Effect of Planting Time and different Methods of Rainfall Collecting on Establishment of Astragalus kahiricus

Astragalus kahiricus is a high quality forage species that has a wide spread in the northeast, north, center, southeast and central part of the Iran. This palatable plant is heavily grazed in all phonological stages by livestock. In this study the effect of rainwater harvesting methods including furrow, pitting and crescent pond and planting season on establishment of A. kahiricus in Kalmand bahadoran were evaluated. The seeds were scratched in vitro according to germination studies. The scratched seeds were compared as split plot design with main treatment of cultivation date in autumn and late winter 2013 and sub treatment of pitting, furrow, crescent pond in three blocks. In the spring, the number of established plant in each plot was counted and analyzed. Based on the results autumn planting been more successful than spring planting. Although 18% of the seedlings were generated in the crescent pond and there were better results than the other treatments, but only 4% of the seeds were established due to drought. Generally low seed establishment suggests that rainfall collecting with seeding in regions with average rainfall less than 100 mm encounters with a high risk. In these areas should be evaluated methods of potted seedlings combined with rainwater harvesting.