Forage quality of rillscale (Atriplex suckleyi) grown on amended bentonite mine spoil

Authors

Marguerite E. Voorhees, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Rapid City, South Dakota

Abstract

At peak standing crop, rillscale (Atriplex suckleyi) foliage grown on amended bentonite mine spoil contained adequate digestible energy, crude protein, and all mineral elements except phosphorus necessary for cattle, sheep, antelope, and deer. Amendments (sawdust, NPK, gypsum) generally did not affect forage quality. Iron, manganese, aluminum, sodium, and potassium concentrations were high and may have adversely affected forage quality. Forage utility would be limited to a few months during the growing season.

Recommended Citation

Voorhees, Marguerite E. (1990) "Forage quality of rillscale (Atriplex suckleyi) grown on amended bentonite mine spoil," Great Basin Naturalist: Vol. 50: No. 1, Article 7.
Available at: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/gbn/vol50/iss1/7