Objective: 

Military training installations are some of the most intensively used lands in the United States, and heavy tracked and wheeled vehicular traffic can be destructive to vegetation. Damage to vegetation reduces training realism and the carrying capacity of the land and leads to the loss of topsoil. The objective of this project was to implement new germplasms and improved seeding methods on Department of Defense (DoD) facilities and other federal lands by demonstrating and further validating the new plant materials and seeding methodologies. Before this effort, there had been no such projects for plants without agricultural or other commercial value.

Technology Description: 

Under SERDP project SI-1103, researchers bred native and introduced grass and forb germplasms with improved establishment and seedling vigor. To identify better ways of establishing native plants and overcoming competition by invasive species, researchers developed the concept of "ecological bridges." In this innovative work, researchers investigated root growth and establishment relationships among various species and, from this knowledge, selected seed mixes of rapidly establishing introduced grasses and desired native grasses. When properly selected, the introduced grasses will quickly protect the soil and create an environment in which the native grasses would gradually establish and dominate the seeded stand.

Results: 

Researchers have demonstrated and validated the new plant materials, released nine germplasms, and initiated seed contracts to transition the new plant materials to military facilities and the commercial market. The new plant materials are summarized in release notices published in either Crop Science or the Journal of Plant Registrations. Four releases were made under the SERDP project and five more during this ESTCP project; four additional releases, two of which are possible cultivars, are anticipated. Three of the germplasms were put into production, and approximately 5,500 lb. of seed was made available to land managers at seven DoD facilities for use in military land rehabilitation. Ten private seed companies have purchased foundation seed to produce certified seed for commercial seed production. One purchase request for 300 lbs of seed of the new cultivar First Strike slender wheatgrass will result in 36,000 lb. of seed for retail sale at a cost of $270,000. The researchers also validated their seeding methods to further enhance the ability of the improved germplasms to establish viable native plant stands as rapidly as possible and compete with invasive species establishment. The improved seeding methods have proven successful on eastern and western ranges (Fort Drum, New York; Yakima Training Center, Washington; and Fort Carson, Colorado). A planting guide is being developed for all military facilities in the intermountain west of the United States.

Benefits and Implications: 

This project provides DoD with more resilient plant species and with guidance for revegetation methods, both of which will help to increase training opportunities on existing training lands. Within the adapted area for the new plants, researchers identified 42 DoD facilities that encompass more than 1.3 million acres of Army, National Guard Bureau, and Air Force land. The new germplasms also are appropriate for other federal, state, or local agencies, highway right-of-ways, mine spoils, rangelands, and other disturbed areas. There are no additional costs associated with the use of the new materials and establishment methodology: they require no special equipment and the seeds for the new plant materials are unlikely to differ greatly in cost from currently used cultivars. The real cost-benefit lies in (1) the ability to seed less frequently because of increased establishment rates and better resiliency, (2) the decreased need to consider other methods of controlling invasive species, and (3) the reduced downtime on ranges that can lead to cost efficiencies in scheduling training programs. (Project Completed - 2007)

Principal Investigator:  

Mr. Antonio Palazzo

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Engineer Research and Development Center

Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory

72 Lyme Road

Hanover, NH 03755

Telephone: (603) 646-4374

Fax: (603) 646-4561

E-mail: antonio.j.palazzo@erdc.usace.army.mil