Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

2009

Publication Title

National Quail Symposium Proceedings

Abstract

As northern bobwhite (Colinus virginianus) chicks are dependent on invertebrates for food, land managers often use spring/summer food plots to meet these needs. We examined invertebrate production in native vegetation and 6 different food plot types (i.e., fallow disking only; fallow disking and fertilizing; or disking, fertilizing, and planting a single species [browntop millet, iron and clay peas, or sorghum] or a multi-species mix [browntop millet, catjang peas, iron and clay peas, Japanese millet, and pearl millet]) in the Pineywoods of east Texas. Invertebrates were collected weekly during the summers of 1997 and 1999 and for 5 weekly sampling periods during summer, 1998. For each food plot type, invertebrates were separated from debris, air dried, and weighed as a group. Bi-weekly, a 100-invertebrate sub-sample was randomly selected from each sample and sorted to order with weight and number of individuals recorded. When spring precipitation was sufficient, multi-species food plots produced greater (P < 0.05) invertebrate biomass than fallow or native vegetation plots, and all cultivated plots had more (P < 0.05) biomass than native vegetation. Likewise, all cultivated plots had more (P < 0.05) biomass than fallow plots in early summer but not in mid- and late summer. A combination of multi-species (with legumes) food plots and fallow disking should provide bobwhite chicks with invertebrates throughout most summers.

Comments

Anderson, Charles W.; Whiting, R. Montague Jr.; Dietz, Donald R.; and Capps, Richard M. (2009) "Invertebrate Biomass and Richness in Various Food Plot Types in East Texas," National Quail Symposium Proceedings: Vol. 6 , Article 9.

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