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ARS Home » Northeast Area » University Park, Pennsylvania » Pasture Systems & Watershed Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #161544
Title: SOIL SEEDBANK RICHNESS OF FOUR SEEDED PASTURE MIXES

Author
item Klement, Keith
item Sanderson, Matt
item Goslee, Sarah
item Soder, Kathy
item MULLER, LARRY - PENN STATE UNIV

Submitted to: Society for Range Management Meeting Proceedings
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/1/2003
Publication Date: 1/15/2004
Citation: Klement, K.D., Sanderson, M.A., Goslee, S.C., Soder, K.J., Muller, L. 2004. Soil seedbank richness of four seeded pasture mixes [abstract]. Society for Range Management Meeting Proceedings. CDROM.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Pastures containing a diverse mix of forage species may reduce recruitment of weedy species from seed banks. We quantified the soil seed bank composition from four seeded species mixtures to test this pattern. Treatments were: 2-species (orchardgrass, white clover); 3-species (orchardgrass, white clover, and chicory); 6-species (orchardgrass, chicory, Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, red clover, birdsfoot trefoil); 9-species (6 species mix plus white clover, perennial ryegrass and alfalfa). The four treatments were twice-replicated on 1-ha paddocks and seeded in fall of 2001. Soil cores taken from each of eight paddocks in April 2002, October 2002, and April 2003 were germinated in the greenhouse under ambient temperature and light conditions. Seedling richness was 38, 52, and 53 species from soil seed bank collections, respectively. Annual forbs dominated the seed bank (76%) with greatest abundance in the 2-species mix (8,848 +/-1,487 seed/m²) and least in the 3-species mix (3,524 +/-1487 seed/m²). Common chickweed, shepherd's-purse and yellow wood sorrel provided more than 70% of the annual forb composition. Of the nine species seeded, white clover contributed the most (401 +/-120 seed/m²) across treatments with the other eight species maintaining a lower abundance. While some species may be suppressed under forage systems, others maintain an abundance of viable seed in seed banks and will continue to persist in seeded pastures. Increasing the number of seeded species for forage may not necessarily reduce recruitment of undesirable species from seed bank without proper management.