Chapters 5.50

5.50 -Western Wheatgrass as a Forage Grass

Celia Moorhouse, University of Guelph, Canada

Suggested citation for this chapter.

Moorhouse,C. (2022) Western Wheatgrass as a Forage Grass, In Farmpedia, The Encyclopedia for Small Scale Farmers. Editor, M.N. Raizada, University of Guelph, Canada. http://www.farmpedia.org

Background

Western Wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii) is an important livestock forage crop that has potential to assist smallholder farmers adapt to climate change. This drought tolerant and adaptive crop originates in western North America and is common in both The United States of America and Canada (Ogle, n.d.). Western wheatgrass is beneficial for smallholder farmers because of its drought tolerance and crude protein value for livestock.

Varieties

Within the Pascopyrum smithii family, there are cultivars with different characteristics used for different purposes. The ‘Ariba’ western wheatgrass is typically used for hay production, grazing and conservation seeding in the southwest United States (Ogle, n.d.). ‘Flintlock’ western wheatgrass is recommended for conservation seeding, grazing and hay production in the Central Great Plains. ‘Barton’ western wheatgrass has high forage and seed production value and is typically grown in central Kansas. ‘Rodan’ western wheatgrass originates from the Missouri River. This cultivar is notably drought tolerant and is a strong forage crop. ‘Rosana’ western wheatgrass is recommended for reseeding depleted farmlands because of its ability to establish easily. ‘Walsh’ western wheatgrass originates from the Northern Great Plains of Canada, and is selected for freedom from disease, rhizome development and its improved seed and forage yields (Ogle, n.d.).

Cultivation and Climate Change Resiliency

The seeds for western wheatgrass cultivars are commercially available and can also be purchased from breeders or from organizations such as the USDA. For western wheatgrass to thrive, the ideal rainfall range is approximately 300-500 mm of rainfall annually, although western wheatgrass is abundant in areas only receiving 250-500 mm (Ogle, n.d.), which makes it suitable for the dry subtropics of Africa and South Asia. Western wheatgrass has adapted to slow its growth during dry seasons or in areas with less rainfall (Hendrickson et al., 2013). This crop is also able to be grown in a variety of soil types (Ogle, n.d.), ranging from clay to sand, the latter being common in the subtropics where livestock are most vulnerable to a lack of feed in the dry season (Weaver, n.d.). The optimal seeding time is early fall or early spring. Late fall seeding also works for western wheatgrass, but the crop will not begin to grow until the second fall after seeding (Weaver, n.d.).

Western wheatgrass can adapt to drought and is more water efficient than other forage crops (Hendrickson et al., 2013). Smallholder farmers will sometimes need to slaughter livestock because many forage crops fail during their extended dry seasons. The slow and stable growth pattern of western wheatgrass allows this crop to use water more efficiently than other grain crops such as alfalfa (Hendrickson et al., 2013). Weaver (n.d.), suggests that the rhizomatic root system of western wheatgrass allows it to be more drought tolerant than other forage crops and abundant on dry soils (Weaver, n.d.). A rhizomatic root system is a horizontal underground root system that is capable of producing new rhizomes and shoots, therefore allowing the plant to reproduce vegetatively (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica 2018).

The ‘Rodan’ cultivar would be useful for smallholder farmers in arid locations such as in Africa. ‘Rodan’ is typically planted for its high vegetation ability in disturbed soils and for its drought tolerance (Monsen et al., 2004

Livestock and other benefits

An important benefit of western wheatgrass is its high crude protein value in terms of livestock feed (Harmoney & Jaeger, 2019). Western Wheatgrass is considered a sensible feed for livestock such as cattle, horses, deer, elk and antelope (Ogle, n.d.).The harvesting method for western wheatgrass plays a role in the final crude protein value of the crop. When harvested in windrows, western wheatgrass provides a higher quality forage, and higher nutritional values (Matney, 2015). Windrow harvesting is a harvesting method where the crop is mowed and left in mounds to dry before being collected and baled (Windrow Harvesting, 1979). Research by Matney (2015) supports windrow harvesting as a better provider of crude protein levels than standing pastures. Crude protein in windrow harvested western wheatgrass was 2% higher than western wheatgrass left to stand (Matney, 2015). This value is beneficial primarily for livestock because it helps maintain their weight during winter seasons. Livestock that have grazed western wheatgrass gain more spring weight than livestock grazing on tall wheatgrass (Harmoney & Jaeger, 2019). Therefore, smallholder farmers could benefit from their livestock feeding on western wheatgrass by maintaining their body weight during winter (dry season), critical to avoid death and/or forced slaughter of livestock.

Additional benefits are associated with the growth of western wheatgrass. One of the potential benefits of this crop to smallholder farmers is its ability to restore poor soils (Ogle, n.d.). Western wheatgrass is able to restore poor soils because of its strong rhizomatic roots (Ogle, n.d.) which spread deep within soils and prevent erosion (Monsen et al., 2004). Another benefit of western wheatgrass is the minimal number of problems associated with disease, weeds and pests (Kelly, 2020).

Critical analysis

The most common disease associated with western wheatgrass is ergot fungus which produces toxic compounds called ergot alkaloids (Kelly, 2020). Ergot grows on the seed head of cereal grains and grasses, and is toxic when consumed by animals (Kelly, 2020). When livestock consume infected western wheatgrass, the alkaloids vasoconstrict blood vessels to the animal’s extremities. This can lead to the loss of hooves, ears, tails and in some cases can lead to decreased fertility or abortion (Kelly, 2020). To avoid ergot alkaloids being consumed by livestock, Friskop et al. (2018) suggest that farmers use crop rotation to reduce the chance of ergot sclerotia from reproducing.

Although western wheatgrass is a successful crop in Canada and the United States, it may not work as well in other countries. For example, a very important staple crop in Africa is sorghum. Sorghum is drought tolerant and has adapted to the arid regions in Africa and Asia (Chepng’etich, 2015). Sorghum can be viewed as a competitor for western wheatgrass since it has been established historically in many African and Asian countries. Introducing western wheatgrass could pose as a problem since many farmers already know how to grow and consume sorghum, and there is a lack of data examining how western wheatgrass would perform in new environments and whether it would become invasive to local crops such as sorghum.

Practical links and useful resources to get started

To obtain seeds, farmers can purchase them from breeders and agricultural groups. Seeds for Western Wheatgrass are typically sold commercially. https://greatbasinseeds.com/product/western-wheatgrass/

The Great Basin Seed group is a major seed supply group originating in Utah. The company sells seeds for reclamation, re-vegetation and wildlife habitat improvement. https://plants.usda.gov/factsheet/pdf/fs_pasm.pdf

The USDA provides info-graphics containing useful information about the crop, different cultivars and their strengths and uses, how to manage and grow the crop, as well as potential pests and problems.

https://peaceforagetool.ca/species/western-wheatgrass

The Peace Forage Tool also provides informative information about Western Wheatgrass. This page would be useful for farmers wanting to plant Western Wheatgrass because it provides information such as the required rainfall, general information about the crop, the typical habitat and climate as well as the typical harvest and forage yields. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5p622rpXyy0

This YouTube video provides information on identifying Western Wheatgrass as well as a brief explanation of the rhizomatic root system. The video provides visuals of Western Wheatgrass in fields and explains what to look for.

References

1. Canada. (1998). Western Wheatgrass: Seed Production of Western Wheatgrass. CSAGPA & Saskatchewan Forage Council. Retrieved from http://peaceforageseed.ca/pdf/publications_pamphlets/Western_wheatgrass_production_guide.pdf

2. Friskop, A., Endres, G., Hoppe, K., Mostrom, M., Ransom, J., & Stokka, G. (2018). North Dakota State University Agricultural Extension. Retrieved from https://www.ag.ndsu.edu/publications/crops/ergot-in-small-grains

3. Harmoney, K., & Jaeger, J. (2019). Tall Wheatgrass and Western Wheatgrass Used for Complementary Cool Season Forage Systems. Crop, Forage & Turfgrass Management, 5(1), 1-9. Retrieved from https://acsess.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2134/cftm2018.08.0065

4. Hendrickson, J.R., Schmer, M.R. & Sanderson, M.A. Water Use Efficiency by Switchgrass Compared to a Native Grass or a Native Grass Alfalfa Mixture. Bioenergy. Research. 6, 746–754 (2013). https://doi-org.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/10.1007/s12155-012-9290-3

5. Kelly, S. (2020). Ergot in Western Wheatgrass and the Potential Effects for Winter Grazing. South Dakota State University Extension. Retrieved from https://extension.sdstate.edu/ergot-western-wheatgrass-and-potential-effects-winter-grazing

6. Monsen, S. B., Stevens, R. B., & Shaw, N. B. (2004). Restoring Western Ranges and Midlands. USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. Retrieved from https://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/rmrs_gtr136_2/rmrs_gtr136_2_295_424.pdf

7. Matney, C. (2015). Western Wheatgrass in Windrows versus Stockpiling. Journal of the NACAA, volume 8(2). Retrieved from https://www.nacaa.com/journal/index.php?jid=555

8. Ogle, D. G. (n.d.). Western Wheatgrass. USDA NRCS Idaho State Office & The National Plant Data Center Retrieved from https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/pg_pasm.pdf

9. “Windrow Harvesting.” (1979). In The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd ed. Retrieved from <a href="https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Windrow+Harvesting">Windrow Harvesting</a>

10. Weaver, J. E. (n.d.). Competition of Western Wheat Grass with Relict Vegetation. American Journal of Botany, volume 29(5), 366-372. Retrieved from https://soilandhealth.org/wp-content/uploads/Competition-of-Western-Wheat-Grass-with-Relict-Vegetation-of-Prairie.pdf