Western Salsify in Range, Pasture, and CRP Jane Mangold 2010 Pest Management Tour Outline . Identification . Life history/Biology . Ecology . Management . Research trial Western Salsify (Tragopogon dubius) . Also known as goat’s-beard, oyster plant . “Salsify” = “a plant that follows the sun” Do you have western salsify on your land? 1. Yes 2. No 3. Not sure 0% 0% 0% Yes No Not sure 0 of 5 Has western salsify been increasing over the past several years on your land? 1. Yes 2. No 3. Not sure 0% 0% 0% Yes No Not sure 0 of 5 For those of you who DO have western salsify, do you consider it a problem? 1. Yes 2. No 3. Not sure 0% 0% 0% Yes No Not sure 0 of 5 On my land, western salsify is a problem mainly on 1. Cropland 2. CRP 3. Range/pasture 0% 0% 0% Cropland CRP Range/pasture 0 of 5 IDENTIFICATION . Linear, grass-like leaves • Rubbery, smooth to touch . Leaves clasp stem at base . Milky juice . Hollow stem below flower . Yellow, dandelion-like flower . Bracts extend beyond flower . Fluffy, sphere of seeds . Seeds with umbrella-like pappus Tragopogon Species . T. dubius • Western salsify, western goat’s-beard . T. pratensis • Meadow salsify, meadow goat’s-beard, Jack-go-to- bed-at-noon . T. porrifolius • Common salsify, garden salsify, oyster-plant . T. miscellus • Hybrid of T. dubius and T. pratensis . T. mirus • Hybrid of T. dubius and T. porrifolius Tragopogon Distributions T. dubius T. pratensis T. porrifolius T. miscellus T. mirus Flower Comparisons T. dubius—yellow, long bracts T. pratensis—yellow, inconspicuous bracts T. porrifolius—purple, fewer bracts LIFE HISTORY AND BIOLOGY Western salsify is a 1. Annual 2. Perennial 3. Biennial 4. All of the above 0% 0% 0% 0% Annual Perennial Biennial All of the above 0 of 5 Biennial . Germinate from seed and develop root system and rosette during Year 1 . Flower, produce seeds, and die in Year 2 YEAR 1 YEAR 2 Monocarpic Perennial . Lives more than one year, but dies after flowering YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3 Biology—Seeds . Seed reproduction only . 1-14 flowers/plant . ~90 seeds/plant . Two seed types produced • Heavier, darker seeds from periphery of flower . >94% germination under optimal conditions . Highest germination around 60°F . Low seed longevity (typically <13 months) . High dispersal (up to 250m) More Biology . Seeds readily germinate in dark . Emerge in presence of vegetation . Narrow, upright leaves allow seedlings to gain access to light Western salsify is a native plant. 1. True 2. False 0% 0% True False 0 of 5 Origin . Northern Europe . Brought to North America by early settlers • Ornamental • Food plant . Noxious in Ontario (all species)and Manitoba (T. pratensis only) . First report in Montana • Mineral County, 1915 • 804 total records (most recent in 2000) ECOLOGY Habitat . Wide variety of soils and soil moisture • Well-drained . T. dubius tolerant of wide range of vegetation zones • Disturbed areas to rangeland • Similar habitat for T. miscellus Impacts . Detrimental • Form dense stands • Reduce desirable vegetation . Beneficial • Edible (roots)—taste “surpasses that of carrots and parsnips” (Henslow 1912) • Wildlife habitat, especially birds • Blue grouse • Goldfinches Invasive Plant Geographical Expansion carrying capacity Lag phase •Initially small population •Environmental conditions •Soil nutrient enrichment •Climate change •Altered dispersal vectors •Plant-plant interactions •Genetic change Colonization Introduction 0- Time Invasion Dynamics—Lag Phase* Years after Introduction % of Species 50 6 51-100 25 101-200 51 201-300 14 >300 4 *Based on 184 exotic woody species in Germany (Kowarik 1995) Huh? Very interesting. MANAGEMENT Have you attempted to control western salsify on your land? 1. Yes 2. No 0% 0% Yes No 0 of 5 If so, how would you rate its effectiveness? 1. 100% 2. 75-99% 3. 50-74% 4. <50% 0% 0% 0% 0% 100% 75-99% 50-74% <50% 0 of 5 Management . Potential seed contaminant—buy quality, weed-free seed . Hand-pull/dig small infestations . Tillage (>3” deep may prevent emergence) . Post-dispersal seed predation contributes to seed mortality Management . Herbicides • Clopyralid + 2,4-D (Curtail)—2 to 4 qt/A • Metsulfuron + chlorsulfuron (Cimarron X-tra)—2 oz/A • Picloram (Tordon)—1-2 pt/A • Dicamba (Clarity)—8-32 oz/A . Most effective in spring • Control fall and spring-germinated plants RESEARCH TRIAL Research Trial . Objective: • Test effectiveness of various herbicides, timing of application, and mowing to control western salsify . Cooperative effort among MSU, NRCS, FSA, and local producers . 2010-2011 Methods . 3 sites (Cascade and Choteau Counties) . CRP with varying densities of western salsify • High (~35 plants/m2) • Medium (~3 plants/m2) • Low (~1 plants/m2) . Established and treated in 2010 High density site Medium density site Low density site Treatments Treatment Timing 1 glyphosate* (4 oz) + 2,4-D** (3 oz) mid-May 2 dicamba (4 oz) + 2,4-D (10 oz) mid-May 3 dicamba (2 oz) + 2,4-D (10 oz) + mid-May metsulfuron (1/10 oz) 4 dicamba (4 oz) + 2,4-D (10 oz) mid-June 5 dicamba (2 oz) 2,4-D (10 oz) + mid-June metsulfuron (1/10 oz) 6 glyphosate (4 oz) + 2,4-D (3 oz) mid-May dicamba (2 oz) + 2,4-D (10 oz) + mid-June metsulfuron (1/10 oz) 7 Mowing mid-June 8 Non-treated control *4-lb. glyphosate **LV-6 All herbicide treatments applied with 0.10% nonionic surfactant + 0.10% water treatment Mid-May application Mid-May Application Mid-June application Treatment Effect on Flowering Plant Density 70 c c ) 2 60 c bc 50 bc 40 30 ab 20 a 10 flowering plant density (plants/m floweringdensity plant a 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Treatment 1=glyphosate + 2,4-D; 2=dicamba + 2,4-D; 3=dicamba + 2,4-D +metsulfuron—MID-MAY 4=dicamba +2,4-D; 5=dicamba + 2,4-D +metsulfuron—MID-JUNE 6=treatment 1 +treatment 5; 7=mowing; 8=non-treated control Treatment Effect on Rosette Density 200 b ) 2 b 150 100 a 50 rosettedensity (plants/m a a a a a 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Treatment 1=glyphosate + 2,4-D; 2=dicamba + 2,4-D; 3=dicamba + 2,4-D +metsulfuron—MID-MAY 4=dicamba +2,4-D; 5=dicamba + 2,4-D +metsulfuron—MID-JUNE 6=treatment 1 +treatment 5; 7=mowing; 8=non-treated control Non-treated control Treatment 2—Dicamba (4 oz) + 2,4-D (10 oz) Treatment Effect on Perennial Grass Biomass 140 c ) 120 2 100 b a 80 b ab ab 60 ab a 40 perennialgrass biomass (g/m 20 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Treatment 1=glyphosate + 2,4-D; 2=dicamba + 2,4-D; 3=dicamba + 2,4-D +metsulfuron—MID-MAY 4=dicamba +2,4-D; 5=dicamba + 2,4-D +metsulfuron—MID-JUNE 6=treatment 1 +treatment 5; 7=mowing; 8=non-treated control Stay tuned for more information. Based on the information you received today, will you change how you are managing western salsify? 1. Yes 2. No 3. Maybe 0% 0% 0% Yes No Maybe 0 of 5 Jane Mangold 994-5513; [email protected] QUESTIONS/COMMENTS.