The selections were enormously different in all physical characteristics. During the first three years of testing, inferior types were culled when anything was judged seriously undesirable, primarily inferior yield, low leaf/stem ratios, short green season length, and small short leaves.

In all three years of testing, the selections considered most desirable were reduced to three. Numerous other selections were considered of moderate desirability but were not tested further.

Any one of the three final selections, CH275, WA174, and 'Red River' crabgrass (RR874), could have been picked as the best, but the 'Red River' selection had the highest consistent forage yield without serious fault in other characteristics. The CH275 tended to perform a bit erratically but was a good forage type, and WA174 was an extremely leafy type that developed seed heads and forage volume later in the season.

If 'Red River' crabgrass has a negative characteristic, it would be excessive seed production, but that can be controlled under rotational grazing.

Summarized total forage yields are presented in tables 1 and 2. Some selections produced so little forage that they never were harvested. They were very short, slow-growing types and would have been good for conservation and turf crabgrasses, but we felt there was no need and discarded the seeds.

Yields varied from extremely low, estimated at fewer than 1,000 pounds per acre for unharvested selections, up to 12,582 pounds per acre from 'Red River' crabgrass. Usual low yields ranged from 3,000 to 5,000 pounds per acre.

Relative yields of 'Red River' crabgrass compared to that of the PDF6 control averaged 127 percent (table 2). We think that the Arkansas tests may have become contaminated somewhat after early development: when the Arkansas data were removed from the averages, the 'Red River' crabgrass produced 120 percent more than the control. One should keep in mind that poor types were eliminated before the final tests. 'Red River' crabgrass produced up to 182 percent more than lower-yielding types in early tests and up to 166 percent more in some later tests. Yields varied more between selections collected at the same site than between those from different latitudes or geographic areas. The yields of two selections collected fewer than 100 yards apart varied the most.

Some of these selections, including 'Red River' crabgrass, have been compared to bermudagrass and other forages in Arkansas (Herb Huneycutt, n.d.). In general, forage yields of crabgrass are a little lower than those of bermudagrass, but quality, or in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) percentage, is usually considerably higher (table 3). Higher quality and the grass's ability to fit certain planned volunteer double-crop forage approaches are two major reasons to use crabgrass as a forage.

When production based on pounds of grass yielded per pound of N applied was compared, 'Red River' crabgrass fared well (table 4). We realize that this indirect method of comparison is not as precise as it could be, but it indicates the possible and provides data useful in practical situations.

Based upon the superior crude protein (CP) and IVDMD, palatability, and other forage quality attributes, stock performance, or average daily gain (ADG), will be better when 'Red River' crabgrass is used than when bermudagrass and 'Plains' bluestem are used, as presented in these data (tables 3 and 4), assuming no limiting factors such as forage availability. At the Noble Foundation, research comparison with natural volunteer crabgrass and 'Midland' bermudagrass supports that difference. When both forages were in good supply, stocker cattle gains on crabgrass pastures were best by about a 0.5 ADG.

Tests of forage quality showed consistently that crabgrass is good to superior. There were no consistent major differences in chemical content quality between the final selections.

Several avenues of release were considered. The final naming and release of RR874 was accomplished in 1988 under the aegis of the Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies (P.O. Box 9812, Mississippi State, MS 39762). RR874 then officially became 'Red River' crabgrass, named for the Red River upland soils area of south central Oklahoma where the single-plant selection was collected. The Oklahoma Crop Improvement Association (OCIA) previously had agreed to accept that procedure as official and proper so seed could be properly produced and certified under the rules and regulations of the OCIA or similar organizations in other states.

A representative sample of breeder seed has been sent to the National Seed Storage Laboratory, Fort Collins, Colorado.

Part of the agreement with the OCIA regarding seed production and related practices was that the Agricultural Division of the Noble Foundation be responsible for maintaining breeder class seed and producing Foundation grade seed. The breeder class seed will be used to produce the Foundation class seed, which will be sold to producers who plan to produce Registered or Certified class seed. The Noble Foundation has no intention of regularly producing Certified or field run seed: private producers do.

There were about 1,350 pounds of pure live seed, breeder, Foundation, and Certified class, produced in 1989 seed increases. Judiciously planted, that seed could establish 675 to 2,700 acres of 'Red River' crabgrass, depending on the planting rate.

Anonymous. 1988. History of crabgrass. The Stockman-Grass Farmer Sept: 13.

Association of Official Seed Certifying Agencies. 1988. Varietal publications no. CXXX (p. 4). Raleigh, N.C.

Dalrymple, R. L. 1975. Crabgrass as a forage. The Noble Foundation Agricultural Division, Ardmore, Okla. Pub. No. CG-75.

Dalrymple, R. L. 1983. A summary of research and demonstrations about the use of crabgrass as a forage. The Noble Foundation, Agricultural Division, Ardmore, Okla. Pub. No. CG-83.

Phillips, J. N.d. Wild edibles of Missouri. The Missouri Department of Conservation, Jefferson City, Mo.

I wish to credit and thank Dr. Charles Taliaferro and Jerry Walker, Oklahoma State University; Dr. Herb Huneycutt, University of Arkansas; and Don Kueck, Kansas State University, for their help in testing some of the selections at their locations.