- Posted by: Gale Perez
Best Management Practices for Non-Chemical Weed Control
This manual provides comprehensive descriptions of 21 commonly used non-chemical weed control techniques and of biological control agents for 18 weed species/species groups that will help you as a practitioner treat weeds more effectively.
Authors of each chapter have compiled research and on-the-ground knowledge of subject experts on tools and methods of application, as well as on efficacy of techniques under various environmental conditions and across different classes of invasive plants. Environmental, cultural, and human safety risks are also highlighted to help support safe and effective use of...
- Posted by: Gale Perez
** From the Western IPM Center October 2020 newsletter **
An potential option for xeriscaped yards
Low-Dose Electricity Shows Promise as a Non-Chemical Option for Weed Control
Start with a heaping helping of weeds in an orchard owned by an electrical engineer, then add in a weed...
/h3>- Author: Pratap Devkota
As we are in the mid-summer, many fields in the low desert region are preparing for soil solarization. Soil solarization is a widely adopted pest control method by organic growers in the low desert region. With the increase in organic production acreage in recent years, we are seeing more fields implementing soil solarization during summer.
Soil solarization is a method for controlling soilborne pathogens, insects, nematodes, and weed seeds & seedlings by disinfesting soil by the solar heat. Solarization is implemented during summer months, where soil is heated by covering with transparent polyethylene mulch/tarp. The plastic covering permits solar radiation/energy to penetrate and trap in the soil; thereby, building heat in...
- Re-posted by: Gale Perez
Here's something from The Weed's News Network.
David Low / WeedsNews5282 / January 15, 2015
A sporting site in Melbourne is being used for a weed-tackling treatment that doesn't contain herbicides. A group of green thumbs have used steam to kill weeds, instead of applying chemicals. The Weed Network's Dr. David Low said they were trialling the method at Bayside Council sites. He said they had been researching chemical-free methods for working with weeds for five years. “We have been working with Bayside Council to introduce steam weeding as an alternative to herbicide in sensitive sites used heavily by children, for example for...
- 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...