Natural Resources
Conservation Service
Overflow Forage Suitability Group EXAMPLE
Scenario model
Current ecosystem state
Select a state
Management practices/drivers
Select a transition or restoration pathway
-
No transition or restoration pathway between the selected states has been described
Target ecosystem state
Select a state
Description
Adapted Species List
The following cool-season grass forage species are considered adapted to grow on the soils in this group. Additional information concerning plant characteristics of a number of the listed species as well as individual cultivars of many of those species can be accessed on the web at http://plants.usda.gov/.
Cool Season Grasses Symbol
Altai wildrye LEAN3 G
Basin wildrye LECI4 F
Bluebunch/Quackgrass Hybrid G
Canada wildrye ELCA4 G
Crested wheatgrass AGCR G
Dahurian wildrye ELDA3 G
Green needlegrass NAVI4 G
Intermediate wheatgrass THIN6 G
Meadow bromegrass BRBI2 G
Pubescent wheatgrass THIN6 G
Reed canarygrass PHAR3 F
Russian wildrye PSJU3 G
Slender wheatgrass ELTR7 G
Smooth bromegrass BRINI2 G
Tall wheatgrass THPO7 G
Western wheatgrass PASM G
G - Good adaptation for forage production on this group of soils in this MLRA
F - Fair adaptation but will not produce at its highest potential
Characteristics and indicators
Growth Curve Number: ND0002
Growth Curve Name: Cool season grass
Growth Curve Description: Cool season grass
Percent Production by Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
0 0 0 5 40 35 10 5 5 0 0 0
Resilience management
The production estimates listed below represent total annual above ground plant production on an air-dry-matter basis. Estimates of hay and grazing yields can be calculated from these numbers by multiplying them by a harvest efficiency. A 70 percent harvest efficiency is commonly used when converting to hay yields. Pasture harvest efficiency is highly dependent on the grazing management system applied, ranging from 25 to 50 percent.
Dryland
Forage Crop Management Intensity
Low High
(lbs/ac) (lbs/ac)
Crested wheatgrass 1700 3700
Intermediate wheatgrass 2000 4000
Pubescent wheatgrass 2000 4000
Dominant plant species
Altai wildrye (Leymus angustus), grass
basin wildrye (Leymus cinereus), grass
Canada wildrye (Elymus canadensis), grass
crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum), grass
Dahurian wild rye (Elymus dahuricus), grass
green needlegrass (Nassella viridula), grass
intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium), grass
reed canarygrass (Phalaris arundinacea), grass
Russian wildrye (Psathyrostachys juncea), grass
slender wheatgrass (Elymus trachycaulus), grass
smooth brome (Bromus inermis ssp. inermis var. inermis), grass
tall wheatgrass (Thinopyrum ponticum), grass
western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii), grass
meadow brome (Bromus biebersteinii), grass
intermediate wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium), grass
RS wheatgrass (Elymus hoffmannii), grass
Submodel
Description
Adapted Species List
The following warm-season grass forage species are considered adapted to grow on the soils in this group. Additional information concerning plant characteristics of a number of the listed species as well as individual cultivars of many of those species can be accessed on the web at http://plants.usda.gov/.
Warm Season Grasses Symbol
Big bluestem ANGE G
Blue grama BOGR2 F
Little bluestem SCSC F
Sand bluestem ANHA F
Sideoats grama BOCU G
Switchgrass PAVIV G
G - Good adaptation for forage production on this group of soils in this MLRA
F - Fair adaptation but will not produce at its highest potential
Characteristics and indicators
Growth Curve Number: ND0003
Growth Curve Name: Warm season grass
Growth Curve Description: Warm season grass
Percent Production by Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
0 0 0 0 10 40 35 15 0 0 0 0
Resilience management
The production estimates listed below represent total annual above ground plant production on an air-dry-matter basis. Estimates of hay and grazing yields can be calculated from these numbers by multiplying them by a harvest efficiency. A 70 percent harvest efficiency is commonly used when converting to hay yields. Pasture harvest efficiency is highly dependent on the grazing management system applied, ranging from 25 to 50 percent.
Dryland
Forage Crop Management Intensity
Low High
(lbs/ac) (lbs/ac)
Big bluestem 2600 4900
Switchgrass 2600 4900
Dominant plant species
big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii), grass
blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis), grass
little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), grass
sand bluestem (Andropogon hallii), grass
sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), grass
switchgrass (Panicum virgatum var. virgatum), grass
Submodel
Description
The following legume forage species are considered adapted to grow on the soils in this group. Additional information concerning plant characteristics of a number of the listed species as well as individual cultivars of many of those species can be accessed on the web at http://plants.usda.gov/.
Legumes Symbol
Alfalfa MESA G
American vetch VIAM G
Canada milkvetch ASCAC6 G
Cicer milkvetch ASCI4 G
Hairy vetch VIVIG F
Purple prairieclover DAPUP F
Sweetclover MELIL G
White clover TRRE3 F
White prairieclover DACAC F
G - Good adaptation for forage production on this group of soils in this MLRA
F - Fair adaptation but will not produce at its highest potential
Characteristics and indicators
Growth Curve Number: ND0001
Growth Curve Name: Alfalfa
Growth Curve Description: Alfalfa
Percent Production by Month
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
0 0 0 5 25 30 20 15 5 0 0 0
Resilience management
The production estimates listed below represent total annual above ground plant production on an air-dry-matter basis. Estimates of hay and grazing yields can be calculated from these numbers by multiplying them by a harvest efficiency. A 70 percent harvest efficiency is commonly used when converting to hay yields. Pasture harvest efficiency is highly dependent on the grazing management system applied, ranging from 25 to 50 percent.
Dryland
Forage Crop Management Intensity
Low High
(lbs/ac) (lbs/ac)
Alfalfa 2600 6600
Dominant plant species
alfalfa (Medicago sativa), grass
American vetch (Vicia americana), grass
Canadian milkvetch (Astragalus canadensis var. canadensis), grass
chickpea milkvetch (Astragalus cicer), grass
sweetclover (Melilotus), grass
white clover (Trifolium repens), grass
white prairie clover (Dalea candida var. candida), grass
winter vetch (Vicia villosa), grass
purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea var. purpurea), grass
Submodel
Description
Custom tailored seeding mixes and generic seed mixes of warm- and cool-season grasses with legumes can be created for this Forage Suitability Group across this MLRA.
Resilience management
The production estimates listed below represent total annual above ground plant production on an air-dry-matter basis. Estimates of hay and grazing yields can be calculated from these numbers by multiplying them by a harvest efficiency. A 70 percent harvest efficiency is commonly used when converting to hay yields. Pasture harvest efficiency is highly dependent on the grazing management system applied, ranging from 25 to 50 percent.
Dryland
Forage Crop Management Intensity
Low High
(lbs/ac) (lbs/ac)
Alfalfa/Crested wheatgrass 2300 5400
Alfalfa/Intermediate wheatgrass 2600 6000
Alfalfa/Pubescent wheatgrass 2600 6000
Submodel
Model keys
Briefcase
Add { ecological site groups } and { Major Land Resource Areas } to your briefcase by clicking on the briefcase
(
) icon wherever it occurs. Drag and drop items to reorder. Cookies are used to store briefcase items between browsing sessions. Because of this, the number of items that can be added to your briefcase is limited, and briefcase items added on one device and browser cannot be accessed from another device or browser. Users who do not wish to place cookies on their devices should not use the briefcase tool. Briefcase cookies serve no other purpose than described here and are deleted whenever browsing history is cleared.
Ecological site groups
Major Land Resource Areas
The Ecosystem Dynamics Interpretive Tool is an information system framework developed by the USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, and New Mexico State University.
Accessibility statement