The effect of pit- seeding on the range condition and range production in the Goledam rangelands

By considering the plant genetic erosion and plant cover retrogression, the range improvement projects such as pit seeding is essential for increasing the range forage production. The evaluation of Goladam’s rangelands showed that due to heavy and contenious grazing, many palatable species are facing extinction and have been seen with low vigorous and vice versa the unpalatable species had high density and vigorous. In West Azarbaijan province there is about 2321013 animal unit far from rangelands capacity, so applying a treatment that can increse forage production is nesessary. The galehdam station that located in cool semi arid region with 325. 8 mm annual rainfall was selected For study the effect of pit- seeding on the range condition and range production. For determining the range condition, range production and range trend, applied the four factors method, clipping method and trend balance method respectively. The study was conducted for 5 years and seeded the Agropyron cristatum, Agropyron desertorum, Agropyron elongatum, Onobrychis sativa و Medicago sativa. The result indicated that the range condition promoted to poor condition from very poor condition, and the forage prodution increased 2 folds. The average plant cover and soil conservation reached to 28 & 86 percent at the end of study and they were significantly difference (p< 0. 05).