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Range and Pasture Weed Management <br />Integrate Control Methods <br />Page 2 of 3 <br />A key aspect to weed management is to integrate control methods into a management <br />system. <br />• Cultural controls are methods that favor desirable plant growth, such as proper <br />grazing management, irrigation, and seeding vigorously growing, competitive, <br />desirable plant species. <br />• Mechanical control physically disrupts weed growth and includes such methods as <br />tillage, mowing, mulching, burning, and Flooding. <br />• Chemical control is the use of herbicides. <br />• Biological control is the use of an organism to disrupt weed growth. Classical <br />biological control uses natural enemies of weeds, such as insects or disease <br />organisms. Biological control also may Include use of sheep, cattle, goats, or other <br />large herbivores to control weeds. <br />A good weed-management plan integrates two or more control measures into a <br />management system. For example, if a pasture is infested with leafy spurge, <br />1. Biological control: Use sheep or goats to graze the weed early in the growing <br />season to relieve grasses from intense weed competition; <br />2. Cultural control: Irrigate, where applicable, to further stimulate grass growth to <br />provide better competition with leafy spurge. These two procedures allow effective <br />pasture use by other Irvestock, such as cattle, that normally do not graze leafy <br />spurge. <br />3. Chemical control: In the fall, spray the infestation with picloram (Tordon 22K) to <br />control leafy spurge. <br />This example integrates biological, cultural and chemical controls into a weed <br />management system. If leafy spurge is the weed problem, you may have to repeat this <br />program most growing seasons. With this procedure, you can still use that land and see <br />a return on your weed management investment. <br />Systematic Control Procedures <br />Do not attempt to control all weed infestations in a single season, except on small land <br />parcels. The mapping procedure will indicate where dense infestations lie and where <br />small scattered or perimeter infestations are located. <br />Be systematic about weed management. Start with perimeter infestations, These are the <br />easiest and most affordable to control. If controlled first, they can be kept from <br />becoming large and dense. If you start with large, dense infestations, perimeter ones <br />often get worse. This leads to frustration and a sense of futility in weed management. <br />A systematic approach allows for a return on the control investment during the weed <br />management process. Ground that was lightly infested can be used for productive <br />purposes, then some of that profit used to combat heavier infestations. <br />Record Keeping and Evaluation <br />Keep good records of weed management. Include procedures used, dates applied, <br />weather conditions, and growth stage and condition of weeds and desirable plants. <br />Evaluate for success or failure. Good records and evaluation lead to successful <br />management and fewer failures. <br />ORen, evaluation efforts provide the most accurate assessment one to three years after <br />control application. This is important for perennial weeds where follow-up is a key to <br />successful weed management. The worst mistake to make is to use a weed management <br />system, assume it will work, and not evaluate the outcome. <br />http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/natres/03105.html <br />6/22/2005 <br />