Presentation (PDF) - National Native Seed Conference

In native forb seed production
fields
Amy Bartow
USDA NRCS Corvallis Plant Materials Center

• One of 27 centers across the US.
• Serving western Washington, Oregon,
and northwest California.
• Since 1957, the Corvallis Plant
Materials Center (PMC) has developed
conservation plants and planting
technology to solve resource concerns
critical to the Pacific Northwest.
• A unit of the USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS), the PMC
works in partnership with local, state,
federal and private organizations to
develop new technology in plant
propagation and establishment, seed
production, re-vegetation, restoration
and erosion control.

• Germination
protocols
• Seed and plant
production
• Establishment
methods/ guidelines

• National Park
Service
• Bureau of Land
Management
• United States Fish
and Wildlife Service
• United States Forest
Service

• Over hundred species researched
• In 2010, 60 different production plots
• 50 species
• Plots range from 100 sq ft to half an acre

• Genetically
uniform
• Rapid,
uniform
growth rate

• Little or no
seed
dormancy:
rapid
germination
• Early vigor,
competes
well with
weeds

• Even flowering and seed set
• Non-shattering seed

• Genetically nonuniform
• Variable growth
rate

• Low seedling vigor, slow to establish

• Medium to high seed dormancy, variable
germination

• Uneven
flowering and
seed set
• Shattering
seed

• Genetic diversity is important!
• We don’t want to lose it with harvest
methods.
• Makes harvesting low yielding or time
consuming. (Prices of native seed reflect
this!)
• Traditional harvest methods are not
always the best choice for native forbs.

• How uniformly does the seed mature on
each plant
• How uniformly does the seed mature
across the entire field (between the
plants)
• How easily does the seed shatter
• Are there significant physical differences
in the plants that might make one plant
more harvestable than another (size,
prostrate vs upright)

• Combining
• Flail-vacs or Seed
Strippers
• Modified swathers
• Weed Fabric
• Hand

• Usually used on grasses and cereals
• One-time harvest
• Very efficient! Makes it possible to have
large fields.
• But for wildflowers

• Can work for certain forb species
• Fields that are uniform in ripening
• Plants that have non-shattering seed
• Examples: Penstemon sp., Prunella
vulgaris, Downingia sp., Lupinus rivularis,
Eriophyllum lanatum.

• Uniform across the
field
• Seed doesn’t
shatter easily
• But shatters once
it is cut

• Maturity nonuniform
across
the field (very
long flowering
period)
• Seeds DO NOT
shatter
• Drying on tarps
for extended
time period
helps loosen the
seed

• Maturity is
not
uniform
across the
field
• But seed
does not
shatter

PROS
• Very Efficient, Possible to
have very large fields
• If seed maturity is uniform
within a plant or if seed
does not shatter easily
seed yields can be very
high.
• If seed ripening is
generally uniform across
the field, most plants will
contribute their genetics
to the harvest.
CONS
• Must have a very clean
field, or easy to clean seed
crop
• If seed maturity is variable
within a plant or if seed
shatters easily yields can
be low
• If seed ripening is nonuniform
across the field,
only the plants that have
mature seed at harvest
time will be contributing
their genetics to the
harvest.

• These machines allow for multiple (topdown)
harvests
• Adjustable in height
• Good for small or large fields
• Cuts down on cleaning time (only seed is
stripped form the plant, no threshing
needed).
• Examples: Ranunculus sp.
• Yarrow, Asters

• Maturity fairly even
across the field, can
do multiple harvests
• Seeds shatter easily

• Maturity
fairly even
across the
field,
• Seeds
shatter
easily.
• Only works
once.

• Very uneven
maturity
• Seeds fly away
when mature
• Plants tolerate
multiple harvests

PROS
• Works well for seeds
that shatter easily
• Works well for fields
that do not ripen
evenly (multiple
harvests!)
• Adjust height to
include large and
small plants in the
harvest
• Very easy to collect
seed from every plant
in the field
CONS
• Tractor tires run
over plants and can
damage plants and
flatten seed heads
(they won’t get
harvested). Need to
leave space when
building the fields
for the tires to drive
on

• Swathers that collects cut material
• Can be placed on tarps to catch shattering
seed as the plant material dries
• Mechanized hand harvesting
• Examples:
Eriogonum sp.,
Clarkia sp.,
Sisyrinchium sp.

• Variable
maturity
• Doesn’t
shatter easily
• Green
material stuck
to the insides
of combine
• Dried material
shatters easily

• Even
maturity
• Very short
• Seeds do not
shatter easily
• Capules open
slowly when
dry

PROS
• Good for fields that are
uniformly mature
• A must for seeds that
shatter as they are being
harvested or when they are
drying
• If seed maturity is uniform
within a plant or if seed
does not shatter easily seed
yields can be very high.
• If seed ripening is generally
uniform across the field,
most plants will contribute
their genetics to the
harvest.
CONS
• Requires a fabricator!
• Have to be able to handle
the material after it is cut.
Can be time consuming.
• Must have a very clean
field, or easy to clean seed
crop
• If seed maturity is variable
within a plant or if seed
shatters easily yields can be
low
• If seed ripening is nonuniform
across the field,
only the plants that have
mature seed at harvest
time will be contributing
their genetics to the
harvest.

• Weed fabric can be used to keep out
weeds and as a passive seed collector
• Good for species that shatter easily,
mature unevenly on the plants and
across the field.
• Good choice for small annual plants
• Almost possible to get every seed from
each plant!

• Varible ripening
• Very short
• Seeds ripen and
immediately
shatter

• Highly
variable
ripening
(months)
• Very short
• Seeds
immediatley
shoot out of
the capsule
when
mature.

• Variable
ripening
• Tiny seeds
shatter
upon
maturity
• Seeds
shatter
while
harvesting

PROS
• Good for small scale
production (specialty
species)
• Highest yields per plant
• Efficient, sweep up
seeds after they shatter
• Best choice for
protecting diversity
• No weeds!!!
• No threshing!!
CONS
• Limited to small scale
production (0.25 acre)
• Labor intensive, grow
plants in containers, lay
out weed fabric,
transplant plants into
holes cut in the fabric.
• Rhizomatous species
will not do as well in the
weed fabric, they will
come up underneath it.
• Can harbor mice under
the weed fabric.

Combined populations from all over the
Willamette Valley
Combined individual populations into
“blocks”
Blocks were planted together to allow
interbreeding
Blocks could be harvested separately
Divided seed among various growers

• Threatened species
• Mostly small,
isolated
populations exist
• Very easy to grow
• High agronomic
potential

• A lot of planning in the
early stages of wild seed
collection and growout
• Create a balanced
contribution from each
population
• Keep track of populations
by rows.
• Rows were replicated
across the field
• Allows for tracking and
accommodation per
population.

• 2009 first growing
season
• Grew 4000 plugs
from wild collected
seed
• Created seed
increase plots for
two recovery zones
• Produced over 80
lbs of seed.

• 3000 acre complex
of wetlands (and
some uplands)
• Unique partnership
of many agencies
and non-profits
• Working together
to protect and
restore the
wetlands

• 30 different species
• Annuals
• Hard to harvest
• Highly managed
small plots

• Grow plugs in a
greenhouse from
wild collected seed
• Transplant them
into weed fabric in
early spring
• Harvest multiple
times during the
growing season

If you must do a one-time harvest, but will
be harvesting the same field for a couple
of years for the same project,
consider an early harvest one year, a mid
harvest another year, and a late harvest
another year.
This will insure that all plants (regardless of
phenology) contribute their genetics to
the harvest.

Remember to Consider:
• How uniformly does the seed mature on
each plant and the entire field
• How uniformly does the seed mature
across the entire field (between the
plants)
• How easily does the seed shatter
• Are there significant physical differences
in the plants