 



2.0 



95 



700 



It was difficult to count plants older than 4 years. 



Although plant numbers equalize over several years' time, low seeding rates have three 

 Inherent disadvantages: 



1. Stands require longer time to reach full productivity. 



2. A thin stand is more subject to invasion by undesirable species than a thick stand. 



3. Where original seedling density is low, plant distribution is irregular, robust and 

 relatively unpalatable plants tend to develop, and subsequent grazing is uneven. 



Recommended seeding rates for drilling (table 3) should be increased to compensate for 

 the nonviable and impure seed and for deficiencies in seeding techniques . A common practice 

 is to increase the rates shown by 50 percent for broadcast seeding. 



ROW SPACING 



Spacing of seeded rows normally ranges from 6 to 24 inches. Tests in Oneida, Clark, 

 and Elmore Counties showed no difference in ultimate herbage yield of stands seeded at any 

 row spacing up to 2 feet. As the rows are spaced farther apart, less seed is required, but 

 more years are required to attain full production. Close spacing helps to inhibit invasion by 

 undesirable plants during the early years after seeding. The wider the space between rows, 

 the coarser the plants, and with some species, the less palatable. 



The most suitable distance between drill rows on the drier Idaho rangelands is 10 to 12 

 inches. On moister sites, drill rows should be 6 to 8 inches apart. 



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