It is well accepted that nothing is done totally alone. I wish first to thank the Noble Foundation administration for their support in permitting much of the work to be done in the field and encouraging it to be summarized in this writing.

Special thanks for their valuable critique is due the peer reviewers: Wadell Altom, Bill Dahl, Chet Dewald, Charles Griffith, B. J. Hankins, Wilfred McMurphy, John Merrill, Ronald Mitchell, and Mark Moseley. Thanks to Robert Gillen, George Hedger, M. K. Patterson, Jerold Rogers, and Harold Shappell for doing the final reading.
Becky Kittrell did excellent word processing. I am grateful to her and all Noble Foundation print shop personnel for their help.

The Old World bluestems have been in the New World (United States) since the 1920s and 1930s. More modern varieties have become available during the 1970s and 1980s. These grasses always have been considered successful, but it has been guesstimated that over the decades, up to 50 percent of plantings have resulted in some degree of failure. It does not have to be that way.

The goal of this publication was to compile several decades' worth of practical experience (success and failure), controlled demonstrations, and technical research on the subjects. Part of the goal was to present the information so that the wide range of interrelated subjects was adequately comprehensive. This bulletin was not intended to be casual, fun, summarized, Sunday afternoon reading. It is technical, yet practical and useful, so the reader can find answers, with reasons, for the many questions encountered. The information has been prepared with all practicing grassland managers in mind: the farm and ranch grass producer, consultant, academic professor, and technical researcher.

I placed major emphasis on the Old World bluestems because of the intensity of producer acceptance of the grasses coupled with the great range of geographic areas they can be grown in. These grasses are among the primary grasses planted in Oklahoma and Texas, and they are adapted to many other states and countries.

The basic principles presented also apply to numerous other warm-season grasses: crabgrass, native range grasses, kleingrass, weeping lovegrass, and possibly seeded bermudagrass.
It is important to accept that the categories of information presented are interrelated and synergistic as we go from planting considerations onward to developed production. Additional study material is listed in the references.

The following is a summary of major inputs for upper-level management for planting, stand establishment, and early stand production of the Old World bluestems. Additional information on the inputs for the individual items is in the text.

1. Select the proper soil site where the grasses are well adapted.
2. Plant varieties adapted to the climate, soil, and management level.
3. Prepare an excellent, fresh, firm, smooth, weed-free seedbed, or use proper no-till or tread-in methods to plant. The method depends on the planting goals.
4. Plant about 2 pounds of pure live seed per acre.
5. Plant soon after the last spring-frost date.
6. Plant shallowly so the soil coverage of the seed will be less than 1/2 inch after the first rains.
7. Perform a soil test and apply potassium, phosphorus, and lime as needed according to recommendations and production goals. Band a nitrogen-phosphorus fertilizer with the seed in rows at planting. If soil phosphorus levels are severely inadequate, you can preplant-incorporate additional amounts to help correct the deficiency. You can also apply additional phosphorus and potassium as a top-dressing after stand emergence. If lime is needed, apply it preplant incorporated.
8. Use planter press wheels to firm the seed-fertilizer row, or pack the entire area with a tractor or other acceptable packer after planting if you don't use planter press wheels. Don't pack no-till plantings.
9. Control weeds by proper seedbed preparation, herbicide application, grazing, or mowing.
10. Top-dress with 33.5-0-0 or another acceptable nitrogen source after stand emergence.
11. Hay or graze during the first summer if adequate growth is present by July or early August. Always graze the first-year growth during the first winter after a hard freeze.
12. Control insects if needed.
13. Consider applying water in the row with the seed at planting time.
14. Consider treating the seed with a fungicide.

Old World bluestems I discuss include the following varieties: Caucasian, Ganada, King Ranch, Plains, PMT-587, WW Ironmaster, WW Spar, and WW BDahl. There may be some differences in establishment and first-year production responses between varieties, but otherwise, these varieties are planted and managed by using the same procedures.

This is a summary of the planting, stand establishment, and early stand production management of Old World bluestems as based on research, experiences, and other information. The success of establishment and early stand production dictates much of the success of future uses of the planting. This information is intended to serve as a guide through good early stand production. Additional information is available in other publications (Ahring et al., 1978; Rommann, 1973; Sims and Dewald, 1982).

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