- Author: Chris McDonald
It is weed season! There is a principle in weed management that weeds are often better competitors for resources. Competition begins as soon as seeds break dormancy. The seeds that germinate first are often the ones that obtain the most resources.
Most plants have developed deep roots before they are a few inches tall (Figs. 1 and 2). Growing beans in a paper towel will highlight this point, the plant will be many times deeper than it is tall. What this means for plant competition is that if there is a plant that germinates quickly and one that germinates slowly, the slow plant will be at a competitive disadvantage.
1a 1b...
- Author: Brad Hanson
Link to a recent (July 2014) research article in California Agriculture (link to table of contents for volume 68)
Brad
The article by E.D. Brusati, D.W. Johnson, and J.M. DiTomaso is entitled "Predicting Invasive Plants in...
- Author: David Low
- Re-posted by: Gale Perez
From the WeedsNews4873 | May 20, 2014 | 8:28 pm
Abstract: Non-native plant distribution and community composition, along with an array of environmental factors, were examined in 31 hedgerows, an archetypal class of conservation linkage, in the northern part of California's Central Valley. Row crop, orchard, and vineyard agriculture dominate this area, and hedgerows have been popular...
- Author: Gale Perez
On Monday, March 17, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Planning Branch is organizing a two hour lecture by Dr. Joe DiTomaso on the biology, ecology and management of yellow starthistle. The department has not only arranged for the lecture to be presented to participants in attendance, but it will also be available as a live webinar. The presentation will discuss why and how yellow starthistle became so widespread in California and all the possible management strategies, including herbicides, mechanical removal, burning, grazing, and biological control and how these strategies can be best applied to minimize non-target species damage. Dr. DiTomaso will also include an...
- Author: Carl E. Bell
- Posted by: Gale Perez
Some tips on grazing for invasive plant control
Using livestock for controlling invasive plants has a lot of appeal; the animals seem like a natural, green method; they're cute; and at times they can be a very inexpensive way to do some weed control. But there are also various difficulties and issues with using livestock that should be understood before you jump into a grazing program, I've discussed some below.
Livestock have different eating preferences and needs; Cattle (photo of cattle courtesy of Jack Kelly Clark, UCANR) like grass, sheep like grass and forbs, goats like browse (foliage on stems of woody shrubs, young stems and bark, like photo), and horses like grass.
They eat...