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Strategies to convert exotic grass dominated pastures to tall grass prairie communities

Strategies to convert exotic grass dominated pastures to tall grass prairie communities. Thomas G. Barnes, Ph.D. Extension Professor Department of Forestry. The Situation. One of most endangered ecosystems Conversion to agriculture Degradation from exotics KY < 3 million acres

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Strategies to convert exotic grass dominated pastures to tall grass prairie communities

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  1. Strategies to convert exotic grass dominated pastures to tall grass prairie communities Thomas G. Barnes, Ph.D. Extension Professor Department of Forestry

  2. The Situation • One of most endangered ecosystems • Conversion to agriculture • Degradation from exotics • KY < 3 million acres • Several thousand

  3. The Strategies 1. Restoration Using Herbicides 2. No-till Conversion 3. Conventional tillage conversion

  4. The Journey Into Finding A Better Mouse Trap • Do You Really Need to Kill Everything and Start Over? • Use Herbicides --- Important Considerations • 1. Which herbicide • 2. What rate • 3. Timing

  5. Fescue Control in Spring vs. Fall Using Glyphosate % Fescue Remaining

  6. Effect of Imazapic on Fescue Reduction With Burning % Fescue Remaining

  7. Effect of Imazapic on NWSG Without Burning % NWSG Cover

  8. Effect of Imazapic on Fescue Reduction Without Burning % Fescue Remaining

  9. Effect of Imazapic on NWSG With Burning % NWSG Cover

  10. Results Indicate BestTreatment ForRemoving Fescue &Releasing NWSG Spring Burn followed By 10 oz Imazapic With a Surfactant

  11. Herbicide Comparisons For Killing Tall Fescue (2000) % Fescue Remaining

  12. Herbicide Comparisons For Releasing NWSG in Native Barrens % NWSG

  13. Plateau @ 10 oz/ac Select @ 10 oz/ac

  14. Killing Fescue With Clethodim & Glyphosate (2001) % Fescue Remaining

  15. Current Study • Compare Plateau, Select, Outrider to examine ability to kill fescue, release NWSG, and what forbs are tolerant across 14 sites throughout KY

  16. Mixed Grass System

  17. Total Vegetative Cover

  18. Percent Fescue

  19. Percent NWSG

  20. Percent Bare Ground

  21. Species Richness

  22. All three do good job after one year of taking out fescue, forb species do not vary much between herbicides Select Plateau Outrider

  23. Exercise Caution • Invasive exotic forbs, legumes • Crown vetch, sericea lespedeza, spotted knapweed, white & yellow sweet clover, Japanese honeysuckle

  24. Plateau Tolerant Forbs • Eupatorium coelestinum, hyssopifolium, serotinum, fistulosum • Aster pilosus, dumosus, patens, ontarionensis, lateriflorus, novae-angliae • Solidago altissima, rugosa, odorata, nemoralis • Asclepias tuberosa, viridis, viridiflorus • Silphium terebinthenaceum, pinnatifidum • Rudbeckia hirta, fulgida, Ratibida pinnata, Helianthus divaricatus, H. atrorubens

  25. Summary • Herbicides have potential to remove exotic grasses and promote native species • A wide variety of native broadleaf plants show some resistance to Imazapic in natural communities

  26. Strategy Two: No-till ConversionTo Be Successful • Control All Existing Vegetation • Provide Residual Weed Control • Use Good Quality Seed & Match Species to Site Condition • Do Not Seed To Deep • No-till More Successful Than Conventional Tillage • Pray For Rain

  27. Killing Existing Vegetation IMPORTANT: Burn (graze, hay) fescue Various Alternative Herbicides – Roundup, Plateau, Select, Outrider, Some Restricted Use

  28. Burning • Removes litter allows maximum herbicide – plant contact – better kill • Burning alone will NOT kill fescue

  29. Seeds & Seeding • Seeding Rate = 6 lbs PLS total • Match species to site conditions • Mixture used was equal amounts of big bluestem, little bluestem, Indian grass

  30. Seeding NWSG Calibrate drill Mix grass seeds & forbs together Use no-till drill Seed from Mid-April through July (if you get rain) Make sure seed no deeper than ¼” Get off tractor – check to seed if seed is dropping – tubes do & will plug

  31. Fluffy SeedMix Grass & Forbs Together

  32. This is the proper seeding depthAs much as 1/3 of the seed can lay on the top of the soil

  33. Fescue Conversion Using No-till • Several Studies – Summary • Burn early Spring • Apply 12 oz Imazapic about month later (mid-April) when 4- 6” tall (add 1 qt MSO & 2.5 lbs AMS / ac in tank) 20 gallon/acre spray rate • Seed at 6 lbs PLS from May through June

  34. 6 Weeks Post-Planting 12 oz Plateau No-till 2 Months Post-Planting 12 oz Plateau No-till

  35. Alternative No-Till Method • Burn early Spring • Apply 2 qts glyphosate/acre about month later (when fescue 4 – 6” tall) • At seeding apply 4 – 6 oz Imazapic/acre (with surfactant & fertilizer) • Seed 6 lbs PLS/acre from May - June

  36. 2 quarts glyphosate + 4 oz Plateau @ seeding Year One % cover = 70%

  37. Controlling Common Bermuda Grass % Bermuda Remaining RU + 4 oz Plateau RU + Arsenal + 12 oz Plateau Select + 12 oz Plateau RU Control RU RU + 12 oz Plateau Select + 4 oz Plateau

  38. Bermuda Grass Conversion to NWSG % NWSG Select + 4 oz Plateau RU + 4 oz Plateau Control RU RU + Arsenal RU + 12 oz Plateau RU + Arsenal + 12 oz Plateau Select + 12 oz Plateau RU

  39. Mixed PlantingBermuda GrassConversion 2 quarts glyphosate + 4 oz Plateau @ seeding Year Two – 80% aerial cover

  40. Controlling Bahia Grass % Bahia

  41. Converting Bahia Grass to NWSG % NWSG

  42. Quack Grass Conversion to NWSG % NWSG roundup plateau6 select RU + 4 PL

  43. Quack-grass SiteYear Two

  44. Smooth Brome ConversionEastern South Dakota • Preliminary Data • Sprayed last fall and this spring • Outrider (2 oz), 2 qts glyphosate, 32 oz journey (imazapic + glyphosate) • Glyphosate

  45. Controlling Smooth Brome Northern Great PlainsFall Herbicide Applications

  46. Controlling Smooth Brome Northern Great Plains Spring Herbicide Applications

  47. Current Study (Ruffner) Untreated check Imazapic 0.21 ka ai/ha (12 oz) Imazapic + glyphosate 0.32 ai/ha & 0.64 ai/ha (1 pt & 1 qt) Imazapyr 0.57 ai/ha & 1.14 ai/ha (1 pt & 1 qt Sulfosufuron 0.11 ai/ha (2 oz) Chlorosulfuron 0.16 ai/ha (3 oz)

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