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Back to the future with native prairie grass

While much of the original native prairie grassland in Western Canada may have been lost to cultivation, that doesn't mean there isn't a means to bring some of it back, says an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researcher based, here, at the Semi-arid Prairie Agriculture Research Centre.

It isn't practical to attempt to recreate true native range with a highly complex mix of grasses and shrubs, points out Dr. Alan Iwaasa, a forage and range management specialist. But, producers, today, can still establish simpler versions of native prairie grassland, which makes both good environmental and economic sense, he says.

Returning marginal crop land or even tame pastures to native grasses is not only much easier today from a stand establishment point of view, but these forages can produce beef gains that compare favorably with some domestic grasses, he adds.

Iwaasa has been monitoring the potential of re-established native prairie grasslands for the past three years. He established two blends of native grasses on marginal cropland near Swift Current that had been annually cropped since the 1920s.

Over the next three years ñ 2005 through 2007 - Iwaasa will manage these native grass pastures under a deferred-rotational grazing system. "In the first phase we looked at continuous grazing of these pastures with steers, and now in the next phase we will look at a deferred grazing system," he says.

As a result of this research, similar on-farm native prairie grass demonstrations have been funded by the Canadian Cattlemen's Association through the beef sector of the federal Greenhouse Gas Mitigation Program for Canadian Agriculture (GHGMP). They are among dozens of demonstrations across the country aimed at showing producers practical techniques that not only benefit production but help reduce greenhouse gasses or enhance carbon sequestration in agricultural soils.

More details on Iwaasa's project are included in a feature article available on the CCA Website at: . Follow the links under Stewardship.

The winter-hardy, drought-tolerant native forages and shrubs, may not produce as much annual yield or biomass as domestic species such as crested wheat, meadow brome and alfalfa, says Iwaasa. But, native grasses offer longevity and environmental sustainability. "Once established, and if not mismanaged, they become perpetual forage stands," he says. "They will remain productive for years." This longevity, along with the deeper rooting habits of many native forage species, could lead to an increase in the amount of carbon sequestered in the soils under these pastures.

Seed for many native prairie grasses is now commercially available.

Other related research will involve seeding a blend of native grasses with different native or tame legumes under different soil fertility characteristics to create a productive hybrid pasture with longevity and improved production.

"The goal isn't to try and re-establish vast tracts of pristine native range," says Iwaasa. "That just isn't practical or possible given the complex diversity of true native grass prairie. However establishing these pure and mixed stands with some of key grass species may create buffer zones that further helps protect the remaining undisturbed prairie, as well as, provide an important sustainable and environmentally friendly forage/grazing resource."

The GHGMP supports a broad range of projects across Canada. For more information on this project and other beef sector activities, visit the CCA's Web site: .

(Editor's Note: Electronic photos illustrating the native prairie research project are available by contacting Meristem Information Resources at info@meristem.com)

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