Development of a Device to Cost Effectively Produce Bluegrass Seed Without Field Burning or Tillage

The traditional dryland farming method for growing and harvesting bluegrass seeds uses open-field grass burning to maintain productive growth for up to 10 years. Concerns about air quality will not permit the continued use of burning, however, with non-burning methods, the seed production period is too short to provide an economically sustainable operation. Finding an alternative method to cost effectively produce bluegrass seed is required to retain this sector of the nation's agricultural economy. This project will demonstrate the use of a mechanical transplanting concept to transplant developed grass plant plugs into stubble fields. This method reduces the land area needed for plant development and reduces soil erosion that occurs if a field is tilled. This will reduce the plant establishment cost that must be supported by the shorter no-burn production period. Through this project, in Phase 1, a concept apparatus will be developed and tested.