Date of Award:

5-1955

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Plants, Soils, and Climate

Department name when degree awarded

Agronomy

Committee Chair(s)

DeVere R. McAllister

Committee

DeVere R. McAllister

Abstract

Kochia scoparia (L.) Schrad. has had limited use as a forage crop during the past fifteen years in parts of the western United States, Canada, and Argentina. Erickson and Moxon (1947) reported kochia* to be a good emergency feed for sheep and cattle during dry years in South Dakota. Salguero (1946) said that this species could be utilized in Argentina as silage or pasturage if harvested before flowering. Bell, et al. (1952) in Saskatoon, Canada studied this species in a comparison with other introduced plants and reported that it seemed to have desirable nutrient characteristics for livestock roughage. Plummer (1949) reported beef cattle in Ephraim, Utah had eaten and gained normally on kochia hay.

Investigations of kochia by Erickson and Moxon (1947), Bell, et al. (1952), and Plummer (1954) indicated that this plant has a protein content which compares favorably with legumes. Data in the literature indicates the stage of maturity when kochia gives the best combination of palatability, yield, and protein content is just before anthesis.

Some soils of Utah and other arid states have a concentration of soluble salts which prevent or inhibit the growth of most cultivated species. Economical reclamation of many of these soils is not possible due to poor drainage, impervious subsoils, the high cost of amendments, and availability and/or quality of water for leaching purposes. An approach for more economical production of forage on these soils is better adapted species such as kochia.

Kochia is a member of the Chenopodiaceae family of which some members are halophytes e. g. Salicornia, Allenrolfea, and Sueada. Plummer (1955) reports he had observed kochia doing well on soils which contained 10,000 parts per million of soluble salts.

Erickson of South Dakota collected seed from wild stands of kochia and the literature indicates that currently available seed is from this common origin. He investigated growth habits, forage qualities, and forage and seed yields.

The author and others have observed a great phenotypic variability in unselected stands of kochia. There is no available evidence in the literature that this species has ever been selected for specific phenotypes. Naylor (1955) in Canada has been doing some selection of phenotypes but has not published his results.

The objectives of this investigation are to classify the plants into specific types, to observe the rate of growth of individual plants, and to sample some of the plants in order to compare protein content of the different types, and to observe any other characteristics which might be of value in selecting forage types.

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