Weed suppression with grazing or atrazine during big bluestem establishment
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Authors: B. K. Lawrence, S. S. Waller, L. E. Moser, B. E. Anderson, and L. L. Larson
Date: 1995
Journal: Journal of Range Management
Volume: 48
Number: 4
Pages: 376-379
Summary of Methods: This two year study used yearling heifers near Mead, Nebraska on an improved pasture seeded to big blue stem (Andropogon gerardii var. gerardii). The goal was to determine if cattle grazing could control weeds and be an effective alternative to herbicides. Six weed control treatments (no control, artazine application, continuous grazing, early-season continuous grazing, mob grazing, early-season mob grazing) were applied to paddocks that were seeded back to big bluestem. Implementation of these grazing treatments had to be altered in the second year due to high levels of nitrates in the weeds.
Article Summary / Main Points:
• Big bluestem seedling establishment was higher on artazine treated sites than any control method tested, yielding more than 10 plants per m2.
• Grazing treatments were hard to implement effectively due to the nitrate levels in some of the weeds present.
• Grazing decrease the big bluestem stand establishment, but did not affect the density and biomass of the weed populations.
• The use of cattle to control weeds when trying to establish warm-season grasses is not an acceptable alternative to artazine.Vegetation Types: Northern Mixed Prairie Tallgrass Prairie
MLRA Ecoregions: 106 Nebraska and Kansas Loess-Drift Hills
Agrovoc Control Words: Weeds Biological Control Grazing
Article Review Type: Refereed
Article Type: Experimental Research
Keywords: andropogon gerardii var. gerardii, improved pasture, density, biomass, redroot pigweed, amaranthus retroflexus, mob grazing, nitrate, targeted grazing
Annotation: Yearling heifers were grazed in this trial. Grazing continued until forage stubble heigth was 5 cm.
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