Eastern Gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides)
Common Names: Wild Corn "Ice Cream Grass"
General Information:
Eastern Gamagrass is a warm-season, bunch
grass native to the eastern half of the United States. It is a relative of corn and given
the right conditions, can reach up to 8 feet in height. The grass will form large sod-like
clumps at maturity that tend to grow in a circular pattern. The plants do not produce many
seeds and most of the spreading comes from thick knotty rhizomes.
The shape is quite erect, and
with proper attention a gamagrass stand will last for many years. The chief use of Eastern
Gamagrass in the past has been for forage and silage.
At one time, large native stands of Eastern
Gamagrass were found along creek bottoms, wet meadows and lower slopes of the area east of
Oklahoma and Missouri. It has been found growing on the slopes of the Rockies as far west
as Colorado. Not a great deal of research has been done on winter hardiness in the far
northern plains states. However, it is thought that early settlers either destroyed these
stands to establish other crops or heavily grazed the areas with livestock until most of
the large stands disappeared.
Eastern Gamagrass blooms in the early
summer with the fruiting period beginning in mid-summer. The gamagrass seed is quite large
and tough. Only about 7400 seeds are found in one pound. The grass does not establish
quickly and those wanting to use the planting for grazing or forage must wait until at
least the second growing season and sometimes the third before initiating heavy use.
The plant will adapt to fine, medium and
coarse soil textures and will handle damp situations well. However, it will not tolerate
inundation for more than a few days, nor will it grow in a meadow that maintains a
"sloppy" condition the majority of the time. It will tolerate up to 60 inches a
year of precipitation, requires at least 140 frost free days and will tolerate
temperatures as low as –23 degrees Fahrenheit.
The plant has a fairly high fertility
requirement, especially of lime, phosphorous and potassium. Like all native grasses, it is
an efficient user of nitrogen. A recommended minimum pH is 5.5; a maximum pH is 7.5. The
plant uses a high amount of moisture, but will adapt and not succumb to droughty sites or
seasons. It is not particularly shade tolerate and will not tolerate a saline environment
at all. Eastern Gamagrass is highly palatable to livestock and is one of the highest
grasses in TDN (total digestible nutrient) if utilized at the correct time. The normal
green-up period is earlier than for other native grasses. The exceptionally deep root
system of Eastern Gamagrass has insured its remarkable ability to adapt to most
environmental situations.
Establishment:
Due to the previously mentioned tough seed
coat, establishment of Eastern Gamagrass requires a few different planting procedures than
other native grasses.
- A standard corn planter is commonly used for planting.
However, the seed can also be broadcast into a clean seedbed and lightly rolled into
place.
- The planting depth is greater than other native seeds; one
to one and one half inches is the preferred depth. The objective is to plant the seed just
deep enough to stay in adequate moisture for a time that will allow germination.
- Eastern Gamma may be planted using a no-till drill into
existing stubble of corn or grain sorghum. In fact, this is a preferred method as there is
usually a corn herbicide residue carry-over, which will aid in weed control the first
year. Using no-till equipment often leaves slots that will expose the seed, allowing it to
dry out. A greater depth would be desired in such cases that would occur when planting
into sod. This fracture line may also allow rodents and insects to get to the seed. On
occasion, an in-furrow insecticide is used.
- Eastern Gamagrass is a bunch grass, thus forming plants of
considerable size at the base. Haying over such clumps can be damaging to farm equipment.
- The tough seed coat does not permit easy germination. A high
degree of dormancy is found in all seed. This is one way to insure that all the seed will
not be lost due to drought or poor growing conditions. However, most farmers prefer to
have the highest germination possible the first year. Two methods of increasing
germination are used:
- An extended chilling process stratifies the seed. This is a
wet stratification, usually done at 35 degrees Fahrenheit for 8-10 weeks. A fungicide is
usually added to stop the growth of fungus. The seed is stored in bags that allow airflow
in a chiller. This seed is then planted when soil temperatures reach 60-65 degrees in the
months of April or May.
- Perhaps the easiest method of breaking dormancy is to plant
the untreated seed in the winter. (November - February). You are then relying on the
freezing and thawing of the winter to break the natural dormancy. Dormant planting should
be done after the soil temperature has dropped below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Dormant
seeding is less expensive (there is a charge for stratification); however rodents and
erosion can be a problem.
Management:
- Burning of your fields may be done to control woody plants,
reduce diseases of the foliage and stimulate growth. Burn fields in the spring when new
shoots are just appearing. Eastern Gamagrass can often frost heavy, so check your field
closely before burning. Burning is usually done every 2-3 years.
- Fertilization will increase the production of your field.
Use nitrogen only after the stand is established and use a soil test for guidance.
- Haying of Eastern Gamagrass should be done before the grass
comes out of the boot stage to obtain the highest degree of nutrition. Do not cut lower
than 6 - 8 inches, and do not cut later than August 1 unless you live in the Deep South.
Then the last cutting date may be as late as September 1. It is not unusual to harvest two
cuttings of hay that would result in 6 to 7 tons of hay. In years of adequate rainfall,
three cuttings can be achieved, spacing them about six weeks apart.
- Grazing of Eastern Gamagraas is a major management tool, but
care must be taken to prohibit the over grazing of the stand. A flash grazing program that
takes the animals off the stand when grazed to eight inches will help maintain long term
vigor. Usage should be stopped entirely 30 days before the first killing frost.
- Weed control is achieved by cultivation of the field if
planted in rows. A sparse planting of a nurse crop that can be harvested for hay when in
the boot stage will control some weeds. After the first year, the stand should be able to
compete with weeds without any other management than burning.
Varieties:
- Pete is a composite of seed collections made in Kansas in
the 1950’s. It is the only "certified" variety offered at this time. It is
non-uniform and highly adapted.
- PMK-24 is basically the same as Pete but is non-certified.
It is also highly adapted.
- Iuka is a released variety that came from a more southern
area, and thus it is better adapted to the heat and droughty conditions of Oklahoma, Texas
and Arkansas.
Preferred rate:
Plant 8-10 Pls pounds of seed per acre.
11/99 All content property
of Sharp Bros Seed Co
Sharp Brothers Seed Co.
396 SW Davis St. - LaDue
Clinton, Missouri 64735
Phone: 1-800-451-3779
or Phone: 1-660-885-7551
Contact: General inquiries use our contact form.
Also visit Sharp Bros. Healy's website at
www.sharpseed.com
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