Source-identified Seed Abstract

Richard S. White
National Program Leader, Plant Materials
Natural Resources Conservation Service
U.S. Department of Agriculture
(202) 720-1814
richard.s.white@usda.gov

Several elements enter into successful restoration of disturbed areas, including seedbed preparation, planting techniques and the plant materials that are used. Using adapted species or ecotypes is probably the most important element to consider, and it is the primary focus of this presentation.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service's Plant Materials (PM) Program develops and transfers effective state-of-the-art plant technology to meet critical resource conservation needs. Some of the problems that are addressed by the program include: bioengineering, coastal dune stabilization, soil erosion, bugger strips, and roadside restoration. The primary products of the program include plant releases and land management technology.

Traditionally, the PM program has focused attention on developing cultivars from both native and introduced species. Currently, however, the importance of delivering plants to commercial growers sooner combined with the need for more native materials have brought about significant changes in the program. Plant Materials now focuses its efforts almost entirely on native species and is using pre-varietal releases (tested, selected, and source-identified release types) to get releases to the end user quickly and more efficiently.

Several factors go into making a release and enter into the decision to select species to work on. These include:

1. availability of other suitable materials to do a comparable job;
2. relative time to develop a release;
3. cost producing a release;
4. relative priority or need that exists;
5. major vs. minor plant in the ecosystem;
6. area where it can be used -- region of adaptation;
7. problem(s) that can be solved by the plant;
8. time required for release delivery;
9. method(s) of propagation;
10. seed production;
11. potential weediness or invasiveness;
12. establishment, management, and care requirements;
13. acceptance by land managers.

The different types of releases, i.e., source-identified, selected, tested, and cultivar are defined and discussed with respect to which type is most appropriate. Each has advantages and disadvantages. Source-identified materials are best suited to specific ecological sites that are thoroughly tested and more widely adapted to a broad range of climatic and soil regimes. Their performance is generally more predictable than source-identified materials. Selected and tested cultivars are intermediate.

The relative success of source-identified materials depends on a staple supply of seed, a reliable means of seed increase (i.e., commercial grower(s)), and end users that want and will plant the source-identified material. The absence of any one component will result in failure of a source-identified material. Successful operation of this combination is best illustrated by the use of ecotypes, i.e., source-identified materials, by the Iowa Department of Transportation.