Working Ranch Magazine - Index

Working Ranch Magazine - magazine - Index

Steven Dewey, extension
weed specialist at Utah State
University, says a new weed,
Goatsrue, is on the offensive.
It was introduced into the
U.S. in the early 1900s as a
possible alternative to alfalfa,
but it turned out to be a
toxic plant. The federal government
sponsored an eradication
program about 15
years ago, but the funding
was cut and the weed has
invaded 40,000 to 50,000
acres so far. “I predict without
question, it will become a
major weed throughout the
Western U.S.,” states Dewey.
Dakotas. Several biological control
agents are being studied to control
spurge, including an insect, the flea
beetle, from Asia. The USDA says 2,4-
D, Tordon and Banvel are good chemicals
to consider if the herbicide route
must be taken.
GOATSRUE - THE NEXT BAD ONE
Steven Dewey, extension weed specialist
at Utah State University, says
Foxtail Barley is a problem without
many solutions for ranchers in the
Great Basin. “We don’t have a good
answer for it.” But he says a new
weed, Goatsrue, is on the offensive. It
was introduced into the U.S. in the
early 1900s as a possible alternative to
alfalfa, but it turned out to be a toxic
plant. The federal government spon-
84 |WORKING RANCH | JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2008
sored an eradication program about
15 years ago, but the funding was cut
and the weed has invaded 40,000 to
50,000 acres so far. “I predict without
question, it will become a major weed
throughout the Western U.S.,” states
Dewey.
HELP FROM MOTHER NATURE
Mother Nature also works toward
the benefit of pastureland. Gary
Wicke, county agent in Cameron
Parish, Louisiana, says Hurricane Rita
actually eliminated some undesirable
weeds in the brackish marsh used for
pasture along the coast of Southwest
Louisiana. Saltwater pushed inland
from the storm surge killed back large
expanses of Black Rush. “It actually
improved some marshes,” he says.
Bermudagrass thrives in moderate
concentrations of saltwater, so it
wasn’t harmed by the storm. The
invasive Chinese Tallow trees
near the coast were also killed by
the surge of saltwater.
Wicke says Smutgrass remains a
major headache for Louisiana cattle
producers. “Smutgrass is our
No. 1 problem. It’s hard on equipment,
cows won’t eat it and horses
don’t like it.” A few chemicals,
such as Velpar, can control it, but
their effect is not consistent,
Wicke claims. While Roundup
will kill it, the surrounding vegetation
also is eliminated.
Smutgrass is a native of India. It’s
known as wiregrass in Texas
because it binds up machinery and
cattle won’t eat it, says
Barron Rector, a Texas A&M
range specialist. “Control of
wiregrass isn’t in the cards
at this point,” says Rector.
“We don’t have a recommendation.”
He says plowing can
sometimes keep the pest at
bay for a couple of years, but
the weed always returns.
WEEDS ARE
NATURAL… LIKE FIRE
Weeds were here before
settlers tamed the west,
Rector goes on to explain,
when bison roamed the
prairies and wildfires were
a natural phenomenon.
They exist for a reason, and that is to
cover the ground because bare ground
allows moisture to escape and soil to
erode. Weed seeds can remain dormant
for more than a decade, just waiting for
the right time to germinate and grow
and that window of opportunity is usually
opened by human activity.
Overgrazing, mowing too often or
cutting grass too low exposes dormant
seed to ultraviolet light needed for
germination. Any hope of eradicating
a weed is a pipe dream, he says,
because weeds are so efficiently distributed.
“You will never eradicate
weeds because the seeds are blown in
the wind, travel on vehicle tires and
on farmers’ boots.” Basically, they are
everywhere.
Overgrazing sets up the conditions