[PCA] ARTICLE: Preliminary greenhouse study to evaluate the effects of native soil amendment on seedling growth of early- and late-seral natives compared to cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), an exotic annual

[Park, Margaret E]

Mary Wolf and Derek Tilley, USDA-NRCS, Aberdeen Plant Materials Center, January 2022

Abstract or Summary:
Cheatgrass  (Bromus  tectorum), an exotic  early seral  annual, has  been shown to alter  soil  microbial communities  and nutrient  cycling, making restoration of  the  native  plant  community difficult. This greenhouse  study was  conducted to evaluate  the  effects  of  Biologically Enhanced Agricultural Management  (BEAM)  compost  on the  growth of  cheatgrass  and  six  native species  [annual  sunflower (Helianthus  annuus), curlycup gumweed (Grindelia squarrosa),  lobeleaf  groundsel  (Packera multilobata), sand dropseed (Sporobolus  cryptandrus), bluebunch wheatgrass  (Pseudoroegneria spicata)  and western wheatgrass  (Pascopyrum  smithii)]  in  a Kecko-Clems-Vining association fine sandy  loam  collected  from  a cheatgrass-dominated  site  near  American  Falls,  ID.  A  BEAM  compost pile  was  inoculated during construction with a  small  amount  of  soil  from  undisturbed native  plant communities, and the  finished compost  was  applied  as  a seed  treatment.  For  each  species,  treated seed was  compared with an untreated  control. After  12 weeks  of  growth, shoot  length, shoot  dry weight, and root  dry weight  were  measured. The  multilobed groundsel,  an  early  seral  native,  and western  wheatgrass,  a late seral  native,  showed growth responses  to BEAM  treatment. Treated multilobed groundsel  had significantly greater  mean  shoot  length (6.8 cm)  than the  untreated control (5.8  cm).  The  mean shoot  length of  treated western  wheatgrass  plants  was  significantly  less  than  that of  untreated plants, 55.8 cm  and 61.8 cm, respectively. The  mean  root  weight  of  treated western wheatgrass  plants  was  significantly greater  than that  of  the  untreated plants, 2.35 g vs. 1.79 g, while shoot  weight  was  not  significantly different  between the  two treatments.  The remaining  species, including cheatgrass,  were  not significantly  affected  by  BEAM  treatment.  Seed  treatment with BEAM compost  may in some  cases  prime  the  soil  biota  to enhance  the growth  of  native species.

Link to article: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_PLANTMATERIALS/publications/idpmcsr13880.pdf
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