Laserfiche WebLink
Plant Guide Plant Materials <http://plant-materials.nres.usda.gov/> Plant Fact <br />Sheet/Guide Coordination Page <http://plant-materials.nres.usda.gov/intranet/pfs.html> National Plant Data Center <br /><http://npdc.usda.gov> FORAGE KOCHIA <br />Kochia prostrata (L.) Schrad. <br />Plant Symbol = KOPR80 <br />Contributed by: USDA NRCS Idaho State Office <br />Forage kochia <br />Photo by Derek J. Tilley. <br />Alternate Names <br />Bassia prostrata (L.) A.J. Scott, prostrate summer cypress, perennial summer cypress <br />Uses <br />Range Rehabilitation: <br />Forage kochia was originally introduced into the U.S. to compete with halogeton (Halogeton glomeratus). It has <br />since been shown to compete well against other aggressive, exotic annual weeds such as cheatgrass, Russian thistle <br />and medusahead. (Koch & Asay 2001; Young and Clements 2004). Studies have shown that forage kochia begins <br />growth at very cool temperatures and thus photosynthesizes at the same time of year as cheatgrass providing direct <br />competition for limited water resources (Monaco 2004). Plantings of forage kochia can decrease densities of annual <br />weeds, thus decreasing fire intervals of degraded rangelands while providing valuable forage to livestock and forage <br />and cover for wildlife and upland game birds. <br />Habitat: <br />Forage kochia is well adapted to a broad range of growing conditions found in the Intermountain West. Plants are <br />commonly found in shadscale-saltbush, (saline desert and desert shrub), sagebrush steppe and pinon juniper <br />communities where it has been planted as a greenstrip species or for rangeland rehabilitation. <br />Adaptation <br />Forage kochia is well suited to rangelands receiving 15 to 40 cm annual precipitation (6 to 16 inches), and is adapted <br />to a wide range of soil textures including sands, gravels, clays, silts and loams. Plants do best in medium-textured <br />soils. Forage kochia is highly saline and sodic tolerant. Plants perform well and will spread in high saline sites <br />including slick spots (Harrison et al 2000). Stevens et al (1984) reported that forage yields were not reduced when <br />2 <br />forage kochia plants were grown in soil salinity of 17.0 mmho/cm . <br />Environmental Concerns <br />There is concern that forage kochia could become invasive similar to the herbaceous kochia, K. scoparia, but this is <br />mostly unwarranted. Studies indicate that plants will spread under favorable conditions into bare or disturbed sites <br />where competition is limited. Forage kochia competes with and establishes readily into sites dominated by annual <br />weeds, but it does not seem to reduce the density of stands of established perennials. <br />Plant Guide Plant Materials <http://plant-materials.nres.usda.gov/> Plant Fact <br />Sheet/Guide Coordination Page <http://plant-materials.nres.usda.gov/intranet/pfs.html> National Plant Data Center <br /><http://npdc.usda.gov> WINTERFAT <br />Krascheninnikovia lanata (Pursh) A.D.J. Meeuse & Smit <br />Plant Symbol = KRLA2 <br />Contributed by: USDA NRCS Idaho State Office, Montana State Office, Aberdeen Plant Materials Center, & <br />Bridger Plant Materials Center <br />Alternate Names <br />White sage, winter-sage, feather-sage, sweet sage, lambstail, Eurotia lanata, and Ceratoides lanata <br />Uses <br />Rangeland/Grazing - Winterfat is superior winter browse for livestock and wildlife. It is rated as excellent to good <br />browse for cattle, sheep, and goats and fair browse for horses. It is one of the most valuable rangeland browse plants <br />for maintaining the weight of adult animals on winter grazing ranges because of the high (>10 percent) crude protein <br />content in winter.