Vast areas throughout the Missouri River bottoms became sand deposits following the devastating floods of 1993, rendering the once productive farmland unproductive. In 1995 the Missouri Department of Conservation established test plots using 30 different native and exotic grasses and forbs on sand deposits on state owned property to determine the best adapted vegetation for revegetating those areas. Four repetitions of each species were established and four different criteria were used to rank each of the species. The criteria used for ranking were: vigor, % canopy, % stand and average height. The plots were assessed 15 June 1995, 15 August 1995, and 13 May 1996. The following results are based upon an average of the 4

Percent canopy, though in my opinion not as important as vigor or percent stand, could be used to interpret the amount of rainfall intercepted before it hits the ground, one of native grasses ways of controlling erosion. It is important to keep in mind that this is an average of three assessments and the plots are only one year old. As we all know, native grasses increase over time. Pronghorn Prairie Sandreed had the highest canopy coverage at 34%, followed by Garden Sand Bluestem - 27.5%, Goldstrike Sand Bluestem - 25%, Goshen Prairie Sandreed - 25%, Champ Big Bluestem - 19%, and Maximillian Sunflower - 19%. I think it is important to point out Pronghorn and Goshen Prairie Sandreed and Garden and Goldstrike Sand Bluestem maintained fairly even canopy coverages over the four repetitions.

Percent stand is probably the most important measurement and when considered with vigor is a true measurement of which species will do well. Percent stand is a measurement of how much of the stand is alive and growing. Once again the Prairie Sandreeds and Sand Bluestems performed well. Their percentages were: Goshen Prairie Sandreed - 97%, Pronghorn Prairie Sandreed - 94%, Garden Sand Bluestem - 92%, Goldstrike Sand Bluestem - 82%, Cheyenne Indiangrass - 79%, VNS Sand Lovegrass - 79%, Champ Big Bluestem - 76%, Cave-in-Rock Switchgrass - 76%, and Cimarron Little Bluestem - 75%. I included all those that scored at or above 75% because I thought it would be an interesting comparison. I would consider anything at 75% or above under regular conditions an excellent stand, let alone on sand. I'm sure many of you would too.

The importance of the last category, average height, I'm not sure of. It is difficult to make a reasonable conclusion based upon height because each of the species tested have different growing heights. A possibility is that average height was used to help determine vigor, which if true means the results from the two categories should be similar. (The two categories appear to be loosely associated.) The plants were measured in centimeters and an average taken across the 4 repetitions. Mammoth Wildrye was the tallest at 30 cm, followed by: Pronghorn Prairie Sandreed - 26.5 cm, Dune Wildrye - 24 cm, Cave-in-Rock Switchgrass - 20 cm, Rountree Big Bluestem - 18 cm, Goshen Prairie Sandreed - 18 cm, and Southern Iowa Canada Wildrye - 18cm.

I'm sure you've picked up a pattern by now. Goshen and Pronghorn Prairie Sandreed appear to be the best suited for revegetating sand deposits, followed closely by Garden and Goldstrike Sand Bluestem. Other native grasses performing well were Champ Big Bluestem, Cave-in-Rock Switchgrass, and to a lesser degree Cimarron Little Bluestem and Sand Lovegrass.

How did the exotics fare? I picked just three of the more traditional grasses that would most likely be used under these circumstances, lacking the knowledge that you and I now have. Martin Tall Fescue, Reed Canarygrass and Smooth Brome were all part of the test plots. In the last assessment on 13 May 1996, Martin Tall Fescue ranked a vigor of 9 for two of the reps and was absent from the other two, Reed Canarygrass was absent from three of the reps and ranked 9 in the fourth and Smooth Brome, while in each rep, ranked 9. Martin Tall Fescue had a .01% stand, Reed Canarygrass - 0, and Smooth Brome - 5%. Percent canopy for Martin Tall Fescue was .001%, Reed Canarygrass - 0, and Smooth Brome - .7%. Finally the average height was not applicable for Martin Tall Fescue or Reed Canarygrass, Smooth Brome was 13 cm. As you can see none of these did well at all.

It is important to keep all of this in perspective. Keep in mind that these assessments were taken over a one year period. Over time this could all change, Some of the grasses could take longer to develop or those that show strong in the beginning may thin over time, however initially it appears the Prairie Sandreeds and Sand Bluestems are the best options.