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• itself better than many other grasses under very heavy grazing. All strains are <br />highly palatable to game and stock, but the more foliate northern strains usually <br />are preferred. Southern types stabilize soil well on eroded sites. <br />Usually 11 inches' annual precipitation is the minimum limit at which smooth <br />brome becomes established and produces well (Plummer, 1968). <br />The USDA Soil Conservation Service (1977) highly recommends that Manchar smooth <br />brome be included in a seed mix for Zones III and VIII (Figure 3.6-1). <br />Elvmus angustus <br />altai wildrye <br />The potential of Altai wildrye [Elymus angustus (Trin.) Tzvelev], a relatively <br />recent introduction from U.S.S.R, is beginning to attract the attention of scien- <br />tists and ranchers in North America. Although this species remains to be fully <br />evaluated in the Intermountain West, it has been found to be winterhardy, drought <br />• resistant, and persistent in the Great Plains. It has been reported to be nearly <br />as tolerant to soil salinity as tall wheatgrass (Lawrence 1983). At maturity, <br />Altai wildrye is about 50% larger than Russian wildrye and has relatively coarse, <br />erect leaves that range in color from light green to blue green. The grass has <br />been noted for its extensive root system that can reach soil depths of over 10 <br />feet (3 m). Because of the excellent curing qualities of its forage and its <br />erect culms that protrude through the snow, the species has been proposed for <br />extending the grazing season during the fall and winter (Lawrence 1976). Its <br />seed is larger than Russian wildrye and it is reported to be tolerant of deep <br />seeding in a range of soil types in Canada (Lawrence 1970). <br />Astragalus titer <br />sicklepod titer milkvetch <br />Sicklepod milkvetch is a very productive legume introduced from Russia. It is <br />best adapted to the mountain brush zone, but grows well in favorable areas of the <br />juniper -pinyon and big sagebrush types. This large legume has a long, heavy tap - <br />3 -133 <br />REVISED hcd 1 s d I <br />