Could anyone provide information regarding establishment costs, forage characteristics, areas of applicability, etc. for WW Spar yellow bluestem?

Thanks.

Establishment costs, as you may expect, will vary depending on the condition the property is in presently. If it is, for example, already a crop field you are considering planting to grass, costs would be reduced. If, on the other hand, the field is presently in weeping lovegrass, costs could exceed $150-200/acre.

Forage characteristics of Spar Old World bluestem are such that the grass is best adapted to the more arid regions of the state that receive from 20-30" of precipitation per year. Where the varietal mix of Old World bluestem, Plains, was used exclusively in the early days, most people found that in the more arid regions, Spar rose to the top and dominated the pasture, thus Spar was released as a stand-alone variety for the drier areas. Forage production can be quite good, but like most of the Old World bluestems, most of the best forage is produced early in the season and the grass goes reproductive fairly early, thus reducing late forage production/nutritive value potential. If you are interested in some varieties that mature later and maintain their nutritive value later in the season WW-BDahl or PMT-587 or better choices. One soil related factor to bear in mind is that the Old World bluestems, with the exception of Iron Master, do not do well on the higher pH soils, say better than 7.5 or so. Iron chlorosis will reduce production capability under these circumstances.

Seed is very chaffy and requires a drill that MUST HAVE an agitator in the seed box. Seed is also very expensive, but if you are interested, check with Turner Seed Company in Breckenridge, TX @ 1-800-722-8616 for seed availability and price. Darcy Turner is also a good source regarding applicability of the various Old World bluestems for your area.

Thanks for the inquiry.

What value does Spar Bluestem have as hay this late in the season? Buck