1. Screening for Salt Tolerant Forage Species Conducted by Allison Levy, Undergraduate Under the Direction of Dr. James Bauder, Professor

2. Screening for Salt Tolerance Phase I Phase II Phase III

3. Research Objectives Determine survivability and early plant biomass production sixteen different forage species (phase I & II ). Irrigate with water qualities that were chosen to represent conditions of water surface supplies that could result from coal bed methane (CBM) development. Define a short list of species that are in a long- term experiment to assess (forage) biomass production potential utilizing CBM x surface water mixes (phase II & III) Field scale demo (phase III)

4. Plant x Salinity Background Osmotic effect Glycophytes Salinity effects plant growth -germination -vegetative growth -reproductive growth

5. Background- Plant x Salinity Germination Low salinity stimulates germination (Croser et al., 2001) Salinity inhibits germination by limiting water uptake (Croser et al., 2001) High amounts of Na, and Cl affect availability of other ions: K, Mg, N or P (Rogers, 1997)

6. Phase I:Germination Screening determine survivability and early plant biomass production of sixteen different forage species irrigated with water qualities that represent conditions that could result from CBM development Define a short list of species to be used in phase II & III

7. Water Treatments

8. Nine trays. Dimensions 45 x 35 x 9 inches. Each tray contained 4 flats. Each flat had 4 species 16 species per tray Three trays per replication Within a rep each tray received one of the three water qualities One drainage hole on the bottom side of each tray Design : Phase I

9. Water reached predetermined level during each irrigation cycle Water chemistries applied for five-day intervals discarded and replaced with new 100L stock solution Each 100 L stock solution contained 500mL nutrients Design :Phase 1

10. Planting Sand was selected planting medium. Species within each replication were randomized: -four species per flat -two rows per species -twenty seeds per row

11. Species Used in Screening for Salt Tolerance: Phase I Corn Zea mays Altai Elymus angustus Tall Wheatgrass Agropyron elongatum Crested Wheatgrass Agropyron cristatum Kochia Kochia scorparia Sorghum Bicolor (L.) moench Intermediate Wheatgrass Agropyron intermedium Newhly Wheatgrass Elyrtigia repens x Pseudoroegneria spicata Tall Fescue Festuca arundinacea Paiute Orchardgrass Dactylis glomerata L. Slender Wheatgrass Agropyron trachycaulum Perennial Ryegrass Lolium perennal Valier Hordeum valier Sugarbeets Beta vulgaris L. Hi Mag Tall Fescue Festuca arundinacea hi mag 2nd Gen. Alfalfa Medicago sativa

12. Harvest Five-week germination period Counted plants Harvested for above ground biomass Plant samples were oven dried Samples were weighed Sand samples were dried and sent to lab

13. Analyses Post germination soil analyzed for electrical conductivity (salinity), SAR (sodium adsorption ratio), base cations (Na, Ca, and Mg), pH, and bicarbonates Species x water quality combination determined Determined germination and survivability

14. Results- ANOVA Forage Species Germination Study F values followed by ***, **, * are significant at the 99, 95, 90 % levels.

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16. ** * * * * *

19. The Short List: Phase II Corn Zea mays Tall fescue Festuca arundunacea Intermediate wheatgrass Agropyron intermedium Slender wheatgrass Agropyron trachycaulum Altai wildrye Elymus angustus Tall wheatgrass Agropyron elongatum Valier barley Hordeum valier Sorghum Bicolor (L.) moench

20. Design : Phase II Short List Greenhouse Experiment 3 replicate randomized block pot within pot evaporation pan 10% leaching fraction

21. Phase II: “Grow Out” Greenhouse Experiment

22. Planting : Phase II Planting medium: sand Species within each rep were randomized: 1 species per pot 30 seeds for grasses 10 seeds corn 20 seeds barley

23. Harvest Corn Altai Wildrye Above ground biomass Root mass Dried & weighed Sent to lab for analysis

24. Analyses Post germination soil analyzed for electrical conductivity (salinity), SAR (sodium adsorption ratio), base cations (Na, Ca, and Mg), pH, and bicarbonates Species x water quality combination determined Determined germination and survivability Plant tissue analyses

26. Dry Weight Above Ground Biomass in Sand

27. Dry Weight Root Mass in Sand

29. Irrigated with Saline-sodic Water Sand vs. Clay

30. Irrigated with Saline-sodic Water Sand vs. Clay

32. The Short List: Phase III Corn Zea mays Tall fescue Festuca arundunacea Intermediate wheatgrass Agropyron intermedium Slender wheatgrass Agropyron trachycaulum Altai wildrye Elymus angustus Tall wheatgrass Agropyron elongatum Valier barley Hordeum valier Harrington barley Hordeum harrington Maritime (seacoast) barley Hays barley MT 981060 Saltbush Atriplex aptera

33. Design

34. Hayes Ranch: Tongue River

35. Gay Ranch: Powder River

36. Thanks To: Dr. James Bauder The entire “Jimmy clan”