VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Bothriochloa barbinodis | Cane Bluestem 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Cane bluestem is both palatable and productive [19,20,28], and consumed
by all classes of livestock.  Cattle and horses utilize this grass more
than sheep do, and it may be an important local food source for
pronghorn [3,17,19,25].  The cane bluestem selection, PMT-333, which
originates from Texas, has yielded up to 6,513 pounds per acre (7,300
kgs/ha) when irrigated [20].


PALATABILITY : 
Cane bluestem is most palatable to livestock during the spring and
summer, before the stems become fully mature and fibrous [3,14,17].
Later in the season as plants mature, the leaves are consumed by cattle
and horses but are considered too coarse for sheep [16,19].  Throughout
its range, cane bluestem's palatability is generally considered to be
good for cattle, horses, and pronghorn; and fair for sheep [3,16,28].


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
Cane bluestem has fair forage value.  Nutritional analysis shows that
protein, ash, and phosphorus levels all drop when the plant is mature.
Seasonal trends in the nutritional composition of cane bluestem in the
Edwards Plateau region of Texas are presented below [18]:

                                   % Composition
                     date   protein   ash   cell wall   Phos   DOM
old and new growth   4/13      8      11       68       .12    33
leaves               5/24      9      10       65       .14    55
leaves and stems     6/28      9       9       66       .15    57
leaves and stems     8/30      6       8       68       .08    47
leaves and stems     10/3      6       5       74       .07    40
leaves and stems     10/25     5       7       70       .08    52
leaves and stems     12/27     3       9       71       .03    48

These results are consistent with Koshi and others [20], who reported
that phosphorus and protein levels were inversely related to the age of
plants at time of harvest.  They observed that stands clipped three
times per season yielded 5,443 pounds per acre (6,100 kg/ha) of forage
containing 8.3 percent protein and 0.16 percent phosphorus; stands
clipped twice produced 6,602 pounds per acre (7,400 kg/acre) of forage
containing 7.0 percent protein and 0.17 percent phosphorus; and stands
clipped once produced 6,959 pounds per acre (7,800 kg/ha) of forage
containing 4.4 percent protein and 0.12 percent phosphorus.  In this
study protein levels were also found to be inversely related to the
amount of water applied.


COVER VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Cane bluestem is recommended for reseeding arid southwestern rangelands.
Seed, however, is available in very limited quantities.  No cultivars
have been released, and for reseeding purposes, seed may need to be
collected from native stands.  Cane bluestem is best suited for planting
on silty or clayey soils in areas with 12 to 20 inches mean annual
precipitation [24].  Cane bluestem averages 750,000 pure seeds per pound
(1,653,000/kg).  Recommended seeding rates are 17.2 pure seeds/square
foot at 1 pound per acre (185 pure seeds/sq m at 1.12 kg/ha) [24].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
NO-ENTRY


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Cane bluestem is an indicator of range in good condition.  This
decreaser is one of the first grasses to disappear from ranges that are
overgrazed [4,5,19].  Although cane bluestem is listed as a decreaser by
numerous authors, Bernardon and others [2] observed under greenhouse
conditions that clipping up to 60 percent of herbage at any stage during
the first year of seedling development was not detrimental to subsequent
root and herbage production.

Cane bluestem is recommended for reseeding arid southwestern rangelands,
but seed is available in very limited quantities.  No cultivars have
been released, and for reseeding, seed may need to be collected from
native stands.  Cane bluestem is best suited for planting in areas
receiving 12 to 20 inches mean annual precipitation, on silty or clayey
soils [24].  There are approximately 750,000 pure seeds per pound
(1,653,000/kg).  Recommended seeding rates are 17.2 pure seeds/square
foot at one pound per acre (185 pure seeds/square meter at 1.12 kg/ha)
[24].

Related categories for Species: Bothriochloa barbinodis | Cane Bluestem