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Research ArticleGeneral Technical

Creating a Great Basin native annual forb seed increase program: lessons learned

Tara de Queiroz, Shannon Swim, P Lee Turner and Elizabeth A Leger
Native Plants Journal, March 2021, 22 (1) 90-102; DOI: https://doi.org/10.3368/npj.22.1.90
Tara de Queiroz
University of Nevada, Reno, Department of Biology, Mail Stop 314, 1664 North Virginia Street Reno, NV 89557
Roles: Research Faculty
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  • For correspondence: [email protected]
Shannon Swim
University of Nevada, Reno, Department of Biology, Mail Stop 314, 1664 North Virginia Street Reno, NV 89557
Roles: UNR Native Seed Bank Manager
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  • For correspondence: [email protected]
P Lee Turner
Nevada Division of Wildlife, Partnership for Conservation and Development, 6980 Sierra Center Parkway Reno, Nevada 89511
Roles: Conservation Ecologist
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Elizabeth A Leger
University of Nevada, Reno, Department of Biology, Mail Stop 314, 1664 North Virginia Street Reno, NV 89557
Roles: Professor
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Abstract

With their high reproductive capacity and disturbance-oriented life history strategies, Great Basin native annual forbs have the potential to be more successful in colonizing burned sagebrush sites than the later seral species that are commonly used in restoration. Seed of native annual forb species is usually not commercially available, however, and information on how to increase seeds of these species in agricultural settings is limited to nonexistent. Our objective was to start a small, native, annual forb production program, testing strategies to increase 6 species over 4 y. We found that seed of native annual forbs can be wild-collected in years with sufficient precipitation, and that they can be propagated using fall planting between rows of landscape fabric, without irrigation. Low-tech harvest methods, including vacuuming or sweeping off landscape fabric, and in some cases collecting and drying entire plants, can work for small-scale increases. For seed cleaning, a variety of sieves are key, and a seed blower can be helpful. We also present our plans for extending this work by testing the establishment of annual forbs in post-fire restoration projects. Our results demonstrate that seed production of native annual forbs can be achieved without specialized equipment or irrigation. For the majority of species, we were able to increase seed sufficiently so that it could be sown in larger agricultural-increase fields.

KEY WORDS
  • restoration
  • desert
  • production
  • weed barrier fabric
  • harvest
  • stock seed
NOMENCLATURE
  • USDA NRCS (2020)
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Native Plants Journal: 22 (1)
Native Plants Journal
Vol. 22, Issue 1
20 Mar 2021
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Creating a Great Basin native annual forb seed increase program: lessons learned
Tara de Queiroz, Shannon Swim, P Lee Turner, Elizabeth A Leger
Native Plants Journal Mar 2021, 22 (1) 90-102; DOI: 10.3368/npj.22.1.90

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Creating a Great Basin native annual forb seed increase program: lessons learned
Tara de Queiroz, Shannon Swim, P Lee Turner, Elizabeth A Leger
Native Plants Journal Mar 2021, 22 (1) 90-102; DOI: 10.3368/npj.22.1.90
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Keywords

  • restoration
  • desert
  • production
  • weed barrier fabric
  • harvest
  • stock seed
  • USDA NRCS (2020)
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