Brooksville Plant Materials Center

Examining chalky bluestem

Harvesting seed of Ghost Rider chalky bluestem.

Accessions evaluated for survival, foliage height, canopy width and more.













 

In October, the Brooksville Plant Materials Center released a chalky bluestem (Andropogon capillipes Nash) selected germplasm which has been named "Ghost Rider Germplasm" Chalky bluestem is a native warm season perennial bunch grass. This grass received its common name from the white coating found on their leaves and stems. This coating easily rubs off and appears like chalk on your hand.

Chalky bluestem is one of the most important components of the "flatwoods" ecological community, which is easily recognized by its flat topography and slash pine and saw-palmetto vegetation. Because flatwoods occur on nearly level, poorly drained land, water movement is very gradual to the natural drainageways, swamps, marshes, and ponds associated with this ecological community.

During the rainy season, usually June through September, this site may have water on or near the soil surface. The flatwoods community is one of Florida’s most important native range sites and is still widely used by ranchers for cattle production.

Other grasses found on flatwood sites include creeping bluestem, wiregrass, and lopsided Indiangrass. Chalky bluestem is considered the most palatable native grass in the flatwoods and, with poor grazing management, will rapidly disappear.  In addition to its feed value for cattle, chalky bluestem is considered one of the better plants for wildlife, particularly as escape cover and nesting material for bobwhite quail.

Initial evaluation of chalky bluestem was conducted at the USDA, NRCS Plant Materials Center in Brooksville, Florida, on an assembly of 91 accessions collected from throughout the state of Florida. Each accession was evaluated for survival, foliage height, canopy width, basal width, vigor, resistance to drought, diseases, insects, culm height, seedhead number, seedhead uniformity, and seed maturity date. During these initial evaluations, none of the accessions ranked highest for all evaluation criteria; however, several consistently ranked high in several criteria. The ten accessions that ranked highest with the largest number of criteria over all years of testing were selected to be planted in an increase block to form a composite (seed from a mixture of plants with desirable genetic attributes).

The accessions included in the composite originated from all areas of the state except the southernmost counties below Lake Okeechobee, although chalky bluestem has been reported to occur in this region.

Ghost Rider Germplasm chalky bluestem should be adapted throughout Florida. It has not been tested at locations outside the state. It can be planted on somewhat poorly drained sites, such as wet flatwoods, sloughs, and the margins of freshwater ponds or marshes. It will not survive on droughty, upland sites without supplemental irrigation. It is especially well adapted to planting on heavier soil types.

A limited supply of Generation 1 seed of Ghost Rider Germplasm chalky bluestem will be available in 2006 for commercial producers. Contact M.J. Williams (mj.williams@fl.usda.gov or 352-338-9544) for more information.