BANFF, Alta. – Major conservation and land reclamation projects are spurring interest in native grass seed production.
“Most of our market is driven by private industry,” said Scott Ingledew, production manager of Prairie Seeds in Nisku, Alta.
Energy companies want native species to restore land disturbed by oil and gas exploration and pipeline projects. Ducks Unlimited needs native grasses for major conservation projects for wetlands, riparian areas and watershed projects.
Some golf courses have also seeded native grasses as a buffer around greens rather than planting trees.
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Native species have a wide genetic diversity, and seed multiplication efforts are ongoing. More certified native seed should be available within the next five years.
“It takes a lot of work developing seed production and getting them out into the market,” Ingledew said.
Agriculture Canada’s research centre in Swift Current, Sask., has the main public breeding program, while a number of private companies are developing programs for large reclamation and conservation projects.
Prairie Seeds is working on 10 different grass and legume species, Ingledew told a recent alfalfa and grass seed conference in Banff.
Species of interest include northern wheatgrass, plains rough fescue, western wheatgrass, awned wheatgrass and porcupine grass.
Ingledew said more grass species are available than legume seeds.
“They don’t represent a large portion of the plant community, but they are an important element of the plant community.”
Different zones, such as alpine meadows, boreal forest regions and grasslands, require different grass varieties.
The art of restoring native species is slow to develop because there is little production information available. Ingledew recommended an Alberta Agriculture publication, Guide to Using Native Plants on Disturbed Land, as a good reference.
