Catarina Blend - Bristlegrass

Kika de la Garza Plant Materials Center, Kingsville

Description

The Catarina blend of bristlegrass is a commercial blend of four bristlegrass collections from South Texas. One component is a plains bristlegrass [Setaria vulpiseta (Lam.) Roemer & J.A. Schultes] collected in Webb County, Texas. The other three components are streambed bristlegrass [Setaria leucopila (Scribn.& Merr.) K. Schum.] collected in Karnes, Bexar, and Willacy Counties, Texas.

The releases forming Catarina blend of bristlegrass were a cooperative release between the USDA-NRCS Plant Materials Program, South Texas Natives, and the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station at Beeville. Both of these species of bristlegrass are native, perennial bunchgrasses. They produce seed from May to November. Their mature foliage height ranges from 1 to 4 feet tall.

Uses and Adaptation

The Catarina blend of bristlegrass is recommended for use in upland wildlife plantings and in rangeland seed mixes. It can be used in many types of conservation plantings, such as riparian buffers and filter strips. It has performed well at locations in the Rio Grande Plain, Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes, and Rolling Plains regions of Texas. Plains and streambed bristlegrass also occur naturally in the High Plains, Edwards Plateau, and Trans Pecos regions. The Catarina blend of bristlegrass may be adapted to these regions as well, but this has not been verified through field testing.

Planting Methods

Seedbed preparation should begin well in advance of planting. Establish a clean, weed-free seedbed by either tillage or non-residual herbicides. Prior to planting, the site should be firm and have accumulated soil moisture. Seeding should occur in early spring, or where there are few cool-season weeds, bristlegrass can be seeded in the fall. Bristlegrass can be seeded using a grass drill with a small seed box. Broadcast seeding may be used in areas not easily planted with a drill, but additional practices to encourage good seed to soil contact, such as cultipacking, harrowing, etc., may be necessary. There are approximately 368,100 to 567,500 seeds per pound of bristlegrass. Seed should be planted 1/8 to 1/4 inch deep. A seeding rate of 2 pounds of pure live seed (PLS) per acre is recommended. This corresponds to planting 20 live seeds per square foot. When planting a mixture, the rate of bristlegrass should be reduced according to the total percentage desired in the mixture. It should be noted that some of the collections that make up the Catarina blend have high seed dormancy.

Management

Catarina blend bristlegrass should not be grazed the first year. Once the stand is established, rotational grazing can be used. It is recommended that a 4-10 inch stubble height be maintained.

Availability

The four germplasms that make up the Catarina blend (Kika648 Germplasm, Kika677 Germplasm, Kika819 Germplasm and Kika820 Germplasm) were released in 2006. Breeder and foundation seed will be maintained by the E. Kika de la Garza Plant Materials Center in conjunction with Texas Foundation Seed Service. Breeder seed may be obtained by contacting the PMC.

Photos

Catrina Blend - Bristlegrass

For More Information

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Catrina Blend - Bristlegrass (PDF; 1.75 MB)

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