<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<style type="text/css" style="display:none;"> P {margin-top:0;margin-bottom:0;} </style>
</head>
<body dir="ltr">
<div style="font-family: Calibri, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;margin-bottom:0in">
<span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Mary</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Wolf
and Derek</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Tilley, USDA-NRCS, Aberdeen Plant Materials Center, January
2022</span><o:p style="font-size: 11pt; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit;"> </o:p><br>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;margin-bottom:0in">
<o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;margin-bottom:0in">
Abstract or Summary:<o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;margin-bottom:0in">
Cheatgrass<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>(<i>Bromus<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>tectorum</i>), an exotic<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>early seral<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>annual, has<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>been shown to alter<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>soil<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>microbial communities<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>and nutrient<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>cycling, making restoration of<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>the<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>native<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>plant<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>community difficult. This greenhouse<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>study was<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>conducted to evaluate<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>the<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>effects<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>of<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Biologically Enhanced Agricultural Management<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>(BEAM)<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>compost<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>on the<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>growth of<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>cheatgrass<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>and<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>six<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>native species<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>[annual<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>sunflower (<i>Helianthus<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>annuus</i>), curlycup gumweed (<i>Grindelia squarrosa</i>),<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>lobeleaf<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>groundsel<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>(<i>Packera multilobata</i>), sand dropseed (<i>Sporobolus<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>cryptandrus</i>), bluebunch wheatgrass<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>
(<i>Pseudoroegneria spicata</i>)<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>and western wheatgrass<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>(<i>Pascopyrum<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>smithii</i>)]<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>in<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>a Kecko-Clems-Vining association fine sandy<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>loam<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>collected<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>from<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>a cheatgrass-dominated<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>site<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>near<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>American<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Falls,<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>ID.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>BEAM<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>compost pile<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>was<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>inoculated during construction with a<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>small<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>amount<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>of<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>soil<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>from<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>undisturbed native<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>plant communities, and the<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>finished compost<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>was<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>applied<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>as<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>a seed<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>treatment.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>For<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>each<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>species,<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>treated seed was<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>compared with an untreated<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>control. After<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>12 weeks<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>of<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>growth, shoot<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>length, shoot<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>dry weight, and root<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>dry weight<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>were<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>measured. The<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>multilobed groundsel,<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>an<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>early<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>seral<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>native,<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>and western<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>wheatgrass,<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>a late seral<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>native,<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>showed growth responses<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>to BEAM<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>treatment. Treated multilobed groundsel<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>
had significantly greater<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>mean<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>shoot<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>length (6.8 cm)<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>than the<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>untreated control (5.8<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>cm).<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>mean shoot<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>length of<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>treated western<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>wheatgrass<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>plants<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>was<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>significantly<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>less<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>than<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>that of<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>untreated plants, 55.8 cm<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>and 61.8 cm, respectively. The<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>mean<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>root<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>weight<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>of<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>treated western wheatgrass<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>plants<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>was<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>significantly greater<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>than that<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>of<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>the<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>untreated plants, 2.35 g vs. 1.79 g, while shoot<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>weight<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>was<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>not<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>significantly different<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>between the<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>two treatments.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>The remaining<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>species, including cheatgrass,<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>were<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>not significantly<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>affected<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>by<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>BEAM<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>treatment.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>Seed<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>treatment with BEAM compost<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>may in some<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>cases<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>prime<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>the<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>soil<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>biota<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>to enhance<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>the growth<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>of<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>native species. <o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;margin-bottom:0in">
<o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in 0in 8pt;line-height:107%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;margin-bottom:0in">
Link to article: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_PLANTMATERIALS/publications/idpmcsr13880.pdf<o:p> </o:p></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>