Stand Establishment: The Role of Seedling Size and Winter Injury in Early Growth of Three Perennial Grass Species

Abstract

Winter damage and the subsequent number of viable leaves at the beginning of growth in spring were highly correlated with spring and fall seedling growth in crested wheatgrass, Russian wild ryegrass, and pubescent wheatgrass. As spring leaf numbers on individual plants increased from one to four, there was a corresponding increase in subsequent growth. As winter injury increased, seedling growth was reduced. These results suggest that late-summer seeding in the Northern Great Plains would hasten stand establishment and reduce the length of grazing deferment on newly seeded stands.