Management & Control Methods For More Information: Mechanical- Tillage will control existing · Plumas-Sierra County Department medusahead plants and can be used to break of Agriculture (530) 283-6365 Medusahead up deep thatch layers. But, it can increase Website: www.countyofplumas.com potential for soil erosion and loss of soil moisture. Mowing is not an effective · Plumas-Sierra University of California AKA:Taeniatherum caput- control strategy for medusahead. Cooperative Extension (530) 283-6270 medusae Website: ucce-plumassierra.ucdavis.edu/ Biological- Biological control of medusahead does not appear to be a potential management · Natural Resources Conservation Service option in the near future. (NRCS), (530) 284-7126 Chemical- Herbicides are a good tool for Photos, and text provided by: Managing medusahead Ø California Department of Food and populations and Agriculture, Integrated Pest Control often improve the Branch success of other Ø Hilken, Thomas O & Richard F. Miller. control methods 1980 Medusahead. Oregon State Univ., such as tillage, burning, or Ø Lassen County Special Weed Action Team re-vegetation. Check with your Agriculture Department or Ø Randall John M. Rice, Barry R, / The Cooperative Extension office to determine the Nature Conservancy Herbicides that work best for your situation. Ø University of California Cooperative Plumas-Sierra Grazing-Cattle and sheep will graze Extension-Plumas Sierra Counties medusahead early in the season before seeds Ø USDA-NRCS, High Sierra Resource et, however medusahead’s low palatability Noxious WEEDS* Conservation and Development Area prevents grazing from being an effective control option. Ø Whitson, Tom, et al. 1991 Weeds of the Management Group West. University of Wyoming Fire- Burning can help remove medusahead’s dense thatch layer. When medusahead seeds Ø Wilson, Rob. UCCE, Lassen County *”We Eradicate Exotic and are in the soft dough stage, a slow, hot fire can reduce medusahead plant density up to 90% Funding provided by: Detrimental Species” the following year. o California Department of Transportation Re-vegetation- Establishing a healthy, desirable o Renewable Resources Extension Act plant community must follow medusahead www.cdfa.ca.gov/wma o Senate Bill 1740 control to prevent re-invasion. Seeding in late fall or early spring with a rangeland drill provides o Sierra Valley Resource Conservation the best chance of re-vegetation success in arid, District dry land situations. Consult your Cooperative o United States Forest Service (530) 283-6365 Extension or NRCS office, to obtain more information on plant species that grow well in your area. Editing, layout, and design By Celeste Avila, UCCE, Plumas-Sierra Counties. History What does Medusahead look Medusahead is an annual grass native to Eurasia. A What can you do? low-value forage species for livestock and wildlife, like and where does it grow? it has been estimated that the carrying capacity of ü Recognize medusahead. Understand the rangeland for domestic livestock has been reduced Habitat: Medusahead inhabits disturbed lifecycle so you can manage accordingly. by 75% after medusahead invasion. sites, grassland, openings in chaparral, oak Effective tools applied at the wrong time can woodlands, and rangelands. It tends to grow aggravate the situation. Distribution best on clay soils where deep soil moisture is Medusahead has spread available late in the growing season. However ü Prescribed burning, specialized cultivation, and throughout the annual meduahead can also be a problem on sandy soil plant competition are effective non-chemical dominated ranges of in many areas of California. tools for managing medusahead. northern and central California. Growth: Medusahead is a winter annual. ü If you choose to use chemical control, work Medusahead matures 2-4 weeks later then with the Agriculture Department to apply the Imposters downy brome and other winter annual grasses. right chemical at the correct rate, time and stage of growth and satisfy legal requirements. Sometimes confused with The yellowish-green sheen of dense stands is foxtail barley or squirrel- highly visible after ü Drive on established roads and trails so as tail. Medusahead can be other annual grasses not to transport weed seed from infested areas. singled out by its spike, turn brown. The stems and seed head that does not are wiry and slender ü Remove weed seeds from vehicle and bicycle break apart as seeds mature. Individual awned- and contain a few tires as well as shoes, clothing & animals. florets fall away, leaving twisted awns that will hold short narrow leaves. Medusahead tissues all winter. have a high silica ü If you see a few plants, pull them. Pulled content and low plants should be burned or tightly bagged palatability except prior to disposal. Do not put them in your during the early compost. growth stages. The high silica content also makes the medusahead ü Maintain good vegetative cover of land to litter of dead stems slow to decompose. minimize infestation of noxious weeds. Roots: Medusahead quickly develops a ü Feed weed-free forages to livestock to avoid fibrous root system allowing it to extract unintentionally contaminating an area. available soil moisture deep in the soil profile. ü If a weed-infested area is found, inform the Seeds: Reproduces by seed. Seeds disperse landowner or manager so they can take steps Medusahead Squirreltail locally with wind, water, and by clinging to the to control the weeds (or notify the Agriculture Twisted awns or beards Has open spikes and feet and fur of animals. Germination is typically Department). are good characteristics long, minutely rapid and occurs under a broad temperature of medusahead. barbed awns. range. Most seeds germinate in fall after the ü If you would like help in designing your first rain, but some seeds remain dormant or personal weed strategy, please contact the germinate in winter or spring. Agriculture Department or Cooperative Foxtail barely Extension. Produces pale green, bushy, open ü As with most things, diligent persistence spikes. and hard work reaps the greatest rewards. .