Crested Wheatgrass Forage Considerations

Saskatchewan Agriculture

When selecting a new forage species, it is important to check with several sources to ensure the best forage species are chosen for a particular landscape. It is important to seek out professionals like your local Ministry of Agriculture range management extension specialist and to check out the latest forage research in your area. The two characteristics to keep in mind when selecting a forage crop are the potential lifespan of that forage in your area and how well it responds to extended periods of drought. The Beef Cattle Research Council has recently developed a “Forage U-pick tool,” which is an easy-to-use tool to help select an appropriate forage crop.

Crested wheatgrass is well known for its early season growth, and ability to remain productive for a long period of time. From a seed-cost perspective the value producers get when seeding a mixed stand of crested wheatgrass and alfalfa. Crested wheatgrass and alfalfa both have a relatively high number of seeds per pound, therefore they do not require a heavy seeding rate, making it an economical forage mixture to consider for southern Saskatchewan.

Over the past 25 years, many producers in southwest Saskatchewan plant less drought tolerant species such as meadow brome and hybrid brome, however, these species can perform poorly when growing conditions are less than ideal. The last few years of consecutive dry conditions have reinforced the value of having a drought-tolerant species, such as crested wheatgrass, as part of a grazing plan.

When evaluating grass species, the real

“test of time” comes when a stand gets to be 15 years of age or older, as this is what sorts the long-lived drought-hardy species from the non-hardy ones. Several producers have been disappointed with the poor performance of their old meadow brome fields when back-to-back drought years occur, meanwhile, their crested wheatgrass stands have continued to remain productive.

It is also important to discuss the downside of crested wheat, which is its aggressive growth habit that causes this species to invade into native prairie. As a result, it is not recommended to plant crested wheat in close proximity to native grasslands, as it will move in and displace the native species. Another downside to crested wheatgrass is that it tends to go dormant during the hottest times of the year (i.e., July-August), as this is its way of dealing with hot dry conditions. During this dormant period, forage quality is reduced.

Grazing management on older crested wheatgrass fields

There is value in leaving some residual litter on the soil surface at the end of each year to help conserve moisture and minimize soil erosion potential. Over the years specialists have observed that late-fall grazing (September-November) of crested wheatgrass fields can significantly reduce future years productivity. It is important to recognize that crested wheatgrass uses the late-fall time-period to initiate the next years’ growing points. Livestock activity such as grazing during this time can damage these growth points. If you want to set your crested wheatgrass pasture up nicely for next year, it is best that cattle are not left out in the field late in the season.

For additional information regarding forage selection and grazing management, you can contact your local range management extension specialist or, contact the Agriculture Knowledge Centre at 1-866-457-2377.