Forage Kochia
Roby Kettle, Humboldt County Extension Educator
University of Nevada Cooperative Extension
Jay Davison, Plant and Soil Specialist
University of Nevada Cooperative Extension
"Immigrant" forage kochia (Kochia prostrata) has had much publicity in recent
years. Its name "Immigrant" forage kochia lends itself to much misunderstanding
about the plant. The word immigrant implies to many people that the plant is one
that spreads rapidly. The most common fallacy is that it is an invasive,
aggressive invader like annual kochia (Kochia scoparia) that invades croplands,
roadsides, and disturbed sites throughout the United States.
Nevada has several million acres of rangeland that is dominated by cheatgrass
and other annuals. This acreage is expanding every year with the major
contributing factor being rangeland wildfires. Many rangeland managers thought
that if given time and protection from grazing, native grasses would again
dominate cheatgrass infested ranges. However, on low elevation rangelands
(that comprised of Wyoming big sage before burning), cheatgrass has remained
the dominant plant. Forage kochia can be an important tool for competing with
cheatgrass, providing forage and habitat diversity for wildlife and livestock, and
helping to control fire.
Forage Kochia or Annual Kochia
Despite the positive beneficial impacts of forage kochia, many people are
skeptical, fearing that forage kochia will be similar to annual kochia. There are
some key differences between forage kochia and annual kochia:
Forage Kochia
1. Belongs to a group of plants that consist of many valuable arid and
rangeland species like saltbush and winter fat.
2. Is a perennial shrub.
3. Does not establish in a site unless specifically planted, with little to no
movement outside of the area of establishment (Clements 1997).
4. Is readily consumed by livestock and wildlife.
Annual Kochia:
1. Is an annual weed.
2. Establishes in disturbed sites throughout the Unites States.
3. Invades millions of acres of cropland.
4. Is rarely found on rangelands unless the area has been completely
reduced to bare soil.
5. Is not a preferred forage plant for livestock or wildlife.
Forage Kochia as Livestock and Wildlife Forage
Forage kochia makes excellent feed for both wildlife and livestock. During winter
periods or dry seasons the protein content of grass drops below the typical
required 8 percent level required by most animals. Shrubs, such as forage
kochia, are generally higher in protein than grasses. Forage kochia's protein
content runs from 8-14 percent depending upon the time of year (Welch 1984).
Its protein level peaks in August around 14.7 percent and drops to a low of 8.9
percent in March (Davis 1979 & 1985). Between August and March is when
grasses are at their lowest protein levels; thus forage kochia used with grasses at
this time can complement the nutritional levels required by livestock.
Forage kochia is palatable to livestock year long. A study comparing the winter
diets of sheep grazing forage kochia and crested wheatgrass, and winter fat and
crested wheatgrass found forage kochia amounted to 51.1 percent of the diet on
the first year and 44.6 percent of the diet on the second year. Winterfat, a wellknown,
highly palatable shrub, was 27 and 19 percent of the diet in each of the
years. In part the higher consumption of forage kochia can be explained by the
greater amount of forage produced by forage kochia, but it also shows its high
palatability (McKell, 1990). As long as adequate amounts of forage kochia are
available, it will provide adequate protein to meet the needs of grazing animals
during the late season (McKell, 1990).
In the Dunphy Hills area (Elko BLM District) forage kochia, grasses and shrubs
were seeded on degraded rangeland that was considered "critical" winter habitat
for mule deer. The first year after seeding, annual plants still dominated,
however forage kochia was evident. Forage kochia becomes a stronger part of
the plant complex, and after four years, evidence of Wyoming big sage,
thickspike wheatgrass, and other native bunchgrasses and forbs were becoming
visible. As a consequence mule deer fawn ratios have increased in recent years
(Clements, 1994).
Replacing Cheatgrass on Nevada Rangelands
Cheatgrass is a winter annual. If adequate moisture is available, it will germinate
in the fall or late winter. If winter moisture is inadequate it germinates in early
spring. Cheatgrass grows very quickly in the spring, uses available water, forms
seeds, and then dries out in early summer. The mature seeds are deposited on
the ground and are ready to grow with adequate moisture. Cheatgrass can start
growth earlier in the spring than the natives can. This usually results in
cheatgrass out-competing the seedlings of perennial plants on the low
precipitation/elevation rangelands in Nevada.
Fire is a recurring event on many rangelands in Nevada. Fires burn every 50-
110 years in native range, while cheatgrass invaded ranges often burn every 3-5
years (Whisenant, 1990). Cheatgrass dries out early in the season, and forms
an even blanket of fuel, which often allows fires to start and burn. This constant
burning eliminates the range of woody plant species and decreases perennial
forbs and grasses. The result is a replacement of the native vegetation with
cheatgrass.
Cheatgrass provides a very limited grazing season for livestock and wildlife. Its
seeds produce stiff awns that make the plant unpalatable once the seed has
dried. Its palatable season is short, providing a brief grazing season for livestock
and wildlife of only 4-5 weeks.
Because of cheatgrass's competitiveness for moisture early in the spring, it is
difficult to get perennial grasses and shrubs established in cheatgrass dominated
areas. However, forage kochia has been found to be extremely competitive on
cheatgrass ranges. Forage kochia is one of the few plants found that can be
seeded into cheatgrass ranges, establish itself, and over time out-compete
cheatgrass.
Forage Kochia's Role in Fire Suppression
Forage kochia stays green most all of the year depending upon moisture levels in
the soil. That provides two advantages. First, it is very palatable and nutritious
for livestock and wildlife when grass and forbs have dried up. Second, it is
green, and does not have volatile oils in its leaves, which reduces its
flammability.
Forage kochia grows in bunches with bare soil in between the plants; it does not
provide a continuous fuel, which slows down fire and makes it difficult to burn.
Ranges seeded with forage kochia and other perennial bunch grasses are far
less likely to burn than cheatgrass rangelands.
Forage kochia is an excellent plant to use in firebreaks. It has been effectively
used as a greenstrip to help protect native shrub communities or private
dwellings from fire. A greenstrip sometimes will stop a fire from burning through
it. Fires can and do burn through greenstrips, however the fire is usually slowed
down, which gives fire fighters a greater chance to control it. If forage kochia
does burn, it has a high survival rate.
Forage Kochia Establishment
At the current time, seed for forage kochia is $8 - $9 per pound. This price is
expected to drop as more seed is produced. Typical seeding rates are from 0.5
– 3.0 pounds per acre Pure Live Seed (PLS) (PLS = Purity x Germination)
depending whether it is seeded by itself or with grasses or shrubs. A common
mixture is 1 pound of forage kochia with 5 pounds of crested wheatgrass or other
perennial bunch grass. To establish a pure stand of forage for grazing would
require 2-3 pounds PLS per acre.
Seeding
Research shows that forage kochia should be seeded in the late fall or early
winter. Generally the months of November and December have proven to be the
most successful time for dryland plants. Spring seedings, after mid-January, are
not recommended. Spring seedings are often done after the peak moisture,
which the new seedling does not get to take advantage of. In addition, later
planting gives the seed longer to break the utricle that surrounds the seed and
time for the embryonic plant to uncoil in preparation for growth.
Forage kochia should be dril led to a depth of 1/8 of an inch below the soil surface.
Tilling and harrowing prior to seeding has produced slightly higher plant densities
when compared to no seedbed preparation, but the additional cost is not
economically feasible on large acres (Page, 1994). Care should be taken not to
plant the seed too deep. If the seed is planted too deep, emergence and survival
is much lower or not al all. Forage kochia is adapted to dry sites, and will
establish in sites with as little as 5 inches of rainfall per year. It also establishes
well in alkaline and saline sites.
Forage kochia can also be successfully established with broadcast seeding
(Page, 1994). If the seed is broadcast, it is essential that it be done in the early
winter before the majority of the winter snow is on the ground (November is
optimal). This will allow snow, rain, and the freeze/thaw action of the soil during
winter to lightly cover the kochia seeds.
Seed Viability
Proper storage of forage kochia seed can be difficult. Large reductions in
germination rate can occur in a single year if the seed is not stored correctly
(Young, 1981). The seed should be dried and stored under dry cool conditions to
maintain adequate germination. Seed is normally harvested in October or
November, making it difficult to dry enough for proper storage. Because of
storage difficulties it is best to plant the current year's seed. Forage kochia seed
will have the best germination if it is planted within a few months after harvest
(November-December).
If forced to buy seed that is a year old, try to buy seed that has been stored in a
cool, dry place. It is best if the seed has been stored at 50 degrees or less. A
current germination test should be done on the seed and it should be purchased
on a Pure Live Seed (PLS) basis. This is important as a germination rate of 50
percent or less is common in older seed.
Conclusion
Forage kochia has proven to be an adapted, highly palatable forage species for
livestock and wildlife. It is competitive with cheatgrass and much more fire
resistant. It provides diversity and cover when seeded with crested cheatgrass.
With all things considered, forage kochia deserves greater use when seedingin nevada.
