|
Arizona
Range Grasses Back to the Table of Contents
Growth habit: A large, coarse stemmed perennial
bunchgrass, 3 to 6 feet tall, growing in dense clumps that may be up
to 2 feet in diameter.
Occurrence Generally on alluvial flats and bottomlands subject to
flooding. On sites of this sort it has been found in Arizona at elevations
of 2,000 to 6,500 feet in Graham, Pinal, Navajo, Coconino, Cochise,
Santa Cruz, and Pima counties. Forage Value The tender early spring growth is eaten readily by grazing
animals. As the plants mature, the leaves and stems become coarse and
tough and are eaten only sparingly. If cut before seed has set and while
the plants are still growing, sacaton makes fairly good hay.
Because sacaton is a coarse grass that grows rapidly,
it should be managed carefully to make full use of the forage and to
maintain sacaton flats in a highly productive condition. Sacaton stands
should be fenced to control use and protect upland grasses from heavy
grazing. These areas can be used most effectively by grazing them in
the early spring. After the grasses on the upland ranges have begun
to grow, livestock should be moved from the sacaton flats and kept off
until fall. The coarse, unpalatable old growth may be removed by burning
every three or four years. It is advisable to divide a flat into three
or four parts and to burn one part each year. The plants will suffer
the least fire injury if they are burned during the late winter or early
spring months before growth begins and soils are moist.
Back to the Table of Contents The University of Arizona is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative
Action Employer. Any products, services, or organizations that are mentioned,
shown, or indirectly implied in this publication do not imply endorsement
by the University of Arizona. |
Cooperative
Extension,College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, The University of
Arizona