Pasture/Hayland Seedings and their suitability for the Prairie Chicken
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 Prairie Chickens. This information can be used as a guide to help planners, and landowners interested in Prairie Chickens, 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 50-foot strip left unmowed around the edge of the field at first cutting, to protect nesting prairie chickens, 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.
| Pasture & Hayland Plantings (Meets SCS Specs) | Seeding Rate (PLS)* Lb/Ac | Nesting | Broodrearing | Winter Cover | Climatic Adaptation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Bromegrass | 7 | Fair | Good | Poor | Bromegrass best adapted to North one half of State. |
| Alfalfa | 8 | ||||
| 2. Bromegrass | 4 | Fair | Good | Fair | Bromegrass best adapted to North one half of State. |
| Birdsfoot Trefoil | 4 | ||||
| 3. Bromegrass | 4 | Fair | Good | Fair | Bromegrass best adapted to North one half of State. |
| Ladino Clover | 1 | ||||
| 4. Tall Fescue | 8 | Fair | Poor | Poor | Statewide |
| Alfalfa | 8 | ||||
| 5. Tall Fescue | 5 | Fair | Poor | Poor | Birdsfoot best adapted to Central and Northern Missouri |
| Birdsfoot Trefoil | 4 | ||||
| 6. Tall Fescue | 8 | Poor | Poor | Poor | Statewide |
| Ladino Clover | 1 | ||||
| 7. Tall Fescue | 11 | Fair | Poor | Poor | Statewide |
| Lespedeza (Annual) | 12 | ||||
| Ladino Clover | one half | ||||
| 8. Tall Fescue | 11 | Fair | Poor | Poor | Statewide |
| Medium Red Clover | 7 | ||||
| Ladino Clover | one half | ||||
| 9. Orchardgrass | 4 | Good | Fair | Poor | Statewide |
| Alfalfa | 8 | ||||
| 10. Orchardgrass | 4 | Fair | Good | Fair | Statewide |
| Alfalfa | 8 | ||||
| Ladino Clover | one half | ||||
| 11. Orchardgrass | 2 | Fair | Fair | Fair | Birdsfoot Trefoil is best adapted to Central and Northern Missouri |
| Birdsfoot Trefoil | 4 | ||||
| Bluegrass (Optional) | one half | ||||
| 12. Orchardgrass | 4 | Fair | Fair | Fair | Statewide |
| Ladino Clover | 1 | ||||
| 13. Orchardgrass | 4 | Fair | Good | Fair | Statewide |
| Lespedeza (Annual) | 12 | ||||
| Ladino Clover | one half | ||||
| 14. Orchardgrass | 4 | Fair | Good | Fair | Statewide |
| Medium Red Clover | 7 | ||||
| 15. Red Top | 3 | Good | Good | Fair | Statewide |
| Lespedeza (Annual) | 3 | ||||
| 16. Reed Canarygrass | 4 | Fair | Poor | Fair | Statewide |
| Alfalfa | 8 | ||||
| 17. Reed Canarygrass | 4 | Fair | Poor | Fair | Statewide |
| Ladino Clover | 1 | ||||
| Alsike Clover | 2 |
| Pasture & Hayland Plantings (Meets SCS Specs) | Seeding Rate (PLS)* Lb/Ac | Nesting | Broodrearing | Winter Cover | Climatic Adaptation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 18. Reed Canarygrass | 4 | Fair | Poor | Fair | Statewide |
| Medium Red Clover | 8 | ||||
| 19. Timothy | one and one half | Good | Good | Fair | Statewide |
| Alfalfa | 6 | ||||
| Ladino Clover | 1 | ||||
| 20. Timothy | one and one half | Good | Good | Fair | Birdsfoot is best adapted to Central and Northern Missouri. |
| Birdsfoot Trefoil | 4 | ||||
| Bluegrass (Optional) | 1 | ||||
| 21. Big Bluestem | three and one half+ |
Good | Fair | Good | Statewide |
| Indiangrass | three and one half = 7.0 | ||||
| 22. Orchardgrass | 5 | Fair | Fair | Fair | Statewide |
| 23. Tall Fescue | 12 | Poor | Poor | Poor | Statewide |
| 24. Bromegrass | 8 | Good | Fair | Fair | North Missouri |
| 25. Bermuda grass | 15 Bu per ac | Poor | Poor | Poor | South Missouri |
| 26. Reed Canarygrass | 5 | Fair | Poor | Fair | Statewide |
| 27. Redtop | 4 | Good | Poor | Fair | Statewide |
| 28. Switchgrass | 4 | Good | Poor | Fair | Statewide |
| 29. Big Bluestem | 7 | Good | Fair | Good | Statewide |
| 30. Indiangrass | 7 | Good | Fair | Good | Statewide |
| 31. Caucasian Bluestem | 2 | Poor | Poor | Poor | Statewide |
| 32. Alfalfa | 12 | Fair | Good | Poor | Statewide |
| 33. Red Clover | 10 | Fair | Good | Poor | Statewide |
| 34. Lespedeza (Annual) | 20 | Poor | Good | Poor | Statewide |
| Pasture & Hayland Plantings (Meets SCS Specs) | Seeding Rate (PLS)* Lb/Ac | Nesting | Broodrearing | Winter Cover | Climatic Adaptation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. CP-1 | Good | Fair | Good | Statewide | |
| Big Bluestem | one and one half | ||||
| Indiangrass | one and one half to four | ||||
| Little Bluestem | one half to two | ||||
| Sideoats Grama | one to two | ||||
| 2. CP-4 | Fair | Poor | Poor | North Missouri | |
| Birdsfoot Trefoil | 4 | ||||
| Bluegrass | three quarter | ||||
| Tall Fescue | 4 | ||||
| 3. CP-4 | Good | Good | Fair | Statewide |
|
| Redtop | one and one half | ||||
| Timothy | one and one half | ||||
| Lespedeza | 8 |
