Missouri - Elsberry Plant Materials Center Highlights
Highlights
SOIL HEALTH
Promote the use of reduced tillage and increased plant coverage on the soil
- Comparing cover crop seeding rates to the cover crop standard
- Plants developed for conservation cover to promote plant diversity, such as pollinator habitat
- Evaluating selected cover crops in new tree plantings
- Evaluating selected cover crop varieties to determine which work best for the service area
EROSION ON MARGINAL CROPLAND
Develop Forages for Pasture, Hay and Biofuels to Provide Permanent Cover
- Released Ozark Germplasm little bluestem for the southern service area (southern MO and IL) and finalizing the release of a northern selection of little bluestem for the northern service area (IA and northern MO, IL)
- 'Cave-in-Rock' switchgrass, 'Rountree' and 'OZ-70' big bluestem, and 'Rumsey' Indiangrass improve summer forage for livestock and provide wildlife habitat, while controlling erosion.
- Evaluate perennial warm-season grasses for vegetative barriers and herbaceous wind barriers.
WATER QUALITY
Control runoff and increase wildlife habitat
- Evaluating cover crops in a corn and soybean rotation and how it affects water quality and soil health
- Native shrub species, 'Midwest Premium' American plum and 'Sun Harvest' American hazelnut provide field borders, wind breaks, and wildlife food and cover.
- False indigo bush is a wetland species used for wildlife habitat, streambank stabilization, and upland covey headquarter plantings for quail.
- Multiple use native species developed for native mixtures. 'Cuivre River' Virginia wild rye used for filter strips and wetland berms, and little bluestem and Grayhead coneflower used for upland buffers.