VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Poa pratensis | Kentucky Bluegrass 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Livestock: Kentucky bluegrass is highly palatable in early growth stages
and provides nutritious forage for all classes of livestock.  In the
West, it is often abundant in mountain grasslands, moist and dry
mountain meadows, aspen parkland, and open ponderosa pine forests where
it is eaten extensively by domestic sheep and cattle [15,20,49,60].
Mountain meadows dominated by Kentucky bluegrass may be relatively
limited in extent, but they are highly productive and thus contribute
substantial amounts of summer forage [75].  On mountain rangelands in
northeastern Oregon, Kentucky bluegrass is one of the most important
forage species in cattle and sheep summer diets [55,75].

In eastern North America, Kentucky bluegrass is considered one of the
best pasture grasses [100].  Due to limited precipitation in the West,
however, it provides only fair range forage because biomass production
is relatively low due to summer dormancy [115].  It is seldom seeded on
western ranges but may be used for pasture on moist and cool sites
[100,122].  In irrigated pastures, midsummer production can be
favorable, allowing cattle to gain more weight than if pastured on
orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata) or smooth brome (Bromus inermis)
[100].

Kentucky bluegrass is seldom planted for hay production because yields
are generally low, and plants mature before other hay species are ready
to cut.  It is, however, often found in hay mixtures as an invader
[100].

Wildlife:  Regionally, Kentucky bluegrass can be an important part of
the diets of elk, mule deer, and bighorn sheep [27,49].  On elk winter
range in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, Kentucky bluegrass is
one of the most important grasses eaten by elk [54].  Kentucky bluegrass
is also an important part of fall and winter diets of elk in Wind Cave
National Park, South Dakota [126].  Kentucky bluegrass meadows found
along mountain streams are often preferred foraging areas of wild
ungulates [61].

Bluegrass leaves and seeds are eaten by numerous species of small
mammals and songbirds [72,85].  Bluegrass is often an important food of
the cottontail rabbit and wild turkey [21,39].  Prairie chickens eat
small amounts of seeds [21].  Kentucky-bluegrass-dominated grasslands
provide habitat for numerous species of small mammals [39,78].  In
Kentucky-bluegrass-dominated mountain meadows in Oregon the northern
pocket gopher, Columbian ground squirrel, and mice are a prevalent, and
thus these sites are also important to foraging raptors [62].

Mueggler and Campbell [82] suggest that the aspen/Kentucky bluegrass
community type in Utah is one of the poorest aspen community types for
value as wildlife habitat because of the lack of plant species
diversity.



PALATABILITY : 
Kentucky bluegrass is highly palatable to most large grazers during the
spring when it is green and succulent.  When semidormant in the summer,
palatability is much reduced.  In moist mountain meadows, palatability
remains somewhat high during the summer.

In aspen parkland and mountain grasslands, Kentucky bluegrass is often
one of the most preferred grasses of cattle and sheep [15,75].  In some
Kentucky bluegrass-dominated meadows cattle grazing pressure can be
severe.  For example, along Catherine Creek in northeastern Oregon,
cattle preferred feeding in both dry and moist Kentucky bluegrass
meadows over other riparian vegetation types.  Kentucky bluegrass was
utilized from 55 to 79 percent in dry meadows and from 67 to 80 percent
in moist meadows [60].  In central Oregon, Kentucky-bluegrass-dominated
meadows are more palatable into midsummer than drier meadows dominated
by Cusick bluegrass (Poa cusickii) [120].

In the Black Hills of South Dakota, sedges (Carex spp.), wheatgrasses
(Agropyron spp.), and timber oatgrass (Danthonia intermedia) were
preferred by cattle over Kentucky bluegrass [114].

Kentucky bluegrass was one of the most preferred grasses of cattle under
season-long grazing in the ponderosa pine type of northern Arizona [20].

In the prairie states, Kentucky bluegrass is most palatable to livestock
in the spring before warm-season grasses have resumed growth [21].

Palatability to wildlife in western states is rated as follows
[27,62,97]:

                         CO      MT      ND      OR      UT      WY
Pronghorn               ----    ----    poor     ----   good    good
Elk                     good    good    ----     good   good    good
Mule deer               ----    fair    poor     good   good    good
White-tailed deer       ----    good    poor     good   ----    good
Small mammals           good    fair    fair     ----   good    good
Small nongame birds     ----    fair    fair     ----   fair    good
Upland game birds       ----    fair    poor     ----   fair    good
Waterfowl               ----    good    good     ----   fair    good


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
Early growth stages of Kentucky bluegrass are nutritious.  After
flowering, nutritive value declines, and the plant may only provide for
the minimum maintenance energy needs of ruminants.  Crude protein
content of leaves, for example, is often greater than 20 percent in
early spring before elongation of flowering culms.  After flowering,
protein content of leaves drops to less than 5 percent [74].  Similarly,
fiber content increases as plants mature.

The National Academy of Sciences [84] reported the following nutritional
information for fresh, aerial parts of Kentucky bluegrass during various
growth stages:

                   % Protein    % Ash   % Crude Fiber   % N-free Extract
growth stage      (N x 6.25)        

immature             17.5        9.4        25.4             44.2
early bloom          16.6        7.1        27.4             44.9
midbloom             13.2        7.6        29.2             46.1
milk stage           11.6        7.3        30.3             47.2
dough stage           9.5        6.6        34.8             46.0
mature                9.5        6.2        32.2             49.0
over ripe             3.3        6.3        42.1             47.0

In the Black Hills of South Dakota, Kentucky bluegrass plants growing in
shaded locations had more crude fiber and less nitrogen-free extract
than plants growing in full sunlight.  Although plants from shaded
locations were still nutritious for cattle, they were less palatable
[74].


COVER VALUE : 
Kentucky bluegrass provides good cover for small mammals and nongame
birds.  For waterfowl and upland game birds, cover value is fair to
good, depending upon species.

Where abundant, Kentucky bluegrass is preferred nesting cover of
blue-winged teal.  In the Midwest, bluegrass fields are used extensively
for nesting by this duck [8].

Kentucky bluegrass provides poor nesting cover for the ring-necked
pheasant [39].  In south-central South Dakota, Kentucky bluegrass was
important to nesting sharp-tailed grouse, occurring at 84 percent of all
nests [42], however, on the Sheyenne National Grasslands in southeastern
North Dakota, Kentucky bluegrasss was seldom used by nesting
sharp-tailed grouse or prairie chickens [70].  Because upland game birds
require dense, residual cover for nesting in the spring, cattle grazing
greatly influences nest site selection [42].


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Kentucky bluegrass's value in rehabilitation work is limited because it
is slow to establish cover, is not drought tolerant, and has high soil
fertility requirements [116].  When planted in seed mixtures, it often
takes 2 or 3 years to become established.  Once established, however, it
is persistent and forms a dense sod which promotes soil stability [49].
It is used in Alaska, Colorado, and Wisconsin for soil stabilization
along highway roadbanks [49].  In the West, it is probably best suited
for establishing cover in disturbed subalpine habitats [9]; however,
Hassel and others [50] recommend Canada bluegrass (Poa compressa) over
Kentucky bluegrass for revegetation projects on mountain sites in the
Intermountain West.

A summary of Kentucky bluegrass's performance at numerous reclamation
sites has been published [49].  


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Kentucky bluegrass is one of America's most popular lawn grasses.  It
withstands considerable abuse, and it is often used as a sod-grass at
campgrounds, golf courses, and ski slopes [97].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Grazing:  The desirability of Kentucky bluegrass on rangeland is limited
because of low production, summer dormancy, and propensity to invade
native grasslands.  This grass is highly resistant to grazing because
growing points remain belowground throughout the growing season, and it
has a low ratio of reproductive to vegetative stems [30].  Few grasses
are able to withstand heavy grazing as well as Kentucky bluegrass.  It
increases rapidly on overgrazed pastures and ranges, and its presence is
usually an indication of poor grazing management in the past.

On tallgrass prairie rangeland, Kentucky bluegrass density is best kept
in check by a combination of grazing management and prescribed burning.
It was effectively controlled in eastern Kansas with either season-long
or intensive early season grazing combined with late spring prescribed
burning [65].  Kentucky bluegrass also decreases with a combination of
late spring mowing and raking, which simulates burning [86].

In the Mountain West, Kentucky bluegrass is well adapted to meadows
which have seasonally high water tables and midsummer drought [120].  It
has become naturalized and dominates many meadows once dominated by
tufted hairgrass (Deschampsia cespitosa) and sedges.  Replacement of
Kentucky bluegrass with the original natives is impractical because of
its competitive ability.  Even after 11 years of rest from livestock
grazing, a Kentucky bluegrass meadow in central Oregon did not advance
toward dominance by tufted hairgrass [118].  For livestock use, these
sites are best managed under a grazing system other than season long
use.

Bluegrass control with herbicides:  Herbicides are used for cool-season
grass control prior to planting warm-season grass species for prairie
restoration, and for cool-season grass suppression in overgrazed
pastures.  Atrazine and glyphosate effectively control Kentucky
bluegrass.  On rangeland in eastern Nebraska, April application of
atrazine or glyphosate reduced Kentucky bluegrass relative composition
by 98 and 96 percent, respectively, after one growing season [121].
After two growing seasons, bluegrass recovery was negligible.  This
allowed yields of native warm-season grasses to increase dramatically.

Soil stability:  Because of its shallow root system, Kentucky bluegrass
is generally not as good a soil stabilizer as the native grasses and
forbs it replaces.  In riparian settings, it is ineffective in
stabilizing streambanks.  Erosion and channel downcutting may occur,
especially where excessively grazed [47,62].

Flood resistance:  Kentucky bluegrass is intolerant of prolonged
flooding, high water tables, or poor drainage [122].

Related categories for Species: Poa pratensis | Kentucky Bluegrass