Chemical Fertilization of Fourwing Saltbush

Abstract

Fourwing saltbush is an important member of arid and semiarid rangeland communities, supplying high quality forage for herbivores as well as serving as an erosion deterrent. Methods of saltbush establishment, however, have met with only limited success. Results of a greenhouse study show that small additions of balanced fertilizer can greatly increase saltbush growth and hence likely increase the probability of saltbush establishment. The results appear to warrant further study in the form of field tests to evaluate the practicality of large scale fertilization of saltbush plantings.