Intermediate Wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium) - Intermediate Wheatgrass is a non-native grass used for pasture and hay production. It is palatable to all classes of livestock and wildlife and is commonly used in areas where moisture is limited. Intermediate Wheatgrass provides excellent spring, early summer, and fall pasture and is tolerant to drought conditions. It is a valued conservation grass in the Northern Great Plains and Western North America especially at elevations between 3,500 and 9,000 feet.  It can be seeded at lower elevations where adequate moisture is available. Abundant seed production, ease of establishment, and rapid growth to maturity makes this species a profitable crop for seed producers.

Adapted to coarse, medium, and fine-textured soils with pH ranging from 5.6 to 8.4, it is a preferred grass for a wide range of conservation plantings which get 12 to 30 inches of annual rainfall. Its strong seedling vigor makes it competitive with weeds and increases seeding success rates. Palatability is rated high for large wildlife and all classes of livestock, and it maintains forage quality throughout the year, giving producers flexibility in pasture management and grazing rotations.

Because of its tall stature, stiff stems, and high yields of good quality forage, it is a preferred hay crop, especially when grown with alfalfa. When left as a standing crop, its tall stature provides nesting cover for game birds and migratory waterfowl, as well as a stockpile crop for winter livestock use. Its short, rhizomatous growth form provides soil stability on conservation plantings where erosion is a concern, but it is not as aggressively invasive as strongly rhizomatous grasses like quackgrass, smooth brome, or Kentucky bluegrass. Its high root mass production in the upper soil profile helps improve soil quality.

Seeding Rate: Intermediate wheatgrass should be seeded with a drill at a depth of 1/2 inch or less on medium- to fine-textured soils and no more than 1 inch deep on coarse-textured soils. When seeded alone, a rate of 25 - 30 pounds per acre.