Russian Wildrye-Bozoisky type

[badroute]

Hello all. I just got an EQIP contract approved and the local NRCS fella and I decided to try this type of grass. I have never seeded this grass or ever had it on the place for that matter and was hoping for some thoughts on it. Good, bad or indefferent. Thanks.

 

[pdfangus]

Well we all know that NRCS has a track record on new species.

lets see around here there was
Multiflora rose
Kudzu
Autum olive

What the heck....nothing ventured - nothing gained.

Actually I have never heard of that grass species.

 

[Bluestem]

What are you going to do with the land when the eqip contract runs out? You don't want to end up planting a future weed. I would plant a diverse seed mixture that would build your soil and gave year round grazing when the contract runs out.

 

[badroute]

Up here on the northern plains russian wildrye is definetly not considered a weed. I've heard from others that it is very good stuff. I have actually seen quite a bit of it in the northern part of the state. It is supposed to keep it's nutritional value throughout the year. The trouble is I've never seeded it and not sure what to expect as far as emergence and yields.

I am planting 600 hundred acres of farmground back into grass. It will be used for spring and fall grazing. As far as the EQIP contract, it runs out as soon as the grass is deemed established so therefore it can be used however and whenever.