ARE THERE ECONOMIC-BENEFITS OF ACCESSING FORAGE IN WOLF PLANTS OF CRESTED WHEATGRASS

Wolf plants are common in many crested wheatgrass [Agropyron desertoru m (Fischer ex Link) Schultes] pastures, and they represent an ineffici ent use of forage. The objective of this study was to determine costs and benefits of improving management to exploit the forage in wolf pla nts. Predictors of the forage left ungrazed in wolf plants (unused res idual forage) and economic costs and benefits of improving management to make this forage available to grazing animals were determined using 40 site-years of data from southern and central Saskatchewan. Economi c analyses were completed for management practices including: 1) no co ntrol of wolf plants, i.e. status quo grazing management; 2) no improv ement in grazing management, but the forage is swathed and baled every 5, 10, or 15 yr; 3) burning at 5, 10, or 15-yr intervals, but grazing management is not changed, and; 4) swathing and baling hay once, foll owed by intensified grazing management involving cross-fencing of the pasture with a four-strand barbed wire or a single-strand electric fen ce. Unused residual forage in wolf plants averaged 417 kg ha(-1) (SE=7 .5) and was correlated (R-2=0.75, P less than or equal to 0.001) with total standing crop of wolf plants. On average about 41% of the total standing crop in wolf plants was unused residual forage. Density of wo lf plants and dead standing crop were also significantly correlated (P less than or equal to 0.001) with unused residual forage in wolf plan ts; however, R-2 values of 0.12 and 0.41 suggest that they are not act ually strong predictors. Swathing and baling the crested wheatgrass ev ery 5, 10 or 15 yr is economically feasible when unused residual forag e in wolf plants averages about 200, 100 and 50 kg ha(-1), respectivel y, whereas burning at the same intervals is profitable when unused res idual forage exceeds about 400, 200 and 100 kg ha(-1). Results of this research clearly show that substantial amounts of unused residual for age are present in pastures of crested wheatgrass that are dominated b y wolf plants. Wolf plants are indicators of poor grazing management a nd potential economic loss. Management that encourages more uniform an d complete use of this unused residual forage is economically benefici al in most situations.