Pasture/Hayland Seedings and their suitability for the Ring-Necked Pheasant

image of pheasantThe following list of seeding recommendations was taken from the Natural Resources Conservation Service (S.C.S.) standards and specifications for Pasture and Hayland Planting. Each seeding is rated as good, fair, or poor in relation to nesting, broodrearing and winter cover for Ring-necked Pheasants. This information can be used as a guide to help planners, and landowners interested in pheasants, choose seedings that will improve areas of habitat deficiency. To make this guide work, the following assumptions have been made.

  1. Each planting will be managed according to S.C.S. specifications.
  2. Cool-season grass/legume mixtures will have either a 50-foot strip left unmowed around the edge of the field at first cutting, to protect nesting pheasant, or cutting will be delayed until after July 1st.
  3. Some S.C.S. seeding rates may change in the future. However, the ratings for nesting, broodrearing and winter cover should remain similar as long as the vegetation type remains the same.
  4. The values assigned to each of the seedings are relative only in regard to other seedings listed.
RING-NECKED PHEASANT SEEDING SUITABILITY
Pasture & Hayland Plantings (Meets SCS Specs) Seeding Rate (PLS)* Lb/Ac Nesting Broodrearing Winter Cover Climatic Adaptation
1. Bromegrass 7 Good Good Poor Bromegrass best adapted to North one half of State.
Alfalfa 8
2. Bromegrass 4 Fair Fair Poor Bromegrass best adapted to North one half of State.
Birdsfoot Trefoil 4
3. Bromegrass 4 Fair Good Poor Bromegrass best adapted to North one half of State.
Ladino Clover 1
4. Tall Fescue 8 Poor Poor Poor Statewide
Alfalfa 8
5. Tall Fescue 5 Poor Poor Poor Birdsfoot best adapted to Central and Northern Missouri
Birdsfoot Trefoil 4
6. Tall Fescue 8 Poor Fair Poor Statewide
Ladino Clover 1
7. Tall Fescue 11 Poor Fair Poor Statewide
Lespedeza (Annual) 12
Ladino Clover one half
8. Tall Fescue 11 Fair Fair Poor Statewide
Medium Red Clover 7
Ladino Clover one half
9. Orchardgrass 4 Good Good Fair Statewide
Alfalfa 8
10. Orchardgrass 4 Good Good Fair Statewide
Alfalfa 8
Ladino Clover one half
11. Orchardgrass 2 Fair Good Fair Birdsfoot Trefoil is best adapted to Central and Northern Missouri
Birdsfoot Trefoil 4
Bluegrass (Optional) one half
12. Orchardgrass 4 Fair Fair Fair Statewide
Ladino Clover 1
13. Orchardgrass 4
Lespedeza (Annual) 12
Ladino Clover one half Good Good Fair Statewide
14. Orchardgrass 4 Good Good Fair Statewide
Medium Red Clover 7
15. Red Top 3 Good Fair ppr Statewide
Lespedeza (Annual) 3
16. Reed Canarygrass 4 Fair Poor Fair Statewide
Alfalfa 8
17. Reed Canarygrass 4 Fair Poor Fair Statewide Return to List
Ladino Clover 1
Alsike Clover 2
18. Reed Canarygrass 4
Medium Red Clover 8 Fair Poor Fair Statewide
19. Timothy one and one half
Alfalfa 6
Ladino Clover 1 Good Good Fair Statewide
20. Timothy one and one half
Birdsfoot Trefoil 4
Bluegrass (Optional) 1 Fair Good Fair Birdsfoot is best adapted to Central and Northern Missouri.
21. Big Bluestem three and one half Good Poor Good Statewide
Indiangrass three and one half
22. Orchardgrass 5 Fair Fair Fair Statewide
23. Tall Fescue 12 Poor Poor Poor Statewide
24. Bromegrass 8 Good Fair Fair North Missouri
25. Bermuda grass 15 Bu per ac Poor Poor Poor South Missouri
26. Reed Canarygrass 5 Fair Poor Fair Statewide
27. Redtop 4 Good Fair Poor Statewide
28. Switchgrass 4 Good Poor Good Statewide
29. Big Bluestem 7 Fair Fair Good Statewide
30. Indiangrass 7 Fair Fair Good Statewide
31. Caucasian Bluestem 2 Poor Poor Poor Statewide
32. Alfalfa 12 Fair Good Fair Statewide
33. Red Clover 10 Good Good Good Statewide
34. Lespedeza (Annual) 20 Poor Fair Poor Statewide
Other Mixture Recommendations Through CRP Program Only
1. CP-1 Big Bluestem one and one half Good Fair Good Statewide
Indiangrass one and one half to four
Little Bluestem one half to two
Sideoats Grama one to two
2. CP-4 Birdsfoot Trefoil 4 Fair Poor Poor North Missouri
Bluegrass three quarter
Tall Fescue 4
3. CP-4 Redtop one and one half Good Good Fair Statewide
Timothy one and one half
Lespedeza 8

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