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ARS Home » Plains Area » Sidney, Montana » Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory » Pest Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #131213
Title: TEAM leafy spurge: An areawide pest management program

Author
item Prosser, Chadley
item Anderson, Gerald
item WENDEL, LLOYD - USDA-APHIS
item RICHARD, ROBERT - USDA-APHIS
item Redlin, Bethany - Beth

Submitted to: Integrated Pest Management Reviews
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/8/2002
Publication Date: 9/15/2003
Citation: Prosser, C.W., Anderson, G.L., Wendel, L.E., Richard, R.D., Redlin, B. 2003. TEAM leafy spurge: An areawide pest management program. Integrated Pest Management Reviews. 7(1): 47-62.

Interpretive Summary: TEAM Leafy Spurge has assembled many of the most experienced researchers in the management of leafy spurge using a variety of tools. This variety (i.e., grazing, biological control, herbicides, reseeding) of expertise among team participants has allowed the sharing of information and exchange of ideas to combat this noxious weed. Efforts to increase public awareness and provide land managers with cost-effective and ecologically sound control practices have been the most successful aspects of the TEAM Leafy Spurge program to date. Leafy spurge is a formidable opponent that cannot be controlled or eliminated by any single entity or management practice a collaborative, integrated and area-wide approach is essential to solving this costly problem. Programs such as TEAM Leafy Spurge are using such an approach to reach large segments of the population and are working with them in developing ecologically based integrated pest management strategies that can be used to achieve effective, affordable and sustainable leafy spurge control.

Technical Abstract: The Ecological Area-wide Management (TEAM) - Leafy Spurge project is a United States Department of Agriculture-Agricultural Research Service (USDA-ARS) programme focused on the Little Missouri River drainage in the states of North and South Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming, USA. The TEAM Leafy Spurge project represents the first large-scale, systematic study and demonstration of weed management alternatives. Its primary goal is to demonstrate the use of ecologically based integrated pest management (IPM) strategies to achieve effective, affordable leafy spurge control. TEAM Leafy Spurge is co-chaired and overseen by the USDA-ARS in cooperation with the USDA-Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. Both agencies have many years of experience in research and implementation of leafy spurge control tactics as well as valuable contacts and resources. Together they make a powerful team to tackle the leafy spurge problem on a regional basis. TEAM partners include the BLM, USFS, NPS, BIA, BOR, USGS, state departments of ag and other state agencies, coop Extension ser- vices, land grant universities, county weed managers, landowners and ranch- ers. A non-partisan and hoc committee consisting of state and federal re- searchers, land managers, representatives from local, state and federal entities, and private landowners/ranchers provide guidance and help insure the quality and applicability of the programe. The fire components of the TEAM Leafy Spurge research and demonstration project are: 1) Programme management; 2) Operations; 3) Assessment; 4) Supporting research (and demonstration): and 5) Technology transfer.