Pasture/Hayland Seedings and their suitability for the Bobwhite Quail
The following list of seeding
recommendations was taken from the Natural Resources Conservation Service
(S.C.S.) standards and specifications for Pasture and Hayland Planting.
Each seeding is rated as good, fair, or poor in relation to nesting,
broodrearing and winter cover for Quail. This in-formation can be used
as a guide to help planners, and landowners interested in Quail, choose
seedings that will improve areas of habitat deficiency. To make this
guide work, the following assumptions have been made.
- Each planting will be managed according to S.C.S. specifications.
- Cool-season grass/legume mixtures will have either a 5O-foot strip left unmowed around the edge of the field at first cutting, to protect nesting quail, or cutting will be delayed until after July 1st.
- Some S.C.S. seeding rates may change in the future. However, the ratings for nesting, broodrearing and winter cover should remain similar as long as the vegetation type remains the same.
The values assigned to each of the seedings are relative only in regard to other seedings listed.
This list is not complete since it does not cover all possible planting combinations, however there are enough choices to make selection easy for an individual contemplating a planting. If there are questions concerning planting recommendations for Quail, contact your nearest Wildlife Management Biologist.
| Pasture & Hayland Plantings (Meets SCS Specs) | Seeding Rate (PLS)* Lb/Ac | Nesting | Broodrearing | Winter Cover | Climatic Adaptation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bromegrass Alfalfa |
7 8 |
Good | Fair | Poor | Bromegrass maintenance in South 1/2 of State requires high soil pH maintenance. |
| Bromegrass Birdsfoot Trefoil |
4 4 |
Good | Fair | Poor | Bromegrass maintenance in South 1/2 of State requires high soil pH maintenance. |
| Bromegrass Ladino Clover |
4 1 |
Good | Fair | Poor | Bromegrass maintenance in South 1/2 of State requires high soil pH maintenance. |
| Tall Fescue Alfalfa |
8 8 |
Poor | Poor | Poor | Statewide |
| Tall Fescue Birdsfoot Trefoil |
5 4 |
Poor | Poor | Poor | Birdsfoot best adapted to Central and Northern Missouri |
| Tall Fescue Ladino Clover |
8 1 |
Poor | Poor | Poor | Statewide |
| Tall Fescue Lespedeza (Annual) Ladino Clover |
11 12 1/2 |
Fair | Poor | Poor | Statewide |
| Tall Fescue Medium Red Clover Ladino Clover |
11 7 1/2 |
Fair | Poor | Poor | Statewide |
| Orchardgrass Alfalfa |
4 8 |
Good | Fair | Poor | Statewide |
| Orchardgrass Alfalfa Ladino Clover |
4 8 1/2 |
Fair | Fair | Poor | Statewide |
| Orchardgrass Birdsfoot Trefoil Bluegrass (Optional) |
2 4 1/2 |
Good | Fair | Poor | Birdsfoot Trefoil is best adapted to Central and Northern Missouri |
| Orchardgrass Ladino Clover |
4 1 |
Fair | Fair | Poor | Statewide |
| Orchardgrass Lespedeza (Annual) Ladino Clover |
4 12 1/2 |
Good | Fair | Poor | Statewide |
| Orchardgrass Medium Red Clover |
4 7 |
Fair | Fair | Poor | Statewide |
| Red Top Lespedeza (Annual) |
3 3 |
Good | Fair | Poor | Statewide |
| Reed Canarygrass Alfalfa |
4 8 |
Poor | Poor | Poor | Statewide |
| Reed Canarygrass Ladino Clover Alsike Clover |
4 1 2 |
Poor | Fair | Poor | Statewide |
| Reed Canarygrass Medium Red Clover |
4 8 |
Fair | Poor | Poor | Statewide |
| Timothy Alfalfa Ladino Clover |
1 1/2 6 1 |
Fair | Good | Fair | Statewide |
| Timothy Birdsfoot Trefoil Bluegrass (Optional) |
1 1/2 4 1 |
Fair | Fair | Poor | Birdsfoot is best adapted to Central and Northern Missouri. |
| Big Bluestem Indiangrass |
3 1/2 + 3 1/2 = 7.0 | Good | Fair | Good | Statewide |
| Big Bluestem - Indiangrass Little Bluestem - Sideoats Grama |
Any combination that totals 4.0 Any combination that totals 2.0 6.0 |
Good Good |
Good Good |
Good Good |
Statewide Statewide |
| Orchardgrass | 5 | Fair | Fair | Fair | Statewide |
| Tall Fescue | 12 | Poor | Poor | Poor | Statewide |
| Bromegrass | 8 | Fair | Poor | Poor | Statewide with high lime requirement in South Missouri. |
| Bermuda grass | 15 Bu/ac | Poor | Poor | Poor | South Missouri |
| Reed Canarygrass | 5 | Poor | Poor | Poor | Statewide |
| Redtop | 4 | Fair | Fair | Fair | Statewide |
| Switchgrass | 4 | Fair | Fair | Good | Statewide |
| Big Bluestem | 7 | Fair | Fair | Good | Statewide |
| Indiangrass | 7 | Good | Fair | Good | Statewide |
| Eastern Gamagrass | 8 | Fair | Good | Fair | Statewide |
| Caucasian Bluestem | 2 | Poor | Poor | Poor | Statewide |
| Alfalfa | 12 | Fair | Good | Poor | Statewide |
| Red Clover | 10 | Fair | Good | Poor | Statewide |
| Lespedeza (Annual) | 20 | Poor | Good | Poor | Statewide |
| Pasture & Hayland Plantings (Meets SCS Specs) | Seeding Rate (PLS)* Lb/Ac | Nesting | Broodrearing | Winter Cover | Climatic Adaptation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CP-1 Birdsfoot Trefoil Bluegrass Tall Fescue |
4 three-quarter 4 |
Fair | Poor | Poor | North Missouri |
| CP-4 Redtop Timothy Lespedeza (Annual) |
one and one half one and one half 8 |
Good | Good | Fair | Statewide |
